Nissan has announced a BS6 update for the Kicks with a high-performance turbo petrol engine. The engine gets an advanced cylinder coating technology also known as Mirror Bore technology that is borrowed from its own Nissan GT-R. Nissan claims that the technology will improve fuel efficiency and engine performance.
The Nissan Kicks was expected to launch in March 2020 but due to the countrywide lockdown, it is expected to launch post the lockdown when the pandemic situation normalises.
Nissan Kicks is expected to get a few minute changes as compared to the BS4 version. Most importantly, the BS6 version gets a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine that churns out 156bhp of power and 254Nm of torque - numbers far higher than everything else in the segment including the turbo-petrol variants of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos (incidentally powered by the 1.4-litre GDI unit). The engine is mated to Nissan’s all-new X-Tronic CVT which gets an eight-step manual mode like a manual transmission. Nissan claims that the X-Tronic CVT has 40 per cent less friction as compared to a manual or automatic transmission that allows it to contribute to high fuel efficiency and improved acceleration response. There is no word on the availability of a manual transmission as of now.
Any updates or changes to the interior will be known closer to the launch date. The turbo-petrol engine in the Kicks will also do duty on the Renault Captur and the Renault Duster. No diesel engine option has been announced and the 1.5-litre diesel engine will not be upgraded to meet BS6 emission norms.
Speaking about the 2020 Kicks, Rakesh Srivastava, MD, Nissan Motor India said that, “The all-new Nissan KICKS 2020 is built with Japanese engineering and technology and has high build quality with purposeful and intelligent technology with class-leading premium-ness. The New Nissan KICKS is powered by best-in-class turbo engine and best-in-class X-Tronic CVT offering higher fuel economy and acceleration.”