Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Design, Features, Specifications & more

Renault and Nissan have been launching products that are underpinned by a co-developed platform and are powered by the same set of engines. Earlier, the carmaker followed this fashion with the Kwid and the redi-GO. Now, in 2020, Nissan’s lineup has the Magnite, while the Renault’s includes the newly-launched Kiger. These sub-4m compact-SUVs are underpinned by the CMF-A+ platform and get identical powertrain options. Pricewise, there’s hardly any difference to talk of. So how different or similar these cars are to each other? Let’s find out in this detailed Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite comparison.

Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Exterior Design

Since these cars come from the stable of different brands, they incorporate different design languages too. Starting with the Nissan Magnite, it looks sharp with its rather old-school theme for the front-end. The angular headlamps sit around the bonnet, and there’s a Datsun-inspired octagonal grille in between them. The front bumper is free from any faux air vents and looks clean. It houses the L-shaped LED DRLs and fog lamps that accentuate the appeal of the front facet. In contrast, the Kiger’s front-end follows the new trend of vertically-split headlamps. The winged radiator grille is flanked by slim LED DRLs, and the triple-barrel LED headlamp units sit in the front bumper.

Moving over to the sides, the Nissan Magnite looks the sportier of the two. Courtesy of the sharp lines and creases. The Renault Kiger gets squarish wheel arches and chunky cladding that lends it with a rugged look. However, the roof slopes down quite gracefully in both the cars. The Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger come with 16-inch alloy wheels. While the designs are quite different from each other, both of them feature a diamond-cut dual-tone effect. Well, we liked the ones on the Magnite. Another difference to take note of here is the finishing of door handles. They feature a chrome finish on the Magnite and are matched with body colour on the Kiger.

At the rear, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger possess some distinction when compared against each other. The Magnite uses a set of sleek tail lamps that gel well with the overall design. The Kiger, on the other hand, gets C-shaped tail lamps, which look more modern here. Also, the Magnite’s tail section feels upright in comparison to the Kiger’s, which has a squatter stance, thanks to the lip-spoiler effect on the boot lid..

Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Interior Design

On the inside, the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger use different strategies for the dashboard layout. However, what remains common between them is the space on offer. Both of these cars are quite spacious when compared with other cars of this price. Talking of the dashboard design, the Magnite gets a rather plain-looking dashboard layout. There are hexagonal AC vents on the top of the dashboard. The infotainment unit, however, is fixed below the vents.

The Renault Kiger, on the other hand, uses a contemporary approach here, as the infotainment unit is fixed on the top of the dashboard in a fully-floating manner. Interestingly, it is also in the driver’s field of vision. Just below the touchscreen panel, there are AC vents which look simple and classy. Also, there’s a trim piece on the dashboard that runs across the width of the cabin to connect the side AC vents. Another nifty add-on here is the availability of two glove compartments. Renault has also made another praise-worthy move here by offering an openable front armrest in the Kiger. It is a more practical unit in comparison to the Magnite's, which does not offer any storage.

Moving over to the similarities, the climate control knobs, wireless phone charging pad, and start-stop button, they seem to have come from the same bin. Also, the door pads are nearly identical on both of these cars. However, the Nissan Magnite’s door pads get Denim-like material for the armrests, whereas the Renault Kiger uses faux leather. Also, the Kiger offers more boot space in comparison to the Magnite. With the second row in place, the Kiger has a trunk capacity of 405 litres, whereas the Magnite’s boot can only swallow 336 litres of luggage. After folding down the second-row flat, the boot space on Kiger and Magnite increases to 879 litres and 690 litres, respectively.

Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Features

The feature lists of both of these compact-SUVs are largely the same. Both of these cars come equipped with a 7-inch TFT display for the instrument cluster, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, rear-seat armrests, wireless phone charger, ambient lighting, rear AC vents, front-seat armrest, cruise control automatic climate control, air purifier,  and more.

Nevertheless, there are some differences as well. While the Kiger gets an Arkamys-sourced audio system, which comprises of a 4-speaker and 4-tweeter setup, the Magnite gets a 6-speaker JBL system. Furthermore, the Renault gets three driving modes – Eco, Sport, and Normal, which the Nissan Magnite misses out on.

Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Dimensions

By now it is clear that Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger are mechanically-identical to each other. However, they differ from each other in terms of dimensions. The Nissan Magnite is the longer one here with an overall length of 3,994 mm, which is an increment of 3 mm in comparison to the Renault Kiger. The Magnite is also a wider car here. It is 1,758 mm wide, while the Kiger is narrower by 8 mm. However, it is the Renault Kiger that is taller of the two. The Renault Kiger measures 1,600 mm in height whereas the Nissan Magnite is 1,572 mm tall. The wheelbase of 2,500 mm, on the other hand, remains the same on both of these compact-SUVs. Also, the Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite come with a ground clearance of 205 mm (unladen). Furthermore, the tyre size remains identical at 195/60R16. This suit of similarities ends for the trunk volume as the figures stand at 336 litres and 405 litres for the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger, respectively.

Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Specifications

Like the platform, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger use a similar set of engines – 1.0L naturally-aspirated petrol and 1.0L turbocharged petrol. The outputs too remain the same. With a 3-cylinder configuration, the naturally-aspirated petrol motor pushes out 72 PS of peak power and 96 Nm of max torque, whereas the turbo-petrol motor dishes out 100 PS of peak power and 160 Nm of max torque. The peak torque drop downs to 152 Nm with the CVT gearbox in place. Moving over to the transmission options, here’s where the differences arise. The Magnite gets two transmission options in total – 5-speed MT and CVT. The Kiger, however, gets three gearbox options – 5-speed MT, 5-speed AMT, and CVT. In the Nissan Magnite, the naturally-aspirated motor is available with a 5-speed MT only, while on the Renault Kiger, it gets the option of a 5-speed AMT as well.

Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Price

In this aspect, Nissan Magnite has managed to take a lead over all of its rivals when it was launched. However, the Renault Kiger has managed to take this affordability game further ahead with an even lower price tag. The Nissan Magnite starts at Rs. 5.49 lakh and goes up to Rs. 9.59 lakh, while the Renault Kiger has a starting price of Rs. 5.45 lakh and tops out at Rs. 9.55 lakh. The starting price for the turbo variants of the Renault Kiger is Rs. 7.14 lakh, while the CVT trims start at Rs. 8.60 lakh. The Magnite with the turbo-petrol motor, however, is more affordable with prices starting at Rs. 6.99 lakh, while CVT-equipped trims start at Rs. 7.89 lakh. Interestingly, the Kiger also gets the option of automatic trims with the naturally-aspirated engine. Price for the same start at Rs. 6.59 lakh.

Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison – Verdict

In summation, both of these SUVs come up as great value for money bargains. While the Renault Kiger is now the cheapest SUV on sale in the country, the Nissan Magnite isn’t all that expensive either. However, when considering the prices of automatic variants, the Nissan Magnite turns out to be the more affordable one of the two. Also, the Nissan Magnite looks a bit better in comparison to the Renault Kiger. The Kiger, however, gets a better dashboard design to offer a premium ambience. So, if you are in the market to buy a new sub-4m compact-SUV that’s affordable too, the Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite make perfect sense. We hope our Renault Kiger vs Nissan Magnite Comparison helps you choose the right vehicle for yourself.