Things to know about the 2019 Nissan Kicks India-spec SUV
The newest entrant in the Rs 10-15 lakh SUV segment comes from Nissan, in the form of the Kicks. Nissan call it the product they hope to change their fortunes around, and are betting big on it. In the flurry of news about the new Nissan Kicks, here are the top things about the SUV that we think deserve to be at the top of your mind.
Made-for-India
The Kicks is a global nameplate, replacing the Juke as the smallest SUV in Nissan's lineup. While it is based on Nissan's V platform, the India-spec Kicks is based on the M0 platform, the alliance's lower-cost alternative for developing markets, and the same as underpinning the Terrano/Captur. In doing so, the India-spec Kicks is slightly larger than the version sold abroad. Though the design is entirely carried over to the India-version, the Kicks here gets slightly more exaggerated wheel arches and a taller stance. A thoughtful change to have incorporated are doors that extend down to include plastic-covered running boards. Nissan says this is to help keep traditional Indian attire from dragging across dirty side sills.
Interiors
In the layout of the cabin, the Kicks borrows from the international version, and shows a new direction for Nissan India. It's uncluttered, and premium looking, with a large panel of plush leather on the dash. The floating 8-inch touchscreen is all-new, and moves to a new user experience and layout. The climate controls are borrowed from the Captur as well as bits of the instrumentation. Most other plastics are of the same hard and scratchy quality, which we've seen on the Renault/Nissan SUVs before.
Features
A couple of segment-firsts have been included on the Kicks as talking points. These include the leather covered dashboard, and the 360 degree view camera. There isn't a sun-roof on offer, and no auto-dimming rear view mirror. Apart from those omissions, the Kicks is well-featured with rain sensing wipers, cruise control, cornering lamps, a cooled glove box, Android/Apple integration for the infotainment, smartphone app integration with Nissan Connect, quilted leather seats, and standard climate control for all variants. Its safety equipment includes ABS, EBD, two airbags, hill start assist and traction control.
Powertrain
It's a familiar choice of engines under the hood – the popular K9K 1.5-litre diesel and H4K 1.5-litre petrol, both only offered with manual gearboxes and as two-wheel drive. The 1,461cc diesel makes 110PS@3,850rpm and 240Nm@1,750rpm, mated to a six-speed manual. The 1,498cc petrol produces 106PS@5,600rpm and 142Nm@4,000rpm, with a five-speed instead. Our first drive review sheds more light on how the Nissan Kicks drives, so head there.
Also see: Nissan Kicks v Hyundai Creta v Renault Captur v Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Comparison test Video
2019 Nissan Kicks (India-spec) | First Look