BS6 Nissan Kicks arrives with segment toppling performance and feature upgrades! – Creta, Seltos, S-Cross rival
The Nissan Kicks BS6 is armed to the teeth, and it is looking forward to kicking some of the mid-size SUVs out from its segment. Although, looking at how strong the Koreans are in the Indian Auto industry and Nissan's abysmal sales records for the Kicks, it is yet to be seen if this car will deliver.
When the Nissan Kicks arrived in India, it found itself quite lost and could not establish itself in the subcompact SUV segment. The Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta give a very hard time to all its rivals. That leaves very little breathing space for them and these newly launched SUVs fail to draw the markets because of them.
Ever since the launch of the MG Hector and the BS6 Tata Harrier, things have been shifting bit by bit. Now, it seems like things are about to change, as the Kicks has evolved from a BS4 vehicle to a BS6 one. Just like Tata did with the Harrier, the Kicks feels like an all new car thanks to the host of new features and a power train upgrade as well and it definitely feels like a kick-ass upgrade! (Am I the only one laughing?)
Last month, Nissan India released the details about the engines and transmission offered by the Kicks 2020, and today, Nissan has made the plethora of new features, new variants and colours public, and I must say, I am very impressed.
The Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta have been so lethal and dominant that customers take it for granted that there is no other SUV in its competition worth considering. That is where the BS6 Kicks comes in and it will alter this outlook as it has all the modern technological gadgetry and features that one would expect at this price point. Moreover, there is one new variant which sports a turbo engine that makes it more powerful than the Seltos and the Creta.
The power-trains
I am particularly excited to talk about this bit. The 2020 Kicks has introduced a new turbo charged 1.3 litre petrol engine, which produces a hearty 156 ps. Yes, a total of 156 horsepower, I do not know how did Nissan manage to do this, but I am indeed very happy about it. I cannot even begin to imagine how fun to drive would this be.
This turbo engine uses a Dual Variable Timing System which reduces the emissions released, provides a high amount of torque at low rpm. Furthermore, the Kicks also uses idle start-stop technology, which is a great feature to have, especially if face a lot of traffic.
This 1.3 litre turbo petrol can be mated to either a manual gearbox or be fitted with the new automatic X-Tronic CVT. The other engine on offer is the 1.5 litre petrol which has evolved from its initial BS4 form to BS6. The 1.5 litre petrol will only have a manual gearbox. For now, it appears that Nissan will not be using a diesel powertrain for the 2020 Kicks.
The variants
The BS6 Kicks will be offered in 7 variants, namely –
- XL 1.5 litre Petrol MT
- XV 1.5 litre Petrol MT
- XV 1.3 litre Turbo Petrol MT
- XV 1.3 litre Turbo Petrol CVT
- XV Premium 1.3 Turbo Petrol MT
- XV Premium 1.3 Turbo Petrol CVT
- XV Premium (O) 1.3 Turbo Petrol MT
The features on the outside and the inside
The looks have never been a problem for the Kicks, but in my opinion, it lacked in the feature category, especially since the Seltos and Creta have completely spoilt us. Well add the Kicks in that list as well, as it has been flooded with convenient yet impressive features.
On the outside, the 2020 Kicks sports an automatic set of headlamps, front fog lamps with cornering capability, electrically adjustable ORVMs and rain sensing wipers. These features are not very impressive or game changing, but it is good for a car to have these features.
Lets get on the inside where things have improved considerably. The Kicks has quite a roomy cabin, and Nissan have used dual tone black and brown combination, which would look quite classy. The dashboard has been fitted with leather, which further makes this cabin a good place to be in.
Basic yet convenient features offered are Automatic climate control with a rear AC vent, push button start, Nissan’s unique twin parcel shelf and a cooled glovebox. Nissan has also included Nissan Connect which is much like Kia UVO or Hyundai’s Bluelink technology, and via Nissan Connect the owner of the car can find out crucial information about the car, using their smartphone. A segment first feature in the 2020 Kicks is that of the ‘Remote Engine Start’ which allows you to power the car on, just by using your key.
Safety
The 2020 Kicks does well in this respect, as it has 4 airbags, ABS, EBD, Brake-Assist, vehicle stability management system, ESC, Traction Control System, Hill Start Assist, Cruise Control and an Around View Monitor. Suffice to say, this list of safety features would result in the owner feeling quite safe whilst driving.
The colours
The BS6 Kicks will be available in 6 monotone colours, Blade Night, Night Shade, Bronze Grey, Fire Red, Pearl White and Deep Blue Pearl. 3 Dual-Tone colour schemes will also be offered, namely, Bronze Grey and Amber Orange, Fire Red and and Onxy Black and Pearl White with Onyx Black.
Pricing
Prices for the Kicks 2020 can be expected to start from 9.65 lakhs (ex-showroom) and they could go up to 14 lakhs (ex-showroom). The Kicks 2020 is capable enough of taking on the competition, now we see how the masses take to it. Pre booking of the Kicks 2020 starts from May 15th.
