Nissan Kicks crossover unveiled in Brazil

Nissan has revealed the Kicks, its new global SUV in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Unveiled as a concept back in 2014, the carmaker confirmed the Kicks for production in January this year. This was followed by images of test mules that were leaked on the internet.

The official car for the 2016 Olympics that will be held in the Brazilian city, the production Kicks SUV shares much of its styling with its concept, but gets subtle changes to make it more production oriented.

In terms of dimensions, the Kicks measures 4,295 mm in length, 1,760 mm in width and 1,590 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,610 mm making it 5mm smaller, 40mm narrower and 10mm shorter than the concept.

Inside, the production car’s dashboard features a centrally mounted 7-inch infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, a part-digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, a flat-bottomed steering, and upholstery inserts. The SUV gets four externally mounted cameras that helps with parking  and manoeuvring the car, when trying to access tight spaces. Nissan has stated that the Kicks will offer segment-best levels of space to its occupants, and also for luggage.

The Kicks uses a 1.6-litre flex-fuel engine capable of running on petrol or ethanol paired to a five-speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox.

Nissan Latin America chairman José Valls said the model has been designed with a focus on Latin American markets because of the increasing demand for compact crossovers in the region.

The Kicks SUV is set to go into production towards the second half of the year, and will be launched only in Latin American markets initially; other global markets will follow later. Nissan, however, is yet to confirm if the car will be developed for right-hand-drive markets like India.