It seems like the price of everything is going up. Actually, it doesn’t just seem that way. It is that way. So, it’s especially refreshing to see an all-new car with a compelling redesign and new features and a sub-$25,000 starting price. The Nissan Kicks isn’t new. It’s been around for some years. One of the things I’ve always liked about the Nissan Kicks is that it had one of the nicest interiors of any small SUV despite being inexpensive. The newly redesigned Nissan Kicks carries that theme forward and does the same thing to the exterior but adds some extra style and features along the way.
Here are a few. Things I really like about the new Nissan Kicks.
Exterior Styling
Many small SUVs, especially crossover SUVs, have a somewhat generic look. That has changed in recent years with vehicles like the Hyundai Kona and the Kia Niro. The great thing about the exterior styling of the Nissan Kicks is that it’s fresh-looking. The stance, the front treatment, the wheels, and even the way the fender surrounds stand out are modern rather than traditional. The Hyundai Kona, Chevy Trax, and Kia Soul are the Kicks’ main competitors. I also like some of the design elements that incorporate a sneaker theme, such as the cross-hatch design on the lower part of the door sills. It looks kind of like the side of a fashionable tennis shoe. Of course, the Kicks looks better with a two-tone treatment, which is optional. You can get a roof that’s a different color than the rest of the car as an option. Lighter colors look the most dramatic because they really highlight and contrast with the black trim.
Available All-Wheel Drive
The previous Nissan Kicks was decent in its segment, but one thing it lacked was the availability of all-wheel drive. That changes for the new, updated 2025 Nissan Kicks. Even when buying compact crossover SUVs, owners expect some kind of all-wheel drive (AWD) option to handle inclement weather or maybe even light snow or sand. With Nissan’s iAWD system, power can be split between front and rear, and the vehicle can respond to slippery conditions. The all-wheel-drive system provides additional grip and can even help in cornering as the system will apply braking to one side or the other to get the car to handle slightly better. Unlike other more sophisticated all-wheel-drive systems, the Kicks’ iAWD system cannot split power from side to side.
Updated CVT
While a continuous variable automatic transmission (CVT) gets a bad rap most of the time, the updated unit in the Nissan Kicks shows that Nissan has been continually refining that mechanism to the point where it now feels smooth, civilized, and easy to live with on a day-to-day basis. When you really stomp the gas pedal. Shift points were added, presumably just for driver comfort. The CVT and the Kicks do not cause the engine to rev wildly every time you accelerate aggressively. The addition of those shift points makes it feel more “normal.” There are also four distinct drive modes, including Sport, Standard, Eco, and Snow. The official name of the transmission is next-gen Xtronic CVT. It works as promised.
The Price?
As stylish as the new Nissan Kicks is, the price will probably be the No. 1 selling point. Nissan’s published price is $21,830.00, but when you add the unavoidable destination fee of $1,390.00, you end up with a car that’s around $23,200. That’s still a good deal, as it’s well under $25,000 for a nicely equipped car.
Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 is standard on all Kicks. The driver-aid suite includes rear automatic braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and high-beam assist. Ironically, Safety Shield 360 does not include a 360-degree parking camera, but that feature is available on higher trim levels. Nissan calls it the “Intelligent Around View Monitor.”
It’s Not Electric
While electric vehicles (EVs) are getting all kinds of attention these days, the one thing missing from the EV equation is cost-effective personal transportation. If the 2025 Nissan Kicks was a hybrid or an EV, there’s no way it would be under the $25,000 base price. Nicely equipped, the car still comes in around $30,000.
Driving it doesn’t feel like a cheapie, either. It does have a new, more powerful engine versus last year’s Kicks. The 2.0-liter gasoline engine is good for 140 horsepower and 141 lb-ft of torque. In everyday driving, it feels adequate. It never feels underpowered, but it certainly isn’t overpowered. Brisk acceleration for freeway merging and passing is available. Again, this isn’t the type of car that you get if high performance is your No.1 goal on the road. However, compared to other small crossover SUVs, the Nissan stacks up nicely in terms of acceleration and engine refinement.
Fuel economy is 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway/31 mpg combined.
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