The year 2019 promises to start with a bang for the Indian car industry and especially for that one segment you really like—SUVs. By now you probably know about the Tata Harrier that will launch next month but there’s one more similar set of wheels that will also come in January that is trying to capture your attention. The Nissan Kicks has been made for India, keeping the taste of the Indian consumer in mind and taking note of Indwian road and weather conditions. Well at least that is what the Japanese car maker claims and to test just that I was in the beautiful Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
Looks
Design is fast becoming an integral part of any new car’s plans and on first impressions it seems the designers at Nissan have worked really hard to give you a car that appeals on multiple fronts. The dimensions look just right so does the ground clearance of 210 mm. The V-motion front grille with chrome looks nice and the projector lamps with LEDs make the front look attractive. The rear too has been packaged well with the use of chrome, skid plates and split tail lamps. But it is from the profile that the Kicks looks most eye-catching. The square wheel arches, the cladding on the doors along with the silver line, the dual tone roof and the roof rails all contribute in adding a lot more muscle and glamour to the car. Nissan says the roof rails are also capable of taking up to 100 kgs of luggage load.
Interiors
It’s a very dark colour theme that’s been used inside the kicks despite the fact that it is dual tone. So what you see on the doors, seats and dashboard is a rather unique combination of black and brown. The touch screen system at 8-inches is big in size and comes with great touch response. It is compatible with both Apple car play and Android Auto. However, the highlight here is the 360 degree parking camera that will come to your aid whenever you’re parking in difficult situations. In addition to this the instrument cluster too comes with a TFT screen that displays a lot of relevant information. Ergonomics is a mixed bag with a big and rather deep storage space being provided near the gear lever but the glove box isn’t as big from the inside as it feels from the outside. The seating space is good on both the rows and the second row gets its own AC vents. Boot space at 400 litres is quite decent for a car of this size.
Engine
The Kicks unlike the Harrier comes with both petrol and diesel engine options. I got a chance to drive the latter which comes with the very popular 1.5 litre mill that has been seen in a lot of cars from the Renault Nissan alliance. 110 PS of peak power and 240 Nm of torque are good numbers but the best part is that the peak torque comes in very early making your drive less cumbersome and the need to shift gears is much lesser on this 6-speed manual gearbox. It a frugal, refined engine that takes the weight of the SUV pretty well and is fun to drive. In comparison the petrol is a slightly less powerful 104 PS 142 Nm 1.5 litre engine. The Kicks misses out on an automatic or an all-wheel drive variant.
Ride & Handling
Here is where the Kicks impresses the most. Nissan has been able to give you a good combination of ride & handling, something not really seen in the segment. The dimensions work well for the car; it’s not very tall and is wide enough to handle really well. It takes to the corners pretty well and is stable at high speeds too. You don’t really get thrown around in the car and that is a compliment for an SUV. I was also happy with the ride quality as the roads around the Rann come with their fair share of undulations and the suspension was able to handle them with ease. The drive position is good too with the driver getting a clear view of the road. However, the height adjustable seat even at its lowest is quite high and that could be a bit of an issue with tall drivers.
Verdict
The Nissan Kicks wants to challenge the domination of the Hyundai Creta which is the current segment leader by a long margin. Nissan has done a lot to make the SUV worthy of that including the fact that it comes with some very important safety features like 4 airbags and hill start assist. Pricing of course will be the key but the long wait for Nissan to have a car in India that could change the game for them may well be over with the arrival of the Kicks.
Shams Naqvi is an anchor/producer for the News X motor show Living Carsv