The Nissan Kicks is a subcompact crossover in the Japanese brand's lineup in the Philippines. It originally premiered in the Sao Paulo International Motor Show in 2014 and since then has entered production and has seen a facelift. The Nissan Kicks utilizes the brand's V Platform and was designed in collaboration with the brand's design headquarters in Atsugi Japan, and with Nissan Design America in San Diego.
Launch
Nissan Philippines officially launched the Nissan LEAF to the public on August 12, 2022, however, the Japanese automaker had several teasers for the electrified crossover several months in advance. It launched with three variants available with special introductory prices the EL priced at P1,209,000, the VE priced at P1,309,000, and the VL which is priced at P1,509,000. It comes with a 1.2-liter gasoline engine that generates electricity for its electric motor which is its main source of propulsion.
Platform, Chassis and Powertrain
Under the hood, the Nissan Kicks comes equipped with a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine, however, this is only used to power its electric drivetrain. The main source of propulsion comes from the car’s electric motor that pushes out 134hp and 280 Nm of torque that is paired with a 2.13 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack that contains 96 cells.
Since its an eclectic motor, users can expect near instantaneous torque when using the vehicle. The Kicks also comes with three driving modes, Eco, Normal, and Sport. Stopping power comes from disc brakes all around and the crossover itself rides on the brand's V-platform. For its suspension, the Kicks rides on a MacPherson suspension set up at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. For those wondering, the 1.2-liter range extender runs on 91 octane gasoline and the car itself comes with a 41-liter gasoline tank.
Technology Features
Technology is rich with the Kicks as it comes with the brand’s intelligent mobility suite of safety features along with an 8-inch infotainment system for the VE and VL models that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The EL model only gets a standard audio system from the Japanese automaker.
Exterior
For its exterior features, the Nissan Kicks comes with the brand’s distinctive design language. This is further accentuated by a pair of sleek LED headlights that are further complimented by a black Double V-Motion grille. Aside from this the electrified crossover also gets black body cladding, a sporty front bumper, and eye-catching LED taillights. The Kicks also rocks a set of 17-inch alloy wheels that are wrapped in 205/55 series tires. While most of the lineup gets halogen headlights, only the VL model gets access to LEDs.
Interior
Entering the Nissan Kicks you are greeted with a familiar interior layout as it shares a similar design to the Almera and LEAF. It comes with the brand’s Zero Gravity seats which are standard across all variants, a tilt and telescopic steering column, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, an electronic parking brake, a push button start system, and automatic climate controls, and much more.
Safety
For safety, the Nissan Kicks comes with the brand's intelligent mobility suite. This gives it access to features such as an intelligent around view monitor, intelligent forward collision warning, intelligent emergency braking, driver attention alert, and hill start assist. This is on top of its standard feature set of six airbags for the top model, and two airbags for the lower variants. The crossover comes with ABS, a vehicle dynamic control system, parking sensors, and a high mount stop lamp all as standard.
Connect with the top Nissan sales agents in the Philippines. These agents have good reply speeds, process transactions quickly and have good customer reviews
It's a great introduction to electric vehicles with its e-pedal system, electric drive, and its 1.2-liter engine that acts as a range extender for the battery pack.
