Nissan Kicks

The Kicks is Nissan’s funky take on the midsize SUV. It’s stylish and different in looks but is a rugged and tough SUV at its core. The Nissan Kicks is offered in India in petrol-manual and diesel-manual versions. Sadly, there’s no automatic on offer.

The Kicks is Nissan’s funky take on the midsize SUV. It’s stylish and different in looks but is a rugged and tough SU...

The Kicks is Nissan’s funky take on the midsize SUV. It’s stylish and different in looks but is a rugged and tough SUV at its core. The Nissan Kicks is offered in India in petrol-manual and diesel-manual versions. Sadly, there’s no automatic on offer.

The Nissan Kicks is attractive and deftly blends traditional SUV and new-age crossover proportions. It’s got an inviting cabin as well. The dash is neat and material quality on the whole is quite good, especially on top-spec versions. However, drivers will have to contend with some ergonomic issues, such as a narrow footwell, while rear seat occupants will find their backrest a bit too upright. Space at the back is good but not best-in-class.
The Nissan Kicks’ 106hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine is smooth and refined, and offers reasonable performance for average city commutes. A smooth-shifting gearbox and light clutch also make the petrol Kicks a friendly urban SUV. The Nissan Kicks diesel, with a 110hp, 1.5-litre engine, is the punchier option, however. It’s responsive and fairly refined as diesels go, and the clutch and gearbox are nice enough to use too. The Kicks’ steering does call for some effort at parking speeds and there is also some kickback from the steering at high speeds. Where the Nissan Kicks scores big is in ride comfort. The Nissan is unfazed by potholes of any size and just feels like it’s built to take a beating.

The Nissan Kicks is attractive and deftly blends traditional SUV and new-age crossover proportions. It’s got an invit...

The Nissan Kicks is attractive and deftly blends traditional SUV and new-age crossover proportions. It’s got an inviting cabin as well. The dash is neat and material quality on the whole is quite good, especially on top-spec versions. However, drivers will have to contend with some ergonomic issues, such as a narrow footwell, while rear seat occupants will find their backrest a bit too upright. Space at the back is good but not best-in-class.
The Nissan Kicks’ 106hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine is smooth and refined, and offers reasonable performance for average city commutes. A smooth-shifting gearbox and light clutch also make the petrol Kicks a friendly urban SUV. The Nissan Kicks diesel, with a 110hp, 1.5-litre engine, is the punchier option, however. It’s responsive and fairly refined as diesels go, and the clutch and gearbox are nice enough to use too. The Kicks’ steering does call for some effort at parking speeds and there is also some kickback from the steering at high speeds. Where the Nissan Kicks scores big is in ride comfort. The Nissan is unfazed by potholes of any size and just feels like it’s built to take a beating.

The Nissan Kicks petrol variants are significantly cheaper than comparable diesels and are a good choice for urban buyers. However, we’d still recommend you spend on the diesels that feel more rounded. Of the trims, the Kicks XV makes for a good value-for-money buy. The range-topping XV Premium Option does offer the most goodies and is the nicest inside and out but is also on the pricey side. Our pick of the Nissan Kicks range, however, is the XV Premium that gets enough of the good stuff such as LED headlights, keyless entry and an 8.0-inch touchscreen, all for sensible money.

The Nissan Kicks petrol variants are significantly cheaper than comparable diesels and are a good choice for urban bu...

The Nissan Kicks petrol variants are significantly cheaper than comparable diesels and are a good choice for urban buyers. However, we’d still recommend you spend on the diesels that feel more rounded. Of the trims, the Kicks XV makes for a good value-for-money buy. The range-topping XV Premium Option does offer the most goodies and is the nicest inside and out but is also on the pricey side. Our pick of the Nissan Kicks range, however, is the XV Premium that gets enough of the good stuff such as LED headlights, keyless entry and an 8.0-inch touchscreen, all for sensible money.