Nissan Kicks SUV: Fully revealed ahead of launch

The media drives of the Nissan Kicks are about to begin, and here are the first pictures of the new compact SUV. The Kicks will be launched early next year as a Hyundai Creta challenger. Production of the Nissan Kicks  has begun at the automaker’s Oragadam factory even as the Terrano has been discontinued. Bookings for the Nissan  Kicks will open soon.

Talking of the interiors that the Nissan Kicks features, it gets a brown-black colour combination, which gives the  insides of this compact SUV a premium look and feel.

The dashboard gets a soft touch leather finish. The steering  gets cruise control buttons while the audio controls are located behind the steering wheel. The instrument cluster  takes the conventional approach. A tachometer and speedometer dominate the instrument cluster, which is an analog unit for most part.

The Nissan Kicks gets a start-stop button that’s rather unconventionally positioned on the center console. The center console also hosts the touchscreen infotainment unit, which is expected to offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as  major connectivity options. There’s a USB port on the center console, just below the infotainment unit, and it could  double up as a charging point.

The center console also reveals that the Nissan Kicks will get automatic climate control. The doorpads reveal power  window switches for all four windows, apart from a wing mirror adjustment knob. The wing mirrors are also likely to  electrically retract when needed. The seats are wrapped in leather, and there’s an armrest for the driver. At the  rear, there’s an armrest which folds back into the seat and an AC blower.

As for the exteriors of the SUV, there are no surprises. The Kicks retains its form factor that was first seen on the  South America-spec version. The India-spec version is said to have become larger. It’s based on the same platform as the Renault Duster and Captur. The compact SUV will be sold with petrol and diesel engine options in India, again  borrowed from the Duster/Captur.

The petrol engine will be a 1.6 liter unit that puts out 104 Bhp-140 Nm. 5 speed manual and CVT automatic gearboxes could be offered on the petrol motor. The diesel engine will be a 1.5 liter K9K unit that has been seen on many Renault and Nissan cars sold in India. On the Nissan Kicks, the 1.5 liter K9K motor is expected to get a variable  geometry turbocharger, and 108 Bhp-240 Nm outputs.

As for safety, the Nissan Kicks will offer ABS+EBD, 4 airbags, an anti-intrusion beam and a 360 degree parking  camera. Other key features on the SUV include LED projector headlamps with automatic on-off function, and 210 mm of ground clearance. The Nissan Kicks is expected to be priced in the 9-13 lakh rupee bracket. It will take on the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Captur.