The Nissan Kicks is only in its second model year in the U.S. but the subcompact SUV is already making a sizable impact in the market. It was right on-trend when it finally make it to America after years of use in global markets that are friendlier to small vehicles.
On paper, the model isn’t changed from the 2019 model year.
It’s still a zippy-looking crossover with appointments that mostly don’t challenge the norm for the segment. Its design isn’t as fun or funky as the Nissan Juke, but it tries to stay youthful.
The appearance of the Kicks is playful. Photo courtesy of Nissan North America
The 2020 Kicks has a 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve 4- cylinder engine rated at 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque powering it. It’s paired with a continuously variable transmission. This is the same powertrain that is in the 2020 Nissan Versa. There, it’s competent and confident at moderate speed, but not quick. It performs similarly in the Kicks in that respect. The two models are about the same weight and often used in the same urban environment.
Nissan only sells the Kicks with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is not available.
/p>
Some competition has more, while others have less horsepower and torque. Some are better off the line (Hyundai Kona) while others come standard with all-wheel drive (Subaru Crosstrek).
With the competition in its segment strengthening, and the upgrades present in the recently redesigned Nissan Sentra, its hard to drive the Kicks without being a bit disappointed by its appointments, which is unusual for a Nissan. For its starting price, the model is reasonably well appointed, but getting into the top tier trim, which presses $22,000 in both models, the Kicks falls short.
The interior of the Kicks features numerous hard elements that make the car feel interior to the competition.Photo courtesy of Nissan North America
The Kicks comes standard features with a 7.0-inch infotainment touch screen that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.It also has Nissan’s suite of safety and driver assistance technology called Nissan Safety Shield 360, and an above average amount of cargo capacity.
However, there are plenty of hard surfaces and places where Nissan looks like they took shortcuts with the design. This is a similar problem to what the Leaf interior has going on.
Not only is it not as aesthetically well-appointed as the competition, its cabin allows a fair amount of road and CVT noise to reach passengers and seats are uncomfortable for anything other than a short trip. The Hyundai Venue has seats that are comfortable for all-day driving and an infotainment system that proves more responsive.
The Kona, Venue, and Crosstrek prove worthy competition for the model. The Sentra features the next stage of Nissan design, delivering even more bang for the buck than before. The Kick’s biggest asset is that trend of buying a sedan is waning. Still, the Kicks is primed for an upgrade.
