Nissan unveils new Kicks in Thailand

While we await the BS6 update for the Nissan Kicks in India, Thailand has received an all-new Kicks. The design of the new Kicks is a major update from the outgoing model, both outside and in but the big news is the powertrain. The ‘e-Power’ system uses an electric motor to drive the wheels and instead of plugging it in to recharge, a three-cylinder petrol engine does the job.

Let’s talk about the looks first. There are slimmer headlights on the front, fog lights integrated into the front bumper and, this being 2020, a larger grille. The rear is fairly similar to the model we have in India. The taillights have been reworked a bit and much of the black plastic cladding has been painted. There is also an e-Power badge sitting loud and proud. On the inside, the changes aren’t too many but the layout is more modern. The 8-inch infotainment screen sits almost flush with the dashboard and there is a part-digital instrument cluster. The use of bright colours has also given the cabin a much needed touch of youthfull-ness. Is that a word? I’m not too sure, but you get what we mean.

The powertrain is spearheaded by an electric motor that produces a respectable 127bhp and 260Nm of torque. The ICE engine that charged the motor is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit that produces 77bhp and 103Nm of torque, not that it will affect your performance in any way. It is solely used to recharge the motor.

The Kicks we have in India is based on the Duster’s platform, different from the ones sold in International markets. While this gives our Kicks brilliant ride quality, it does mean that updates like these will take time to come to India.