India-Bound Hyundai Creta-Rival Nissan Kicks Caught Testing on Road [Video]

Nissan is betting heavily on its upcoming compact SUV, the Kicks, to make things work in its favor. The company recently teased the SUV by releasing a short video which showcases the major exterior highlight. Now however, the SUV has been spied yet again and it seems like the car is almost ready to be launched. Upon being launched, the Kicks will take on the fight directly to the Hyundai Creta, which is its arch rival in the segment. Take a look at this video which shows the Kicks in nearly production ready spec.

As the company has already reveled the exterior design of the cars, we see the test mule here with almost no camouflage on it, save for headlights, grille and tail light. The Kicks will run on 17-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, which also are present on the Orange painted Kicks in the video. Going by the teaser released, it will also sport electrically operated ORVMs with integrated turn indicators, V-Motion grille, and LED projector headlamps with integrated daytime running lights. Other exterior bits include faux skid plate, dual-tone paint schemes and blacked out A,B,C pillars.

The Kicks which will be sold here is actually bigger than its international counterpart. It measures 4,384 mm in length, 1,813 mm in width, and 1,656 mm in height. The wheelbase stands at 2,673 mm. In comparison, the global version is 4,295 mm long, 1,760 mm wide, and 1,590 tall and has a wheelbase of 2,610 mm. This is because the Indian version is based on the B0 (B Zero) platform that is also found under other cars like the Renault Captur, Duster and Nissan Terrano. Contrary to this, the global-spec model is based on the V (Versatile) platform, which was first seen in 2010 with the launch of Nissan Micra.

The interiors are the most mysterious bit of the Nissan Kicks, with no official information out yet. However, the Indian Kicks will be roomier than the international model because of its bigger size and wheelbase. It will also offer a generous amount of boot space, much more than what the international model offers. The SUV will offer seating option for five and come with features like an 8.0-inch ‘floating’ touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity along with automatic climate control and several other goodies. It will also get a segment first 360 degree camera, which will a  great plus point.

As for the engines, the Kicks will most probably sport the same engine and gearbox options as on the current gen Nissan Terrano and Renault Duster. This means it will share the 1.5 litre petrol motor and the 1.5 litre diesel engine. The petrol engine produces 104.5 Bhp of power and 142 Nm of torque whereas the diesel engine puts out 108.5 Bhp of power and 240 Nm of torque. Nissan can also offer a CVT transmission as an option on the Kicks. As the Kicks will sit a bit above to the Terrano, expect the prices to be in the range of Rs 9.4 lakh to 15 lakh (ex-showroom) when it is launched by Januray next year..