Nissan Magnite CVT vs Hyundai i20 DCT vs VW Polo AT: Performance, Fuel Efficiency Compared

Published December 20, 2020
Views : 9347
2 min read

The Magnite undercuts both these premium hatchbacks but is it enough for you to consider it over the Polo and i20?

Nissan Magnite CVT vs Hyundai i20 DCT vs VW Polo AT: Performance, highlights

The Nissan Magnite’s disruptive pricing means one could consider it instead of premium hatchbacks such as the VW Polo and Hyundai i20. However, both hatchbacks are known to be quite fun-to-drive, especially in their turbo-petrol automatic guise. To find out if the Magnite has similar performance chops as the i20 and Polo, we strap our VBox on all three models and test them for performance and fuel efficiency. We are comparing the automatic variants of all three models.

Spec Check

	Nissan Magnite CVT	Hyundai i20 DCT	VW Polo AT
Engine	1.0-litre	1.0-litre	1.0-litre
Power (PS)	100PS	120PS	110PS
Torque (Nm)	160Nm / 152Nm (CVT)	172Nm	175Nm
Transmission Option	5-speed manual / CVT	6-speed iMT / 7-speed DCT	6-speed manual / 6-speed torque converter

All three cars come with a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, however, the Magnite’s unit is the least powerful. The Polo’s engine is the torquiest, while the i20’s unit is the most powerful. All three cars utilise different automatic transmissions. The i20 is paired to a DCT, the Polo to a torque converter, and the Magnite is specced with a CVT.

Performance Run

	Nissan Magnite CVT	Hyundai i20 DCT	VW Polo AT
0-100kmph	11.82 seconds	10.88 seconds	10.79 seconds
20-80kmph (Kickdown)	6.65 seconds	6.83 seconds	6.46 seconds

The Magnite's power disadvantage does make its presence felt as it’s slower than the hatchbacks by almost a second. The Polo is the fastest car in the 0-100kmph run, beating the i20 by a whisker.

Even in the kickdown acceleration run, the Polo is the quickest car, doing 20-80kmph in 6.46 seconds. The Magnite, however, takes the second spot, beating the i20 by around 0.3 seconds.

Fuel Efficiency

	Nissan Magnite CVT	Hyundai i20 DCT	VW Polo AT
City	13.60kmpl	12.06kmpl	14.05kmpl
Highway	18.35kmpl	17.18kmpl	17.69kmpl
Claimed	17.7kmpl	20.28kmpl	16.47kmpl

In our tests, the Magnite is the most fuel efficient car on the highway, beating the other two by a comfortable margin. However, the car that surprised us in the urban jungle was the Polo. It returned a staggering 14.05kmpl, which is the best in this test. The i20, with its powerful 120PS engine, is the least fuel efficient.

Price And Verdict

	Nissan Magnite CVT	Hyundai i20 DCT	VW Polo AT
Prices (ex-showroom)	Rs 7.89 lakh to Rs 9.59 lakh	Rs 10.67 lakh to Rs 11.33 lakh	Rs 9.19 lakh to Rs 9.67 lakh

The Nissan Magnite undercuts both the i20 and the Polo. At its price, it offers decent performance and is either as fuel efficient or more than both the cars on test. At the end of the day, it comes down to priorities. The Magnite is an SUV while the Polo and i20 are hatchbacks. So, it narrows down to the body style of your choice. But if you’re on a tight budget and want a sub-4 metre SUV, you should definitely check out the Magnite.