The Made-in-India Nissan Magnite has achieved a 5-star safety rating in its latest Global NCAP crash tests, conducted under the updated protocols for the South African market. The car demonstrated significant improvements over prior evaluations, scoring 32.31 out of 34 points for adult occupant protection and 33.64 out of 49 points for child occupant protection.
Adult Occupant Safety
In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the Magnite provided good protection to the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck. The driver’s chest received good protection, while the passenger’s chest showed adequate safeguarding. Both occupants’ knees were rated good, with tibias offering adequate protection. The footwell area and bodyshell were deemed stable, capable of withstanding further crash forces.
The side movable deformable barrier test resulted in good protection across all critical body regions, including head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Similarly, the side pole impact test confirmed good overall occupant safety, with the chest protection rated adequate.
Child Occupant Safety
For child protection, the Magnite earned a 3-star rating in the final test. In dynamic tests, the 18-month-old dummy scored 7.64 out of 8 points in the frontal crash, while the 3-year-old dummy scored 4 out of 8, with some head exposure noted. Both dummies achieved full points in side impact tests.
Child Restraint System (CRS) installation scored a perfect 12 out of 12, and the vehicle assessment added 6 out of 13 points. However, the 3-year-old’s CRS could not fully prevent head contact with interior surfaces during frontal impacts, leading to a deduction. This is a step down from the 4-star child rating in the intermediate test but an improvement over the initial 2-star outcome.
Safety Equipment
The tested Magnite variant includes six airbags as standard (dual frontal, side chest, side pelvis, and curtain), along with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), seatbelt reminders for all seats, and three-point seatbelts throughout. Additional features encompass Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist, Traction Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and a rear camera with guidelines. ISOFIX child seat mounts are available, though not universal across all variants.
