The plant is currently being operated at full capacity in all the three shifts to meet the strong demand
It is not uncommon for automakers in India to ride on a single product wonder. Renault did it with its Duster which inaugurated the mid-size crossover segment in the country, and then did it again with its disruptive Kwid. Nissan India was in dire need of a turnaround specialist, and in the recently launched Magnite, the company has found exactly that.
Nissan India sales – February 2021
The Nissan Magnite has completed two full months of sales since its launch and so far 6,582 units have been driven home. Last month, Nissan India sold 4,244 units, an overwhelming majority of which is accounted for by the new sub-4m crossover. The Magnite is currently sitting on an order backlog of over 40,000 bookings and this means the Japanese automaker needs to maximize its production rate.
The YoY growth in February 2021 sales stood at nearly 313% and compared to January 2021, sales was up by 5.5%. Moving forward, Nissan India is expected to maintain the positive momentum for several months to come.
Speaking about the strong show, Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India, confirmed that the Alliance plant in Oragadam is currently working at its full capacity in three shifts to ensure timely delivery of the Nissan Magnite. The vendors have also stepped up to the occasion.
It is to be noted that Renault recently launched the Kiger which shares its platform with the Magnite. The production capacity of the plant will have to be split between the two. Together, the twins are set to keep the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s cash counter ringing after a prolonged period of sales slump in the country.
Nissan Magnite – A recap
The Nissan Magnite made prospective buyers pause and take notice with its very tempting introductory pricing. Despite the strong demand, the company chose to retain the pricing on several variants until further notice. With a total of 36 variants based on powertrain and trims, the compact crossover covers a wide range of customer requirements.
Underpinned by CMF-A+ modular platform, the India-made Magnite for the Indonesian market recently scored a respectable 4-star safety rating in ASEAN-NCAP crash tests. This came as a further boost to the stylish and youthful SUVs appeal.
The Nissan Magnite gets a 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol engine which is available in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged avatar. In its NA guise, the motor produces 72 hp and 96 Nm of torque, and the turbocharged version is good for 100 hp and 160 Nm of torque. Standard transmission option is a 5-speed manual unit but the turbocharged unit can also be specified with a CVT. The most fuel efficient variant (1.0-liter NA MT) has an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 20 kmpl.