Here's why you should buy the Nissan Kicks

Nissan is the undeclared king of the crossover market with five cars in the segment. Nissan has targeted the users in this segment with the Juke, X-trail, Qashqai, Murano, and Pathfinder. One would hardly anticipate that a company with such a portfolio would come up with another crossover. Defying the industry expectations, Nissan went ahead with the production of Kicks which was unveiled at Sau Paulo Motor Show in 2014.

Kicks arrived in the market to replace the Juke and Tiida. Nissan Kicks has done well for the company since it carried some of the much-loved aspects of the previous models. Nissan is expecting that Kicks would capture 30 percent of the market share by 2019. The Kicks is certainly one of the best available cars in the market and there are numerous reasons for you to buy it.

Design

The design of all-new Kicks was a masterstroke by the car manufacturer as it retained some key aspects. The Kicks borrows the comfort from the Tiida and retains some styling from the Juke. It shares the V platform with the Juke but is 160 mm longer. Nissan has given it a floating roof design created by blacked out pillars. On the front, wraparound visor look will give you glimpses of GT-R. However, the V-Shaped front gives it a typical Nissan look. The Kicks gets boomerang-shaped LED signature lamps. The flared 17-inch aluminium-alloy wheels add extra style to the design. The design of Nissan Kicks is definitely better than the rivals such as Renault Captur or Ford Ecosport

The interiors are decent considering the price point of the car. The cabin is appealing with a flat-bottom steering wheel and gliding wing design. There is a considerable amount of plastic on the dash and door sides. Nissan has tried its best to give it a faux carbon fibre appearance. The zero-gravity seats will ensure that your long rides are comfortable. There is a 7-inch multimedia screen for infotainment purpose. There is also a central colour display that provides all trip-related information right in the field of vision. The legroom and headroom in the front, as well as back, are decent considering the overall dimensions of the car. There is a 60:40 seat folding option to make space for additional storage.

Engine & features

The Nissan Kicks is powered with a 1.6-litre engine capable of delivering 118 hp and 149 Nm torque. The engine has ample power to drive the CUV on any terrain, but quick acceleration may be slightly disappointing as the CVT takes time to transfer power to the front wheels. Nissan has added advanced engine technologies to reduce friction and improve fuel efficiency. Nissan claims that Kicks delivers a fuel efficiency of 16.4 kmpl.

Nissan has used high-tensile strength steel in critical areas along with rear beam suspension to reduce the weight. This makes handling comparatively easier with smooth navigation at twists and turns. Nissan Kicks comes with speed sensitive steering adjusts according to the speed. So, it becomes nimble at low speed and rigid at high speed. Kicks offer a tight turning radius making it easy to maneuver the city traffic and ensures easy parking. The Hill Start Assist holds the break preventing the car from rolling backward while driving uphill.

Safety

The Nissan Safety Shield is slowly becoming a standard for safety features in the segment. This safety Shield comprises features such as Moving Object Detection which sounds a visual and audible alert when anything moves in the immediate vicinity of the car. The Traction Control System and prevents front wheel slippage by minimising the throttle. The Vehicle Dynamic Control compensates for understeer or oversteer by reducing engine speed and applying brake pressure to respective wheels. The Intelligent Trace Control, Intelligent Ride Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring and Intelligent Engine Brake are all aimed at making your drive safer.

The base variant of Nissan Kicks starts at AED 61,950 and can go all the way up to AED 80,000 for the top variant with all features. Kicks completely justifies Nissan adding a new crossover to its portfolio. The design, features, price, and fuel economy of the Kicks make it a perfect crossover in the segment.