[manjunathkl]

Well, Let us understand one fact first - this is Datsun Magnite (rebadged as Nissan). Datsun cars are low cost brand which cuts lot of corners (At the cost of structural integrity). Magnite very much has Datsun DNA and not Nissan DNA. It is like Lexus selling Toyota cars with Lexus logo slapped on it. This is nothing but brand suicide.

That out of the way, lets discuss the pricing.

Like all brands, base variants are created only create a price shockers. Not even 10% sales will come from that. In marketing, we call this ladder pricing - means you show an affordable starting price, then lure customers by implying, "by paying 50,000 more you get these many features. Do you not want those features?" In Magnite's case, the price difference is a good lakh. Good luck with that. So ₹4.99lac is only to draw people to the showrooms.

Now, lets discount the base variant (XE) and lets discuss what XL, XV, XV Premium variants offer at this price? It offers loads of features for sure. None of the other brand products in this segment offer these many features anything close to this price. Variant to variant - 4-6 lakhs difference is there. Having said that, this platform is inferior to any other competitor car's platforms. Tata Nexon's and Mahindra XUV300's 5* safety rated platforms are way superior. But in an era, where novice buyers look for only bling features that they can flaunt with their peers, relatives, neighbours - it is not a mistake that Nissan opted this strategy.

Nissan still has to tread with caution. Renault Triber was supposed to be a disruptor - in reality, it couldn't hurt the sales of Ertiga much. Kwid, even though successful, couldn't come close to touch the King - Alto. So they failed to be a "disruptor". Often foreign manufacturers make this mistake of thinking you throw anything cheap at Indian consumers, they will stand in a line to grab it. Nano is big lesson to Tata. It is not that Indian consumers are not price conscious, but they will not compromise premium-ness for the price.

Nissan instead of losing their brand values by launching a low-end car with Nissan brand on it, it could've used this money to strengthen the dealer network and brought in truly premium Nissan cars. But like everyone Nissan wants to make a quick buck. Reason is probably, Nissan global is not in a good financial health.

I won't recommend anyone to buy Magnite - for these reasons:
1. Datsun platform disguised as Nissan
2. Nissan's prospects in India are quite shaky
3. Nissan has nothing to lose, if Magnite fails, they will pack their bags - Magnite's buyers will be left high and dry.

In the scheme of things, a buyer can invest 4-6 lakhs more and have peace of mind with top brands. Also, in EMI terms it is only a few thousands more. Also, there will be a better resale value if they pick Maruti/Hyundai cars anyway. So as a buyer I don't see a compelling reason for buying Magnite.

[pankajn1702]

That's really good pricing. But surviving the fierce competition with such miniscule service network is going to be tough.

Base Model walk around:

Some features like adjustable rear head rest, all 4 power windows etc are a welcome for base variant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFBfUpR7xk&t=330s

[vigneshkumar31]

Got some details about the warranty and extended packages.Its a generic sheet which was available with my dealer Rio Nissan here in Port Blair.

We got to see two display cars both top endanual one white and one silver.

The car looks big and appealing and aesthetically pleasing. Interior quality is ok.

The knee room and legroom in rear is a high point for the car.
Graphics try to make the car look more premium. The 360 camera looks a bit sketchy understandably for the price

TD vehicles will arrive later but the price is valid for anyone booking in December is what the dealer says.

Overall it's a car that truly deserves a VFM tag.

[John316_WRC]

Originally Posted by ATRONIX

Magnite XL Turbo can't be compared with the Nexon XE as the latter is bare bones. It could be compared with the Nexon XM variant though which comes similarly specced as the Magnite XL Turbo.

Exactly what I was trying to convey.
I was highlighting the excellent value for money proposition that Magnite brings at a similar price point.

[sahil624]

Here is a detailed on-road price in Gujarat:

Magnite Price List 02.12.2020.pdf

[Godzilla]

Did anyone try the Nissan website and the configurator? Just wow! You can see all the variants, the interiors and exteriors, turn on/off headlights, change to day/ night, heck even open and close the doors. Check this out, it is super cool.

Also the website has an inbuilt EMI calculator. The attention to detail on the website speaks volumes on the effort Nissan has put.

Even the Nissan app is now super updated. I just booked a service for my Nissan Kicks through the app. It also shows my service log with the amount spent. Happy to see all these updates.

https://configurator.nissan.in/features/#/variants

[isldhn]

Buddy, I know I sounded critical on the broken english used by the sales person, but believe me I have come across many a salespersons in our hometown who know zilth about the product they are selling. I feel pity on them too and have mentioned this before in some thread about how our car dealerships are ruining the standards of marketing by employing illiterate sales persons and in turn ruining what could be a potential success for an automobile company.
I visited the Nissan dealership today and as expected, it was terrible. The sales persons were not even wearing masks. No knowledge about the car which they are proudly launching. I still believe that even though Nissan has launched the car with a killer pricing, it wouldnt get off to a start as most people in our forum are expecting it to.

Originally Posted by Shreyas_H

Please correct me if I am wrong, but are you suggesting that the sales person is not proficient because he used incorrect English?

I see nothing in the screenshot that suggests him being a 'third ranked sales person' - he replied to your query promptly and invited you to the launch (albeit in broken English). A person can be a good salesman without being good at English

Or am I possibly missing your point?

[vigneshkumar31]

I respect your views as your own manjunathkl , but I saw the car in person today (and I hope you have too based on how strongly and quickly you've chosen to shoot it down) I feel obliged to put forward a few opinions of my own. My obligation comes from the fact that if a car is bad, we should point it out and call it out, but when there's an honest attempt, we need to give it a fighting chance. I I think the Magnite deserves that much. And frankly looking at the way we are being fleeced, we deserve that much.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Well, Let us understand one fact first - this is Datson Magnite (rebadged as Nissan). Datson cars are low cost brand which cuts lot of corners (At the cost of structural integrity). Magnite very much has Datson DNA and not Nissan DNA. It is like Lexus selling Toyota cars with Lexus logo slapped on it. This is nothing but brand suicide.

Like the brand suicide Renault committed by slapping a Renault logo on their budget brand Dacia Duster and in the process found their biggest seller till date ?

And DatsUn. Lets spell it right before we kill the mocking bird.

Nissan sadly is not some high flying brand in 2020 India, that they risk brand suicide. Nissan is dead anyway...if Magnite doesn't redeem it.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

That out of the way, lets discuss the pricing.
Like all brands, base variants are created only create a price shockers. Not even 10% sales will come from that. In marketing, we call this ladder pricing - means you show an affordable starting price, then lure customers by implying, "by paying 50,000 more you get these many features. Do you not want those features?" In Magnite's case, the price difference is a good lakh. Good luck with that. So ₹4.99lac is only to draw people to the showrooms.

Yeah true, it is obviously to lure customers into the showrooms because thats exactly what Nissan needs now, for customers to find their way to the long forgotten Nissan dealerships and actually see what are they selling for 4.99? Frankly I went to the dealership for the same reason. I wanted to see in flesh how they pulled it off an entire lineup between 5 and 10 lakhs with a base variant that you don't need to hang your head in shame or look like a taxi if you settle for it, and a proper CVT at the top end.Their shock worked for me.

And at least they were up front about it. Not some vague introductory pricing tag which leaves you guessing till when the next price jump will strike. Here it is clear these prices are valid till Dec 31st. And then they will increase exactly by 50k for base variant after that date.(and proportionally for higher variants perhaps). I can't point to any other manufacturer who has been upfront about their pricing strategy on launch itself. Ive only seen silent price hikes at the turn of the year, and a fake price increase before a new facelift launch to show that the new variant is coming at a 'lower' price.

And guess what, these base variant shoppers won't need to pay 1lac extra to get the next liveable variant, the base variant of the Magnite has just enough for someone shopping for a 5 lac car and would love some extra space and size to go with it. I'll stick my neck out and say that the Magnite's base variant is by far the BEST kitted base variant of our times.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Now, lets discount the base variant (XE) and lets discuss what XL, XV, XV Premium variants offer at this price? It offers loads of features for sure. None of the other brand products in this segment offer these many features anything close to this price. Variant to variant - 4-6 lakhs difference is there.

Fact.
And for the average Rajesh, this matters most than anything else.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Having said that, this platform is inferior to any other competitor car's platforms

Tall claim and quick judgement, no? Based on what?
The price band that the Magnite hits is across other breeds too and not just CSUVs. The zero star Spresso is a competitor, the 2 star Wagon R is a competitor, and looking at the seltos' stellar three star, we don't know how the baby seltos sonet is going to fare either. So I will reserve making sweeping statements like 'inferior to any other competitor' till I see results.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Tata Nexon's and Mahindra XUV300's 5* safety rated platforms are way superior.

Agreed.Both of these cars are bullet proof in their safety standards and have made Indians proud. If I had the money and the mind for Nexon, I probably wouldn't look at the Magnite. It's a clear winner. But the Magnite is not even trying to woo the Nexon XZA+ buyer into its showroom. It's strategy is aimed elsewhere.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

But in an era, where novice buyers look for only bling features that they can flaunt with their peers, relatives, neighbours - it is not a mistake that Nissan opted this strategy.

Novice buyers and bling shoppers dictate the future of Nissan and for that matter any brand's survival. There's a big big world beyond our forum which buys what it likes without a care for when does the peak torque kick in or if the CVT has rubber bad effect. This is the market that demanded small TVs for centre consoles and small peep holes for sunroofs and those makers who heard them out, has raked in the moolah. Nissan needs to hear them out if it has to survive. Wont blame Nissan. They did bring the X-trail and other great cars to our shores and we treated them how?
They're being a Roman in Rome or a dilliwala in dilli.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Nissan still has to tread with caution. Renault Triber was supposed to be a disruptor - in reality, it couldn't hurt the sales of Ertiga much. Kwid, even though successful, couldn't come close to touch the King - Alto. So they failed to be a "disruptor". Often foreign manufacturers make this mistake of thinking you throw anything cheap at Indian consumers, they will stand in a line to grab it. Nano is big lesson to Tata. It is not that Indian consumers are not price conscious, but they will not compromise premium-ness for the price.

Agree Indian consumers are value conscious. Absolutely. And Nissan is hoping that they see the value in the Magnite.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Nissan instead of losing their brand values by launching a low-end car with Nissan brand on it, it could've used this money to strengthen the dealer network and brought in truly premium Nissan cars.

And then what? Who would buy a premium Nissan in 2020?
They don't need bragging rights and brand value today, they need life support.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

I won't recommend anyone to buy Magnite - for these reasons:
1. Datson platform disguised as Nissan.

So should we stop buying the Ssangyong Tivoli too?

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

2. Nissan's prospects in India are quite shaky

Trust me. They know that their shaky and don't need us to tell them that. This is exactly why they are going all-in. Ford has handed 51% to Mahindra and we don't think that's shaky, so we seem to be a very tolerant bunch.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

3. Nissan has nothing to lose, if Magnite fails, they will pack their bags - Magnite's buyers will be left high and dry.

What else should they do? They are trying their last shot by giving a value package at unarguably value prices. And if we don't see the value in it, they will pack their bags and leave. They simply cannot sustain.
But, its not true that Nissan has nothing to lose. They have grand plans to make here and ship for overseas markets. And for all that, they do need to survive.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

In the scheme of things, a buyer can invest 4-6 lakhs more and have peace of mind with top brands. Also, in EMI terms it is only a few thousands more. Also, there will be a better resale value if they pick Maruti/Hyundai cars anyway. So as a buyer I don't see a compelling reason for buying Magnite.

4-6 lakhs for someone with a 8-10 lakhs budget is a lot. In most cases they would already be stretching. If someone's comfortable to stretch further and go for the Nexon, they should. But what if you can't? Then the magnite deserves a shot.

I'm not in any way supporting the Magnite as the perfect solution to all our worlds woes or neither am I saying its a true godsent which we blindly buy.

It has its compromises and obviously so, because heck its a lot of car for 5-10 lakhs.
Things I don't like or have concerns about.

- Only 2 airbags even in top variant.
- Datsun/Nissan regardless, I would love to see GNCAP stars (as I would love to see the Sonets' and the Venues')
- Engine gearbox is nothing to smile about for us car-aware/enthusiasts.
- Company still doesn't know. They don't seem to know what to expect if its a blockbuster or what to do if it tanks.This shows in the dealers who have not seen crowds in a long time and this I fear shouldn't extend to service.

What Im saying is that the Magnite is an honest attempt after a very very long time considering options available to us Indians. Go to the showroom and test drive it. If you don't like it, no problem walk away and buy a superior car. But at least give it that chance.

We both need it. Nissan and Us.

[Godzilla]

“Why should India buy hatchbacks?” Would be a cool tagline for Nissan Magnite.

https://youtu.be/_aX67RLwsTE

[W.A.G.7]

Overall a commendable effort by Nissan to get back into the game. But I think they still have a long way to go. Perhaps the most unrealistic thing is keeping this shock pricing only till 31st December 2020. That's not going to help them anyway. They need to keep these prices for atleast the next quarter to actually start garnering those numbers. And I think they have a very bad dealer network - dealers who are least interested in selling Nissan vehicles and least interested to service them.

I would still tread with caution, I will not be surprised if this becomes a sales dud by the end of March.

[starke]

Coming to the point Manjunath, I respect your opinion and suggestions, but in TBHP, what makes it different from all other community is the foundation of legitimate content.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Well, Let us understand one fact first - this is Datsun Magnite (rebadged as Nissan). Datsun cars are low cost brand which cuts lot of corners (At the cost of structural integrity). Magnite very much has Datsun DNA and not Nissan DNA.

Datsun is not Lexus category, Datsun is an entity from Nissan to have affordable cars for the masses of India. Even after the introduction of Xtrail, it was clear to NMIPL that profitability requires mass reach, in which MSIL is enjoying with 0 stars all day long. So Datsun is cheap because it should be a cheap car to buy.

And yes, Magnite was supposed to launch on Datsun brand which all of us presumed by looking at its front fascia but isn't it too early to presume the DNA where it comes from? Datsun comes under Nissan, not the opposite. So let's wait for some test results like GNCAP to make a decision on the quality of the product. Seltos is the best example when people assumed the quality of the car by the looks.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

So ₹4.99lac is only to draw people to the showrooms.

The base variant loaded very well that 4.9 is much value for money. People can actually buy this variant if they want as the segment it caters is among two. Add one music system + wheel covers to the XE variant, you have a proper looking csuv/bsuv under 6.5 lakhs on-road.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Nissan still has to tread with caution. Renault Triber was supposed to be a disruptor - in reality, it couldn't hurt the sales of Ertiga much. Kwid, even though successful, couldn't come close to touch the King - Alto. So they failed to be a "disruptor".

When all other Indian/Foreign OEMs failed to touch the A-segment, Renault did it with their Kwid. Kwid was a success for Renault, it did reach to some masses and similar case with Triber too, never compare the sales numbers with MSIL, as an affordable MPV it sells on adequate numbers.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Nissan instead of losing their brand values by launching a low-end car with Nissan brand on it, it could've used this money to strengthen the dealer network and brought in truly premium Nissan cars. But like everyone Nissan wants to make a quick buck. Reason is probably, Nissan global is not in a good financial health.

Brand value? like you said, when the company is not doing good in profitability what else they should do? They need to make money. Maybe you are new automotive market, but considering the past of NMIPL, investing in their dealer network and introduce a Rogue or Altima, do people will buy it? NO. Market analysis is the trend of a particular product which could bring in profitability to the company, not a Brand value.

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

I won't recommend anyone to buy Magnite - for these reasons:
1. Datsun platform disguised as Nissan
2. Nissan's prospects in India are quite shaky
3. Nissan has nothing to lose, if Magnite fails, they will pack their bags - Magnite's buyers will be left high and dry.

CMF is not a Datsun specific platform, it is used by the entire alliance (Renault & Nissan) internationally, their latest offering, NISSAN Ariya uses CMF-EV platform, does that car look cheap and like a Datsun product?

And yes, if Magnite fails, Nissan will pack their bags, but they could've done after what happened with Kicks. They at least tried, didn't lose hope on India market even though globally they are not in a good state to invest. Have a look at the MSIL on their product innovation or launches with a lot of profit?

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

In the scheme of things, a buyer can invest 4-6 lakhs more and have peace of mind with top brands. Also, in EMI terms it is only a few thousands more.

When someone has a budget of around 6-10 lakhs, 4-6 lakhs paying extra is almost 50% extra.

I'm on the lookout for a sub- 1 MINR car for a while and so found this vehicle to be one best alternative after EcoSport, which is over my budget. Since each day I spend some time to research for my next purchase, I found Magnite is getting degraded from day 1 of its announcement.

[manjunathkl]

Thanks Vignesh for the detailed reply.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

I respect your views as your own manjunathkl ...
And frankly looking at the way we are being fleeced, we deserve that much.

I didn't expect anything more than mutual respect for each other's views. I can only express my views as you can express yours. Every individual is capable of forming their own opinions.

I'm not too sure about the fleecing part though.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

Like the brand suicide Renault committed by slapping a Renault logo on their budget brand Dacia Duster and in the process found their biggest seller till date ?

Results of Renault's strategy of slapping Renault Logo on Dacia cars is just unfolding. One big seller and a series of flops. It is compromising long term for the first few years of enhanced revenue. None of the truly Renault cars succeeded because brand characters are messed up. See a global Renault cars and India's Renault branded cars. Today no body knows what Renault stands for. Renault failed to "Captur" the imagination of its market.

In a globalised world, the novice buyers trusts a brand name - meaning, a belief that a brand carries its characteristics that it stands-by everywhere. They will end-up feeling cheated when they discover that's not the case. If you buy a Bose music system in India but it is actually a re-branded "Philips" How would you feel (even though you have paid very less for it)?

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

And DatsUn. Lets spell it right before we kill the mocking bird.

I always thank the kind spell checkers.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

..Their shock worked for me.

I'm happy about that.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

And at least they were up front about it. Not some vague introductory pricing tag which leaves you guessing till when the next price jump will strike. Here it is clear these prices are valid till Dec 31st. And then they will increase exactly by 50k for base variant after that date.(and proportionally for higher variants perhaps). I can't point to any other manufacturer who has been upfront about their pricing strategy on launch itself. Ive only seen silent price hikes at the turn of the year, and a fake price increase before a new facelift launch to show that the new variant is coming at a 'lower' price.

The level of Transparency can change depending on how much business they do. Brands that are today very opaque were once very transparent.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

And guess what, these base variant shoppers won't need to pay 1lac extra to get the next liveable variant, the base variant of the Magnite has just enough for someone shopping for a 5 lac car and would love some extra space and size to go with it.

Aren't all base variants of all cars "livable with" to some segment of customers. You are saying base Magnite is more "livable" than its competitor's base variant. Maybe true.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

Tall claim and quick judgement, no? Based on what?

Not a judgement - it is an opinion as all your views here are. Based on years of T-BHP reading, driving tons of cars in India and abroad and common-sense. All opinions are formed of these things only isn't it? None of us have done any engineering audit of any cars.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

The price band that the Magnite hits is across other breeds too and not just CSUVs. The zero star Spresso is a competitor, the 2 star Wagon R is a competitor, and looking at the seltos' stellar three star, we don't know how the baby seltos sonet is going to fare either. So I will reserve making sweeping statements like 'inferior to any other competitor' till I see results.

I think we are confusing safety rating as everything here. Safety rating is one (very important) factor - the platform engineering, sophistication is a different part. I feel 4* Polo is better engineered than 4* Brezza. Yes, a greatly engineered platform might aid in better safety rating - but not necessarily always. As I said you can frame your opinions and not rely on mine.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

But the Magnite is not even trying to woo the Nexon XZA+ buyer into its showroom. It's strategy is aimed elsewhere.

Agree, Nexon, XUV300, Ecosport, Venue, Sonet, Brezza, UrbanBrezza (Lol) buyers are not the target segment for this car. Let us see if they can pull swift buyers.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

Novice buyers and bling shoppers dictate the future of Nissan and for that matter any brand's survival. There's a big big world beyond our forum which buys what it likes without a care for when does the peak torque kick in or if the CVT has rubber bad effect. This is the market that demanded small TVs for centre consoles and small peep holes for sunroofs and those makers who heard them out, has raked in the moolah. Nissan needs to hear them out if it has to survive. Wont blame Nissan. They did bring the X-trail and other great cars to our shores and we treated them how?

No one is blaming them for adding bling features, I'm just wondering what the (transparent) Nissan has compromised in order to provide the bling features at that price.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

And then what? Who would buy a premium Nissan in 2020?
They don't need bragging rights and brand value today, they need life support.

Why not a premium Nissan? X-Trail was a moderate hit considering the segment and its market size at that time. Nissan completely failed in dealership and channel strategy. That cannot/should not be corrected by tweaking the product line-up. If they need life support, it is Nissan who brought themselves to that stage.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

So should we stop buying the Ssangyong Tivoli too?

There is no equivalence between SsangYong-Mahindra and Datsun-Nissan. Mahindra has not done any compromises to its products while it rebranded them. Infact, it has upscaled the engineering standards/safety using its collaboration. That is the reason it cannot give any price shockers like Nissan. Plus, Mahindra is a considerably more recognised brand in India than SsangYong.
I will give you full marks for getting the spelling of "Ssangyong" right, though with the exception of y being a capital Y.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

Ford has handed 51% to Mahindra and we don't think that's shaky, so we seem to be a very tolerant bunch.

I don't know about others but Ford is as shaky as Renault, Nissan, Datsun. I'm not very tolerant about it.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

What else should they do? They are trying their last shot by giving a value package at unarguably value prices. And if we don't see the value in it, they will pack their bags and leave. They simply cannot sustain.

That is the very reason, I don't want the average "Rajesh" to put his hard-earned money on a brand that itself is not sure that it will be able to stand on its own feet in the market.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

I'm not in any way supporting the Magnite as the perfect solution to all our worlds woes or neither am I saying its a true godsent which we blindly buy.

This is the shortest summary of my post. Thanks for putting it so succinctly.

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

What Im saying is that the Magnite is an honest attempt after a very very long time considering options available to us Indians. Go to the showroom and test drive it. If you don't like it, no problem walk away and buy a superior car. But at least give it that chance.

We both need it. Nissan and Us.

Agree that it is an honest attempt. But it is too little, too late. Nissan failed to capitalize its brand name in India PERIOD. Brand has taken severe beating.

What Nissan and others have to realize is, people want Nissan cars from Nissan, Toyota cars from Toyota, Renault cars from Renault and MG cars from MG. Average Rajeshs of India and putting their hard-earned cash on these products and they should not be second guessing which car is it deep inside. We enthusiasts can figure it out easily, what about average Rajeshs?

[dudevarkey]

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

I wanted to see in flesh how they pulled it off an entire lineup between 5 and 10 lakhs with a base variant that you don't need to hang your head in shame or look like a taxi if you settle for it

Exactly, common man would not be able to make out if it is base variant - except for the steel wheels.

Let us keep aside dealership worries (which can be easily taken care of, if Nissan is determined) and brand goodwill, look at the cars in the market. If Honda can sell Amaze, Toyota can sell Etios; Nissan should be able to sell Magnite. I am not denying the fact that these brands provide best after sales service, but these cars in my opinion sell only because of the logo they carry and of course the price. Etios is mostly used by Taxi operators and the reason behind that is low maintenance cost.

[hothatchaway]

Sorry to ask a very rudimentary question in the midst of the expected brand bashing debate. Does the base variant also come with 16 inch Tyres? That could be a pocket pincher when the time comes to replace them.

All in all a big splash made by Nissan. Hope it succeeds

[sunilkm]

This is what is reported in a website
"Magnite is built on the cost effective CMF-A+ platform"

Which platform is this? Is this same as Renault Triber platform?