The new Nissan Kicks SUV will become a Hyundai Creta-challenger, launch expected before Diwali this year
Gaadiwaadi has been invited to the media drive of the India-spec Nissan Kicks SUV. What this basically means is that the India launch of Nissan India’s new crossover must be less than a couple of months away from us.
The India-spec Nissan Kicks will be different from the one international market gets. It’s expected to be larger than the international version and look a bit different. As per Alfonso Albaisa, the design chief at Nissan, the India-spec Kicks SUV will look better than the international version owing to its larger size. However, we are yet to learn of the exact increment in the dimensions. That said, the interior should have enough space for five adults.
Powering the Nissan Kicks SUV in India will be the same 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines that power the Terrano. The Kicks isn’t available with a four wheel drive in any part of the world and the India-spec version will be no different from its international counterparts in this aspect.
Various spy images have revealed that that the interior will feature a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and a touchscreen infotainment system that looks similar to the 7-inch unit available in the Brazil-spec Kicks. Even the side aircon vents look similar to the ones on the Brazilian counterpart. However, the only similarities will be found in terms of design.
The Indian version of the Kicks SUV will be underpinned by Dacia’s low-cost B0 platform that also underpins the India-spec Captur. Internationally, the Kicks uses a more modern Nissan V platform. The highly localized B0 platform that the Renault-Nissan group uses for India-spec models helps the alliance price its models competently. Prices of the Nissan Kicks SUV in India are likely to start at Rs 11 lakh. It will become a direct rival to the hot-selling Hyundai Creta.