Nissan Kicks premium SUV will take on Hyundai Creta and will be launched in January 2019 with long list of features
Having released a barrage of teaser images, Nissan unveiled the Kicks premium SUV on October 18 before going on sale in January 2019. With just the exterior showcased, there were plenty of discussions over its cabin and features. Nissan wants to make a mark, as an upmarket brand with Datsun addressing the mass-market segments and Kicks is its impending tool.
Although having several similarities from the visual standpoint with the international Kicks, Nissan embarked on emphasising the interior space in the India-spec model. The global five-seater sits on Nissan’s V platform but it’s tailor-made for India with the updated BO architecture of the underwhelming Renault Captur.
Renault’s global alliance with Nissan meant that their domestic portfolios feature vehicles with many resemblances but the Kicks beg to differ. The exterior has restyled bumper positioned above the horizontal fog lamps, sweptback LED headlamps with integrated DRLs as in the X-Trail, new honeycomb grille mesh, chrome applique at the rear, repositioned fuel filler lid, etc.
It retains the masculine shape of the global Kicks for good with flared wheel arches encompassing the 17-inch alloy wheels and the floating roof design adding uniqueness. The India-spec Kicks is 89 mm longer while being 66 mm taller, 53 mm wider and comprising 63 mm longer wheelbase (same as Captur) than the model sold elsewhere. The ground clearance is also the same as Captur at 210 mm.
The bigger dimensions will certainly account for more boot space than global version’s 432 litres (Captur at 392 litres). Mechanically, it will likely stay identical to the Captur. While the cabin is still under wraps we can be almost certain of carrying over the design from global model. The Kicks does have a commanding road presence and it will be packed with in-car entertainment and assistive equipment.
With four cameras seen on the display model up front, the high-end variants should be equipped with 360-degree around view monitoring system that would aid in easy parking in congested spaces.
Other possible features are seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, flat-bottom steering wheel, automatic climate control, keyless entry, coloured MID, satellite navigation and so on.