Nissan recently confirmed that the next-generation Kicks was already on its way. What we didn’t know was that the carmaker was planning to unveil the new model this soon. Well, pre-production model, at least—Nissan says the final product might still see a few more changes.
The all-new Kicks just made its first public appearance in America, and it looks bold. Really bold. A large grille with long horizontal slats adorn the front end, and this is flanked by large, snazzy DRLs. It actually looks like a baby Toyota Land Cruiser 300 if you think about it. Underneath, meanwhile, it sits on large wheels shod in low-profile tires.
The underbody cladding up front wrap around the vehicle, and the plastic trim are more prominent on the sides. At the rear, the Kicks gets an overall muscular look with headlamp-matching taillights with a gloss-black panel on the liftgate.
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The inside has been given a major overhaul as well. The steering wheel is familiar, but apart from that, there are new trim all around. Mounted on the dash is this large black panel housing both the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment system. There are black trim with red stitching all around the interior, including the side panels and the seats.
More red accents can be found on the center console. Here, you’ll also see the reworked control panels for the A/C, which now gets a new modern look but still with actual physical buttons and levers.
Powering the all-new Kicks is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, naturally aspirated gasoline engine that’s capable of 141hp and 190Nm of torque mated to an Xtronic transmission. For the first time ever, Nissan has also fitted its crossover with Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive. Do note that this spec is for the American market, and seeing as we have an all-e-Power lineup for the Kicks here, it’ll be highly unlikely that we’ll get this engine option in the Philippines.
Having said that, that also gives us more to look forward to once the ASEAN-spec Kicks makes its debut. Nissan will be officially launching the next-gen model in America midway this year at the earliest, so the version for our region will probably come after that. While we wait, do tell us—did Nissan hit the mark with the all-new Kicks’ looks?
More photos of the Nissan Kicks 2025:
