Nissan seems to be working on adding one more crossover to its India line-up, the Kicks. To be the official car of the 2016 Olympics, the Kicks started life as a concept back in 2014, and was confirmed for production by Nissan in January this year.
The Kicks has been initially launched in Latin American markets, and will make its way to other markets, including India. Here are a few important facts to bring you up to speed:
1. It is a small crossover:
The Nissan Kicks is a small crossover measuring 4,295mm in length. The design is more fluid than the Terrano's, and it has a dropping roofline and rising shoulder line to do justice to the ‘crossover’ bit, and large, muscular wheel arches, roof rails and body cladding for the ‘SUV’ bit.
2. Nissan claims best-in-segment space:
Nissan claims that the Kicks will feature the best-in-segment space for passengers and for luggage. At 2,610mm, its wheelbase is 20mm longer than the Hyundai Creta’s, which could be a potential competitor in the Indian market.
3. It gets the usual assortment of features:
The Kicks, while well-equipped, does not boast of an exceptional feature list. It gets a centrally mounted 7-inch infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, a part-digital instrument cluster and automatic climate control. However, the dash does feature an attractive two-tone design, along with upholstery inserts.
4. The Kicks gets four cameras:
The Nissan Kicks is equipped with four externally mounted cameras to help with parking and manoeuvring the car.
5. It might be powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine:
While the Kicks for Latin American markets will be powered by a 1.6-litre flex-fuel engine that is capable of running on either petrol or ethanol, we expect the Kicks for India to be powered by Nissan’s ubiquitous and proven 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine (the same one as in the Terrano).
Transmission options internationally will include a five-speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic gearbox.