MUMBAI :

Nissan and Renault have both launched B-SUVs in India, the Magnite and the Kiger respectively. While Nissan has priced the Magnite from INR 5.59 lakh (prices ex-showroom), Renault has priced the Kiger from INR 5.45 lakh onwards. Both the compact SUVs are similar in several aspects, except for the different styling cues. Unlike the Toyota Glanza and Maruti Suzuki Baleno, both these compact SUVs have a distinctive feel and are not merely a rebadged version of the other. 

Since both the compact SUVs are based on the CMFA+ platform, their dimensions are nearly the same. From the house of Nissan, we have the Magnite with a wheelbase of 2500mm and measures 3994mm in length, 1758mm in width and 1572mm in height. The Magnite also has the same ground clearance as the Kiger, however, it has 69 litres of less boot space (336 litres) as compared to the Kiger. The Kiger, on the other hand, has a wheelbase of 2500mm and measures 3991mm in length, 1750mm in width and 1600mm in height. With 405 litres of boot space and 205mm of ground clearance, the Kiger can be a great vehicle for touring. 

In terms of styling, while both compact SUVs are very different, they’re both head turners and have quite a presence on the road. The Nissan Magnite looks sharp and what the designers at Nissan have done is given the Magnite a finely sculpted body with innumerable design cues. The front fascia of the Magnite is dominated by the huge hexagonal grille with silver surrounds. The grille is flanked by sharp headlights that sit just below the bonnet line. The L-shape DRLs add to the sharpness of the front fascia and move attention away from the small round fog lamps situated way down on the front bumper.

The side profile of the Magnite consists of silver skid plates, big windows and alloy wheels. Combined, they look pretty good. At the back, sharp lines are contoured harmoniously to deliver a striking rear profile. The rear bumper comes in multiple layers and is mostly dominated by the use of plastics and silver highlights. The taillights merge well with the strong lines across the boot to complete the rear profile of the Magnite.

The design of the Renault Kiger on the other hand, reverberates with the Kwid hatchback. The design of the Kwid had helped Renault break the market in the entry-level segment and that is what they have stuck with. This does not mean that the entire design of the Kiger is based on the Kwid. The Kiger comes with a smart front fascia that is dominated by the huge Renault logo and the sleek LED DRLs. The body-coloured bumpers house the actual LED headlights of the Kiger, giving it a very distinctive and niche look. The side profile of the Kiger features a lot of plastic cladding to give it that extra SUV-ish styling. The 16-inch alloy wheels complete the styling of the side profile of the Kiger. At the back, the integrated spoiler adds a sporty feel to the Kiger, which is then complemented by the C-shaped taillights. The wrap-around taillights and the sculpted boot add an upmarket look to the rear profile of the Kiger. 

Inside, the Magnite comes with a nice feature, an air conditioner with deodorizing and dust filter as standard. Nissan has also fitted the Magnite with an 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and also added more than 50 Features along with Smartwatch Connectivity. The driver gets an instrument cluster with a 3.5-inch LCD display, however, you can opt for the better looking 7-inch TFT Advanced Drive-Assist instrument cluster on the pricier models. 

The Kiger features an 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Along with it, the driver also gets a 7-inch instrument cluster and steering mounted controls. The dashboard has a simple yet elegant design. Auto-climate control is a nice touch to the interiors and enhances the feature list. 

When it comes to the powerplants, both of them share the same 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine that churns out 71 BHP and 96 Nm of torque. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine on both the cars is also identical and belts out 99 BHP and 160 Nm of torque. However, while the Magnite only gets an MT with the 1.0-litre petrol engine, the Kiger gets an extra 5-speed AMT gearbox in addition to the 5-speed manual gearbox.  The Magnite gets an X-TRONIC CVT automatic gearbox with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine whereas Kiger offers a manual gearbox as well as a 5-step CVT gearbox.