Magite

Overview

The Magite arrives with a simple calculation: at this money, Indian buyers will trade outright speed for room, torque low in the revs and an options list borrowed from a costlier car. The one-litre turbo three-cylinder makes 100 bhp and 152 Nm on a plateau that starts early enough to pull away in the wrong gear without complaint, and the short-overhang body hides a cabin with proper knee room in the second row.

The packaging does the rest. The boot takes 370 litres, the driving position is upright without being trucky, and mid and upper trims carry a large touchscreen, a digital cluster, a 360-degree camera and ventilation for the front seats, equipment that reads a segment above the sticker. The factory-fit CNG option rounds out the value pitch for high-mileage buyers who would rather pay in fuel savings than in enthusiasm.

The honest weakness is protection. Four airbags and a two-star structure in this listing trail the five-star compact SUVs on the same shop floor, and no amount of equipment changes what that number means in a serious impact. The turbo is also gruff at idle and the automatic is a conventional torque-converter tuned for comfort rather than response. If the Magite wins you over, it should be on space and price; weigh the crash figures before it wins you outright.

• 152 Nm from the 1.0-litre turbo
• 370-litre boot in a sub-4-metre body
• Factory-fit CNG option