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Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift Review: City Runabout Status Confirmed
When Nissan unveiled the Magnite compact SUV in October 2020, the world was still under the grip of the pandemic. At the time, the arrival of the Nissan Magnite marked another new beginning for the Japanese marque in its tumultuous journey in India.
The Magnite offered a choice of two engines and gearboxes - a 1.0-litre three-cylinder in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged guises. While the turbo Magnite offered both manual and automatic transmission options, the naturally aspirated version of the SUV made do with the five-speed manual gearbox.
Now three years down the line, with another World Cup going on with Nissan as a sponsor, the Japanese firm has decided it is time that the Magnite, now its only regular offering in India, gets an update.
So, Nissan headed over to its alliance partner Renault and asked if they could borrow the firm's 5-speed automated manual (AMT) which the French call the Easy-R. And that's basically how we got to the Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift, which we drove in Chennai. Here's what it's like on the road.
Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift Review: The Change - The Shift And Only The Shift
The big story about the Magnite EZ-Shift is the arrival of the AMT gearbox from which it derives its name. While the exterior gets an EZ-Shift badge on its rear end, the interior sports a slightly different shifter compared to the CVT box, with the new lever sporting the different modes on its shiny chrome centre.
And let's just clear up things for those wondering about the new automatic transmission, the new EZ-Shift AMT gearbox is only for the version of the Nissan Magnite sporting the naturally-aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. The turbocharged Nissan Magnite still retains its CVT gearbox.
The new gearbox transmits the 71bhp and 96Nm of peak torque from the naturally aspirated 1.0-litre engine to the front wheels. On the move, you'll need to rev the engine before shifting to really access the peak power and torque. While the power delivery is linear, you need to be near the three-pot's sweet spot to have fun with it. However, don't try to rev its nuts off as all you'll get is noise and not much else.
We found the new EX-Shift gearbox to be quite reliable in the way it behaved in normal conditions as it really does take away the madness of shifting every few seconds in stop-and-go traffic. However, the EZ-Shift loves to take it easy when you really need it to shift.
Upshifts, even in manual mode on the Magnite EZ-Shift are significantly laggy. Downshifting in normal mode on the Magnite EZ-Shift sees the gearbox have a game of mental chess with itself before remembering its job and giving you the response you desire.
The EZ-Shift is a proper wet blanket in terms of having fun with the Magnite. You need to plan your overtakes and switching to manual mode and downshifting is the route we'll opt to get a slightly faster shift. Add in the accompanying head-nod effect and well you know why this is a car that prefers a sedate foot on the loud pedal.
Nissan claims that it has tried to lower the NVH levels of the Magnite but in our time inside the EZ-Shift's cabin, we really didn't notice much of a difference as the road noise did find its way inside especially if you're trying to drive the compact SUV in a slightly hard fashion.
Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift Review: What Hasn't Changed - Everything Else
The other parts of driving the Magnite remain the same. The steering isn't the quickest in the business, and while it does not provide a lot of feedback, it is easy to twirl around at city speeds allowing you to change lanes without too much fuss. However, the steering wheel does feel a bit too weighty at higher speeds.
The suspension remains unchanged as well on the Magnite. The setup, which is on the firmer side, continues to feel a bit busy. The suspension does smooth out most of the bumps and ruts at high speeds, but it can get a bit choppy at lower speeds when you go over large potholes. While the body roll is noticeable, the Magnite does contain it rather nicely but we'd suggest you curb your enthusiasm in the corners.
Everything else on the Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift is similar to the other versions of the compact SUV. From its exterior design highlights like the sleek LED headlights to the L-Shaped DRLs, gaping hexagonal grille, LED fog lights, pronounced (thanks to the cladding) wheelarches with the funky alloys to the sculpted taillights and all the chrome you'll need, everything is the same on the new Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift.
The interiors too are the same story. The cabin is unchanged except for the new shift lever and you can connect wirelessly to the touchscreen infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The seats are well cushioned and there is enough space inside for even those of the taller variety to ride comfortably in the back seats.
Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift Review: Verdict & Final Thoughts: City Runabout Status Confirmed
When the Magnite first came out in 2020, the lack of an automatic gearbox for the naturally aspirated was a flat spot on the SUV's journey into India. Now that the Magnite EZ-Shift has come along, the naturally aspirated version of Nissan's only mass-market vehicle for India seems like a good city runabout option despite the AMT gearbox's inherent easy-going nature.
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