NISSAN Kicks 2018

Body and cabin

At 429.5 cm, the Nissan Kicks is only 8 cm shorter overall than the Qashqai, the next in the Nissan crossover lineup. However, it looks smaller, which is why we were so surprised by its roominess. Even with two 1.83-cm/6-ft. people up front, there is room for two adults in the back. The high vehicle profile guarantees excellent headroom, better than in certain larger SUVs.

Cargo space also profits from the format, especially as Nissan designed a very low floor. That creates a relatively high step when the rear seatbacks are folded, but it’s something we’re willing to accept in exchange for a roomier trunk with the seats in place. A dual-level floor would have increased the versatility, but also the price of this entry-level vehicle.

The cabin is almost entirely finished in hard plastics, and fabrics lean more to durability than luxury; nothing out of the way for an entry-level vehicle. What’s certain is that Nissan doesn’t seem to have cut corners in designing the front seats, which provide a good blend of comfort and support. All trims come with a height-adjustable driver’s seat. The Kicks even offers a telescoping steering wheel, which is rare in the small Nissans; the Leaf, despite its 2018 redesign, still doesn’t have one.

Added to the astonishing space and comfort is a very good equipment/price ratio. Hands-free Bluetooth, three USB ports and a 17.8-cm/7-in. touch screen should satisfy the basic needs of technophiles. However, you have to move up to the SV to obtain Apple CarPlay and Android Auto interfaces, considered by the American Automobile Association (AAA, the CAA counterpart) as much more user-friendly than car-manufacturer systems. Moreover, in terms of graphics and logic, Nissan’s interface does not hold up to comparison with the best screens on the market.

Except for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, heated seats are the only “key” feature missing in S trim. Moreover, an automatic transmission and cruise control are standard, whereas on the Qashqai, they cost extra.

It is interesting to note that the Kicks SV and SR offer the possibility of a separate roof colour for each of the five available body colours. Nissan says it expects between 40 and 50 percent of customers will choose this option; at $150, that’s less than what many automakers charge for one-tone paint options.

Safety

All Nissan Kicks come with standard automatic emergency braking. That’s right, all versions, no extra charge. Congratulations, Nissan, for acting before the agreed-upon 2022 deadline, when this important safety advance will be made a standard feature on 99 percent of all new vehicles. The only two other driver-assist features listed for the Kicks—blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, and a suite of surround-view cameras—are restricted to the top-of-the-line SR.

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: Not tested
Frontal impact: Not tested
Side impact: Not tested
Rollover resistance: Not tested

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

Mechanical overview

Nissan based the Kicks on the same platform as the subcompact Versa Note. The two vehicles therefore share much of their mechanical configuration, including a rear torsion-beam suspension. It is not as advanced as the Qashqai’s multilink rear setup, but it is more economical to manufacture and maintain. The same is true of the rear drum brakes, still found on some subcompacts but rarely on a crossover.

Even the powertrains used by the two vehicles have much in common. The engine is one example, at least partially. It is a 1.6L 4-cylinder, various forms of which have been used for years in small Nissans. In the case of the Kicks, Nissan tweaked it to boost power to 125 hp at 5,800 rpm, and torque, to 115 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. In comparison, the Versa Note and Micra deliver 109 hp and 107 lb-ft.

Independent of trim, this 1.6L engine is paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission. It makes do without a manual mode, but Nissan has programmed it to mimic the shifts of a traditional automatic in heavy acceleration.

The Kicks is available with front-wheel drive only; all-wheel drive is conspicuously absent, even as an option. Nissan hopes this will divert buyers who insist on AWD toward the Qashqai, but there is a steep price difference. A front-wheel-drive Qashqai S automatic costs $4,855 more than a Kicks S, and AWD adds another $2,200.

With no all-wheel drive, the Kicks weighs in at around 1,200 kg, relatively low these days, especially for a crossover. That represents an advantage in terms of fuel economy; Natural Resources Canada's official combined rating of 7.2 L/100 km is among the best in class.

Driving impressions

The dynamically styled 2018 Nissan Kicks gets downright sporty looking in the case of the SR equipped with a spoiler and two-tone paint. But it is just an illusion; once launched, the Kicks puts comfort several notches above handling.

True to habit, Nissan equipped the suspension with very compliant springs that work wonders on degraded pavement. Even Montreal’s fabled potholed, cracked and fissured streets were unable to get the upper hand during our June 2018 first drive.

The smooth ride continued on the country roads of south-shore Montreal, highlighting another surprise for a crossover of this price: cabin soundproofing that largely eliminates tire noise. Even the engine seems relatively quiet, at least at stable speeds.

However, the calm is banished by heavy acceleration when passing or merging onto a highway. Try as it may to mimic traditional gearshifts, the continuously variable transmission still keeps the RPMs high. Other CVTs such as those by Honda and Subaru do a better job.

In all fairness, the engine’s limited power doesn’t help. The extra 16 hp relative to the Versa Note serves mostly to absorb the Kicks’ additional 100 kilograms. Though quite acceptable in normal driving, this engine quickly runs out of steam at certain sustained speeds.

In any event, the sloppy handling does not encourage enthusiastic driving. The high body leans considerably and the front end wants to push wide when you attack a curve too rapidly. The very light steering is an advantage in the city, but it is vague in curves and on the highway; a touch more firmness would do wonders for straight-line stability.

A bright side: driven soberly, the Kicks proves fuel efficient for a small gas-engine SUV. We obtained 6.2 L/100 km, driving “reasonably” in a test of our eco-driving skills on six different vehicles at the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada EcoRun. These days, for a majority of drivers, fuel economy is a lot more important than performance and driving pleasure.

Others who swear by prowess behind the wheel will have to turn to a Mazda CX-3, for example, knowing they will sacrifice a sizeable dose of space and comfort.