Nissan is finally launching the Kicks in India on January 22. It is the Japanese automaker’s new D-segment SUV and will be their second push in this part of the market. First things first, we got behind the wheel of this India spec Kicks and you can read about that here. We also know that the Kicks will be offered in four petrol and four diesel variants as well with seven single tone and four dual tone colour options. Its biggest rival will be the Hyundai Creta and here is how the Kicks stands up to the car from the South Korean automaker.
Exterior
The term crossover is now widespread and well, the Kicks and Creta are two very good examples of this train of design. The Hyundai Creta has all the crossover lines but with just a bit more SUV DNA in its profile over the Creta. Call it if you will, a mix and match of both the crossover and SUV design language. Unique design elements include the grille, design of the alloy wheels and the shape of the tail lamps. The Kicks, on the other hand, is all crossover and in essence, this is where Nissan is going with its latest range. The bright colours, curvy lines and massive grille are all design highlights of the Kicks. At first glance, the Kicks also appears to sit lower thanks to the crossover design but actually has a pretty high ground clearance.
Features
All variants of the Nissan Kicks get dual front airbags, LED DRLs, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, power windows, power mirrors with integrated indicators and climate control with rear AC vents. The top-of-the-line XV Pre-Option variant gets four airbags, LED headlamps, hill start assist, rear fog lamps, 360 degree surround camera, button start and an 8.0-inch display for the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatible system. The Kicks measures in at 4.3-meters with a wheelbase of 2.6-meters. This version of the Creta was updated in early 2018. Standard features on the top model include climate control, touchscreen infotainment system and leather upholstery. Additionally it also comes with contrasting metallic finish on the air-con vents, six-way adjustable driver seat, electric sunroof, wireless mobile charger and cruise control. In terms of safety, the six-airbag package with rear-camera for parking has also been retained from the pre-facelift model.
Engine and Gearbox
The Nissan Kicks is being offered with a 1.5-litre petrol and diesel. The petrol is good for 105bhp/142Nm with a five-speed manual and ARAI-certified efficiency of 14.23kmpl. The diesel produces 108bhp/240Nm with a six-speed manual and an ARAI-certified efficiency of 20.4kmpl for the XL variant and 19.39kmpl for the XV variants.The Hyundai Creta is offered with three sets of engines. The entry-level variants are offered with a1.4-litre diesel producing 89bhp/220Nm while the higher spec models get a 1.6-litre petrol and diesel. The former produces 122bhp/151Nm while the latter is the most powerful and produces 126bhp/260Nm. A six-speed manual is common for all but both the 1.6-litre engines also get a six-speed AT.
Conclusion
The Nissan Kicks is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 15 lakhs and will be launched with no AT option. It will have to match or undercut the Creta variant for variant to be competitive. An AT variant is to be expected as a planned update at a later date and this too will have to match or undercut the Creta variant. We believe that Nissan will launch the Kicks at an introductory price beginning from Rs 9.99 lakhs for the XL petrol to get the ball rolling in terms of sales.
