THE BIG PR ETENDERS
AS MUCH AS I DON’T PREFER THESE creations straddling segments — and they’re everywhere and across all price bands — there is some sense to them. In areas where consistently good roads are hard to come by or just wishful thinking, any low-riding vehicle doesn’t make sense. Especially if peace of mind and maintenance factors are included. Thus, these hatchbacks in heels or some with gumboots on, with some butch styling bits and accessories galore, seem to be taking the world by storm. India is no different. There was a first wave. And now there’s a second, with badge-engineering and platform-sharing being the new go-to solution to satisfy the masses’ craving for a budget, do-it-all runabout that packs a slew of features as well. Moreover, with growing traffic, the automatic transmission is carving a serious piece of the pie for itself and manufacturers are jumping for it with more tech and features per square metre than ever before.
The newest entrant in the space is the Nissan Magnite. Built on the compact modular platform, it has a modern but hefty stance — far beyond its dimensions. The dominating face with
