The Nissan Kicks has been a smash hit in the country ever since it was launched here in mid-2022. Its combination of practicality, (extremely) low fuel consumption, and strong value proposition certainly helped in boosting its appeal, making it one of Nissan Philippines’ best-sellers.
Granted, the platform used wasn’t the newest (it was introduced in late 2016), but it could still hold its own against newer competition. Heck, it ranked second in our subcompact crossover Big Test from a few months back.
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But despite its ongoing success worldwide (we saw loads of Kicks e-Power models in Japan, too), Nissan says it’s time for a change. The company has confirmed the production of the next-generation Kicks during the 23rd anniversary of its assembly line in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Of course, there are no product specifics yet, but we could expect it either by 2024 or early 2025 at the latest. There was also mention of building turbo engines in the Brazilian plant, so it’s likely that the future Kicks might be available with that powertrain combination. That said, we’re expecting a new version of the e-Power hybrid system in the car as well. Nissan is determined to make the next Kicks a success as it “is a success for the brand in Brazil and throughout the world”.
So, it’s largely confirmed that the Latin American market will assemble the new generation Kicks first. However, it’s worth pointing out that the Nissan Kicks we get in the Philippines is assembled in Thailand. At the moment, there is no mention of updates regarding the Southeast Asian version. It’s possible ASEAN will hang on to this generation for a little longer given that it’s still relatively new in this region.
Aside from the news of the next-gen Kicks’ production, Nissan also took the time to say it will also produce a new SUV alongside the subcompact crossover. The company didn’t mention any clues, so it’s still hard to determine what segment it will enter. Either way, it looks like 2024 and 2025 will be a busy and crucial year for the brand
