2020 Nissan Kicks BS 6 to get 1.3L turbo petrol engine, X-Tronic CVT gearbox

In a bold move to take on better established rivals in its segment, the soon-to-be-launched Nissan Kicks 2020 will come with a turbo engine option as well as the company's much-acclaimed X-Tronic CVT gearbox.

Nissan claims that the HR13 DDT 1.3L four-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine will belt out 156 Ps of power and have 254 Nm of torque on offer. This would make it the most powerful SUV in a segment that also features Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Renault Captur. The Creta 2020 turbo variant and the top-of-the-petrol-line GTX Plus DCT variant on the Seltos offer 139 Ps of power.

Interestingly, the HR13 DDT engine makes use of cylinder coating technology which is borrowed from the Nissan GT-R’s engine. This allows for better efficiency of the engine, high fuel economy and improved performance, claims the Japanese car maker.

To further add to the credentials of Kicks 2020, Nissan is equipping it with X-tronic CVT which offers an eight-step 'Manual' mode if and when required. Nissan claims that the next-generation X-tronic CVT offers 40% less friction contributing to higher fuel economy and acceleration response.

Expect Nissan to also make subtle design changes to set the new model apart from its outgoing version while the cabin could well be packed with more features in order to compete against its tech-loaded rivals from Korea. "“The all new Nissan Kicks 2020 is built with Japanese engineering and technology and has high build quality with purposeful and intelligent technology with class-leading premium-ness," said Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India.

The facelift version of Kicks was previously scheduled for a March unveiling before the national lockdown forced all auto makers in the country to push back their respective plans.

The Kicks was first brought to Indian shores in January of 2019 with the hopes of capturing the imagination of Indian buyers looking for something beyond sedans. The company already had Terrano on offer but the car had failed to attract much attention. As months went by, however, Kicks too largely failed to climb the highs of sales charts. Nissan would now be hoping for the 2020 version to battle back.