All-new Nissan Kicks breaks cover with butch look. Will it return to India?

Nissan has taken the wrap off its all-new iteration of Kicks SUV ahead of its public debut scheduled at the 2024 New York International Auto Show. The Japanese car manufacturer has been testing the prototypes of the new Nissan Kicks over the last several months and now, it has uncovered the production-ready model, which looks significantly different compared to the outgoing model.

Nissan used to sell the Kicks SUV in India but discontinued the car here in 2023 owing to unsatisfactory sales performance. Now, with the SUV updated significantly and India becoming one of the fastest-growing markets in the world for SUVs, we can expect the automaker to bring back the Nissan Kicks in the country.

Speaking of its design, the all-new Nissan Kicks have gone through a massive design update. The signature Nissan V-Motion front grille is gone. Instead, it gets a chunky and wide horizontally slated front grille, which carries vestiges of the old design philosophy. The openings on the grille incorporating blades slant inwards. The headlamps have become narrower and they angle downwards on the inner edges. The overall front profile looks clean, while the headlights extend rearward with a high and straight beltline.

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Moving to the side profile, the new Nissan Kicks SUV gets a significantly updated visual appearance, featuring aero wheels, aluminium-finished skid plates and subtle character lines. The roof looks fluid with a floating roof pattern and a nice and gradual curve towards the rear, finishing with an integrated spoiler. It features a dual-tone theme. The SUV gets prominent vertically oriented LED taillights mounted high on the corners. Overall, the SUV comes with a larger and more upright look than the previous model.

Nissan has not revealed the exact specifications yet. However, the OEM has stated the new Kicks is bigger than before, offering more shoulder room for front and rear passengers, and a better knee roof for rear occupants. The cargo space too has been increased.

Speaking of the layout and features inside the cabin, the new Nissan Kicks gets a new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a seven-inch instrument cluster, which come combined into a single panel. The SUV gets an optional 360-degree surround-view camera, Bose 10-speaker audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On the safety front, the new Kicks gets automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, lane departure warnings etc. All these come as part of Nissan's standard-issue Safety Shield 360 System.

Powering the new Nissan Kicks is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine capable of churning out 140 bhp peak power and 190 Nm of maximum torque. For transmission duty, the SUV gets a CVT, channelling power to all four wheels through an AWD system. The OEM is expected to offer multiple driving modes as well.