Nissan Kicks’ production begins, and company showcases a lower spec variant at the launch of its global office in Thiruvananthapuram.
The car, which is Nissan’s fresh India offering after a few years is seen in a graphite gray colour. The car doesn’t sport the contrast floating roof but the body coloured one. The headlamps are not LED units but the normal halogen units with LED DRLs. These suggest this could be a lower end variant. The windows were blinded preventing a sneaky peek to the interiors.
Kick’s is Nissan’s India spec compact SUV based on Nissan -Renault alliance platform which is also the base for Duster, Terrano and Captur. The global Kick’s is based on the Nissan Micra platform and as such there are subtle changes from the latter. The car is bigger in size and space than the segment leader Creta.
The newest offering from the Nissan fleet in India has a unique wider and robust style underlined by a Dynamic Sonic Plus line, Wheel-oriented Stance and a Distinctive 3-dimensional presence. The body of the New Nissan KICKS is built with a GRAPHENE (Gravity-philic Energy Absorption) body structure, enabling it to absorb impact energy, making it safer for agile movement on Indian roads.
Looks Matters– The spanky new compact SUV is beefy and butch to attract the new style-conscious urban buyers. The high bonnet, the swept back big headlamps, V- Motion grille, big roof rail, shark fin antenna, bold wheel cladding, side claddings with alloy inserts, door mounted mirrors with integrated indicators The curves are all proportionate, while the shoulder lines and the character lines on bonnet and side and the wheel arches are simple yet muscular. It runs on R 15, 5 spoke machine cut alloys.
Feature set- Kicks will have segment first features, including a 360-degree monitoring system. Dual tone interiors, leather-wrapped steering wheels, and a 7-inch infotainment will be on offer.
Safety– SUV will have 6 airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist (BA), electronic stability control (ESC), hill start assist, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child mounts. The GRAPHENE Body Structure makes it durable and provides improved protection in case of a collision
Performance– The heart of the machine will be the same units from Captur. The 1.5-litre, 4 cylinder petrol engine makes 106 PS @ 5600 rpm and 142 Nm @ 4000 rpm. Engine is mated to either a 5-speed MT or Nissan’s X-Tronic CVT unit. Diesel variant has 1.5-litre K9K dCi diesel engine that makes 110 PS @ 3850 rpm and 240 Nm @ 1750 rpm. Engine is mated to 6-speed manual or 6-speed AMT.
Verdict– Kicks is to stay a healthy competition to the segment dominated by Creta as Duster is dated, Terrano didn’t pick and and Captur slumped big way.
