We’ve all heard the news that Americans are no longer interested in cars, ditching them in favor of utility vehicles and trucks. As a result, many automakers are dropping cars from their model lineups and adding a raft of new crossovers instead. While I personally find this trend disappointing since I prefer the driving dynamics of a car with a lower center of gravity, for the market as a whole, this poses a more serious problem of affordability. Shop around for a compact utility and you’ll have a hard time finding one at a starting price less than $20,000. Unless you swing by a local Nissan dealer where you can find the new Kicks.
The Kicks is Nissan’s new entry into the subcompact crossover segment, taking on the likes of the Toyota CH-R, Honda HR-V, Ford Ecosport and many others. Nissan has actually had a vehicle in this size class for several the years, the controversially styled Juke, but the Kicks is not a direct replacement for that machine. A second-generation Juke is rumored to arrive in 2019. The Kicks is really more of an alternative for value oriented customers that don’t want a Versa or Sentra.
At a starting MSRP of just $17,990, the Kicks is at least $2,000 cheaper than any other entry in the segment. That’s still $1,000 more than a Sentra and nearly $6,000 more than the cheapest Versa S sedan. But if you want to ride up higher without buying used, this is the best deal you’re going to find. Even a fully loaded Kicks SR barely reaches the $22,000 starting point of the Rogue Sport.
Keeping in mind the comparatively low starting price, the Kicks is certainly not the stripper model that a Versa S is. The entry level car dispenses with features like power windows and locks, cruise control or even bluetooth all features that are standard in the Kicks. In fact the mid-level Kicks SV I drove was surprisingly well equipped for its $21,000 price delivered. It has automatic climate control (single zone only), blindspot monitor, 17-inch alloy wheels with 205/55-17 all-season tires and a 7-inch touchscreen radio with Android Auto and Apple Carplay support.
All this is not to say that Nissan hasn’t done some cost cutting because they surely have. The front disc brakes have rotors measuring a mere 10-inches across and the rear axle is decelerated by drums. The strut suspension in the front is what you’ll find in pretty much any small car, and the rear end features a twist-beam axle. The naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four cylinder is paired with one of Nissan’s surprisingly good XTronic continuously variable transmissions but it only generates 125-hp and 115 lb-ft of torque.
None of these specs will in any way excite an enthusiast. On the other hand, they are all absolutely adequate and will more than suffice for a typical commuter on a budget. There is nothing sporty about the way the Kicks behaves on the road, but Nissan calibrates the CVT to mimic a conventional step-gear transmission and it all behaves quite nicely. Under most conditions, the on-road behavior of the Kicks is quite comfortable and surprisingly quiet. Only on my most notorious stretch of local interstate does it get a bit bouncy, but it’s by no means the worst I’ve driven there.
Unlike most of its competitors aside from the CH-R, the Kicks isn’t available with all-wheel-drive or a more powerful powertrain option. But if what you want is a replacement for a compact car that sits a bit higher, the front-drive setup will be sufficient. The relatively low-end hardware is also comparatively light. With a curb weight of just 2,654 pounds, the Kicks is much more svelte than most of the competition which also contributes to surprisingly good fuel economy of 33 mpg.
Design-wise, the Kicks is also a winner. It’s chunky design is surprisingly attractive, especially when you combine it with one of the three available two-tone color options that has the roof painted a different color. My tester had the Monarch Orange over Gun Metallic Grey that looks somewhat like a giant Duracell battery. If I was choosing one for myself, I’d go with the white roof over blue lower body.
Inside, the cost cutting is also evident although not overtly so. Look around and it appears simple, but not spartan. The surfaces are nicely textured including the metal trim strip that spans the dash. It’s only when you start touching the surfaces that you realize that aside from that metal, everything is hard plastic except for the padded surfaces on either side of the center console. It’s inexpensive and contributes to the lightweight, but it doesn’t really feel cheap. Given the price, you certainly won’t feel like you’re in a penalty box.
The extra height compared to a car means that four adults can fit very comfortably with three across the rear in a pinch. The rear seatback folds 60/40 to expand the already ample 25.3 cubic feet of rear cargo space to 53.1 cubic feet.
There is nothing particularly sophisticated about the 2018 Nissan Kicks and it certainly won’t get your blood boiling. But Nissan has done an admirable job of creating a small crossover that delivers where it should without any unnecessary frills or penalties for someone looking for a new vehicle with a warranty at a very reasonable price by 2018 standards.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2018/09/10/2018-nissan-kicks-the-affordable-entry-to-the-utility-segment/
2018-09-10T11:40:00+00:00