For the past five years, the narrative around Nissan in India has been one of quiet anticipation – ‘more quiet, and less anticipation’. While other carmakers were launching new nameplates every few months, Nissan seemed to be content with the moderate success of the Magnite sub-4 metre SUV, launched in late-2020.
This week, that quietness was broken, with the carmaker driving in the sub-4 metre Gravite MPV at a sharp introductory price of Rs 5.65-8.49 lakh, ex-showroom. But more important than the product was the intent – Nissan is calling 2026 the “year of resurgence,” and will launch two more SUVs within a year.
A five-year wait
When asked why the follow-up car to the Magnite took five years – excluding the imported X-Trail launched in 2024 – Thierry Sabbagh, Nissan’s president for the region, pivoted from the past to the present.
“I don’t want to spend too much time on what we did and what we didn’t,” Sabbagh said. “What is important is today and the future. We are calling it the year of Nissan’s resurgence. We will do everything that it takes to win in the market.”
That ‘everything’ begins with the Gravite, an MPV that Nissan hopes will attract customers from both premium hatchbacks and entry-level SUVs. While critics point out that the Gravite shares its DNA with the aged Renault Triber – a car that was launched seven years ago – Nissan is betting on the Gravite’s Indianness.
“It meets the needs of a diverse Indian population,” Sabbagh said.
625 litres of space
The Gravite is a purpose-built family car. The exterior’s honeycomb-patterned grille and C-shaped bumper silver accents provide it an SUV-like stance that contrasts with the Triber’s traditional lines. It’s also the only vehicle in its class to feature distinctive hood branding, a design usually reserved for big SUVs.
Inside, it is all about modularity, and there are flexible seating options – from two passengers to seven. The third row can be removed – transforming the Gravite from a family car into a kind of commercial vehicle with 625 litres of boot space.
It will also be soon available in CNG (twin-cylinders), which will be a dealer fitment instead of a factory-fitted kit.
There is just one engine option – the 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol delivering 19.6 km/litre (AMT) and 19.3 km/litre (MT).
Gravite versus Triber
Both the Gravite and Triber share the CMF-A+ platform and the engine, but they appeal to different sensibilities. While the Triber is the practicality king – it has good demand, having sold 44,812 units in the last two years – the Gravite looks more premium.
Despite being priced marginally lower than the Triber (Rs 5.76-8.59 lakh), the Gravite ups the ante with more than 30 standard safety features, including 6 airbags across all trims. The Gravite’s limited launch edition looks good – with features like JBL speakers, dual dash cam, and an air purifier.
Nissan is also offering a 5-year/50,000 km pre-paid maintenance plan for early adopters.
Other two SUVs
More than the Gravite, it’s the upcoming midsize SUV Tekton that holds promise, followed by a 7-seater C-segment SUV. Although Sabbagh didn’t talk about these SUVs, the Tekton is designed to compete with heavyweights such as Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Maruti Suzuki Victoris, and the upcoming Renault Duster, among others, and the unnamed 7-seater SUV will be of the size of Hyundai Alcazar.
No EVs as of now
Nissan’s strategy is grounded. Despite the carmaker’s history with the Leaf (the world’s first mass-market EV), Sabbagh clarified that ICE (internal combustion engine) remains the priority for India. “Almost 95% of the market is still ICE cars,” he said.
The next five years
The Gravite is merely the opening salvo. It’s the Tekton and the 7-seater SUV that are the real deal. If the Gravite can prove that Nissan still understands the made-in-India pulse, the next five years might look different from the last five.
