Nissan’s new sub-compact SUV is called the Kicks. Does it have enough power to kick the competition away? We find out.
It is quite a unique and bold move to name your sub-compact SUV “Kicks”. What does it symbolize? What is the hook behind the name? Well, that is a question we would like Nissan India to answer. However, what we can tell you is that the Kicks is the first of many upcoming models from Nissan in India and they hope that it kick-starts the company’s growth in the country. We drove it recently in Gujarat and, honestly, it felt like déjà vu. Read on to find out what we remembered driving the new Kicks.
To begin with, the design and styling is quite similar to the Kicks that is sold in international markets; however, that very sub-compact SUV is based on a different platform. The Indian Kicks is based on the V platform, which is the second-generation B0 platform used by the likes of the Nissan Terrano, Renault Duster, and Captur. This gives the Kicks a very familiar feel but the design is quite different from anything based on the Nissan V platform. The Kicks brings a fresh and handsome looking design to the table and personally I found it quite impressive. The floating roof effect, thanks to the dual-tone paint job, and the sharp lines all around give this car a strong stance. The front-end strongly portrays Nissan’s design language in the form of a well-defined grille and a prominent Nissan badge. The side profile looks pretty neat and muscular with a strong shoulder-line, big wheel-arches, and good-looking 17-inch wheels. However, the rear styling looks quite busy as there are too many lines moving in all directions. The overall exterior design of the Kicks is certainly attractive from most angles, except for the rear.
