Nissan has some big plans for its future and the Indian automobile market is a major part of those plans.
The Nissan Magnite facelift was allegedly teased at the Nissan’s financial results presentation recently. Nissan is extremely bullish about the Indian market even though it had a single product in our market for the longest time. Recently, the latest generation X-Trail was unveiled for our market. It will be sold as a CBU unit in limited numbers. However, the Magnite has been an immensely critical product for the Japanese carmaker not just domestically, but also for export. But a facelift of the compact SUV has been long overdue. Let us take a look at what to expect.
Nissan Magnite Facelift Teased
During this presentation, a slide show highlighted the visuals of the upcoming global products from Nissan in the future. While the Patrol, Armada and Murano were announced, the silhouette concealed a mysterious compact SUV. In fact, some speculate it to be the electric Juke, but I feel the silhouette looks closer to a Magnite rather than the Juke. In recent times, we have reported the test mule of the Magnite facelift performing road tests in India. Interestingly, in the Bharat NCAP video of the Tata Punch EV, the Nissan Magnite facelift was allegedly seen parked at the facility.
Needless to say, the Magnite is a crucial product for Nissan, not just for India, but also for many international markets. The Japanese carmaker has sold in excess of 30,000 Magnites each year consecutively for the last 3 years taking the total to well over 1 lakh units. Hence, it would want to make sure that the Magnite remains fresh for the Indian market. Ultimately, the Magnite will continue to be its mass-market vehicle going forward. The facelift model will get some aesthetic alterations and the addition of a few new features. The powertrains will most likely remain the same. Hence, we will get the 1.0-litre engine with and without a turbocharger with manual and automatic transmissions.
Our View
The first quarter of FY2024 was a tough one for the Japanese auto giant. It observed the operating profit go down by 99.2% to $6.4 million, while the net profit was down by 72.9% to $184.6 million. Clearly, Nissan would want to expand its footprint across various nations it operates in. Since India is a big piece of the puzzle to achieve its ambitious goals going forward, Nissan will ensure that the Magnite facelift continues to offer enough features at affordable prices to attract new customers. Let us keep an eye out for more details in this case.
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