Nissan has taken the wraps off the Kicks SUV for the American market. It is their new compact for the US of A and is likely to replace the rather oddly designed and quirky looking Juke crossover by 2019.
Given that quirky has not worked for Nissan, it has gone with a conservative design for the crossover and has designed it to mimic the latest generation of the Qashqai and X-Trail. Signature elements in the design include the crossover stance, V-motion grille, diamond cut alloy wheels and the arrow-head shaped tail lamps. This being a Nissan, we can see a good marriage of various colours, chrome and a forward leaning stance thanks to the muscular lines.
The cabin of the America spec Kicks gets a black cabin with silver inserts for the crucial bits like the steering, AC vents and touchscreen infotainment system. It’s a strict five-seater with a relatively large boot, thanks to the SUV design. The car shown in the photos is an America spec SR model and the lower spec models will get manual AC and no leather in the interiors. The American market will get the Kicks with a 1.6-litre petrol motor producing 125bhp/155Nm with power going to the front wheels via a CVT.
The Kicks is coming to India and will replace the Terrano as it is of similar size and specifications. The India spec model will share much of its underpinnings with its French cousin, the Duster, and this includes the 1.6-litre diesel motor and automated manual transmission.
