2021 Nissan Kicks: What to expect?

Edaran Tan Chong Motor, the official distributor of Nissan cars in Malaysia, revealed its plan of introducing the new Kicks in the country back in 2018. However, at that time, the e-Power hybrid version was in the development phase that pushed back the launch. But now when the all-new Kicks e-Power launched in several markets, including Thailand and Indonesia, we expect that it would be finally making its way to the Malaysian market in 2021. 

The upcoming Nissan model falls in the hotly contested B-segment SUV category in the town, which already has popular players like the Honda HR-V and the Proton X50. So, what all Nissan could bring to the table with the Kicks to make it an interesting choice among those ones, let’s have a look.

Nissan Kicks Exterior

On the exterior, the compact SUV sports a big V-motion grille and restyled LED headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights at the front. The sculpted and aggressive bumper has prominent side air intakes in the corners that also features fog lamp clusters. At the rear end lies a new bumper with a wider faux diffuser, which is painted in body colour, Other styling equipment includes a new set of rims with a slimmer spoke design, sleeker reverse lights, turn signals, and redesigned tail lights with boomerang-shaped light graphics. 

Size-wise, the SUV measures 4384 mm in length, 1813 mm in width, 1651 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2673 mm.

Nissan Kicks Interior

Inside the cabin, the upcoming Nissan SUV has a two-tone interior with Premium Horizon Orange with Pure Black combination and Zero Gravity seats, which are designed to enhance comfort and reduce fatigue. Nissan says that the Kicks has the best-in-class space that includes a 600 mm knee room, 85 mm headroom, and a boot capacity of 423 litres. 

The equipment list is likely to comprise:

• Eight-inch Nissan Connect infotainment touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatability
• Dual-zone climate control
• Seven-inch digital instrument cluster display
• Leather upholstery

Nissan Kicks Engine

In terms of mechanical setup, the Malaysian-spec Kicks will likely get the same e-Power hybrid-electric powertrain, which is available in the Indonesian and Thai markets. The said setup comprises a 1.2-litre three-pot gasoline engine and an electric motor generating a maximum output of 129 PS and a peak torque of 260 Nm. 

In the configuration, the e-motor drives the front wheels of the SUV, while the internal combustion unit acts exclusively as a generator for a 1.57-kWh battery pack. For acceleration and deceleration, the setup also has a shift-by-wire system and One-Pedal function. The available drive modes are Smart, Eco, Normal, and EV.

Talking about the mileage, according to Nissan, the Kicks has an average fuel economy of 23.4 kmpl and a CO2 level of 100 grams per km.  This is much higher than the X50 and HR-V having consumption of 15.6 kmpl and 15.15 kmpl, respectively. 

Nissan Kicks Safety

In other markets, the new Kicks standard safety features include six airbags, an anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, vehicle dynamic control, and Isofix child seat anchors. Along with these, the Malaysian-spec Kicks is expected to get advanced systems like:

• Intelligent cruise control
• Forward collision warning
• Emergency braking system
• Blind spot warning
• Around view monitor with moving object detection
• Rear-cross traffic alert
• Intelligent trace control

In the ASEAN NCAP crash test, the Nissan Kicks received the perfect 5-stars just like the X50, however, its total score of 86.93 points is more than the Proton crossover, which has only two airbags as standard.

Nissan Kicks Price

At this moment, there is no clue about the Nissan Kicks price in Malaysia, however, we can look at the neighboring markets for a hint. In Thailand, the pricing of the SUV starts at 889,000 baht (RM 120,000) and goes all the way to 1.049 million baht (RM 142,000).

Verdict

Overall, the upcoming Nissan Kicks is likely to attract Malaysians with its good look, impressive fuel economy, and advanced safety shield.

Also read: Nissan dresses up the Juke again, meet 2021 Enigma edition