Making its first public showing at the New York Auto Show, the all-new 2025 Nissan Kicks seeks to change the game in the compact SUV segment with an expressive new styling language for the brand, a future forward interior, more power and more convenience technologies to boot.
Since the Rogue Sport was discontinued, the compact entry-level 2025 Nissan Kicks rises to the occasion to fill its shoes. In so doing it gets all-new styling with a decidedly more premium look and feel to go along with a slight bump in size to get it almost where the old Rogue Sport used to be in terms of footprint.
To me the most compelling thing is the crisp new styling language from Nissan that sets aside the venerable V-Motion grille and creates a more Avant Garde theme. Curvature is introduced into the greenhouse and with it’s optional two-tone paint looks playful and upscale in ways the old Nissan Kicks could never pull off.
Forms and details are new, fresh. And while it still fits visually among the rest of the Nissan lineup the Kicks really seems cut from a new design language cloth.
The cabin raises the bar even more with a new set of design standards well above what’s expected in this class. A dual-screen curved cockpit dash design offers dual 12.3-inch screens for both the instrument cluster and the top-end infotainment system.
There’s a flat bottom steering wheel and a design sense introduced throughout in the finishes and forms that feels above its price. Add in a good dose of versatility with larger cup holders and bottle holders in the doors – there’s even more to appreciate.
Cargo space grows along with passenger room courtesy of the some 2-inches in extra wheelbase and length. The rear cargo hold features a near flat load floor with the rear seats folded and a taller wider opening for the rear hatch.
Nissan says that switch-gear throughout is of a higher tactile quality and there’s an available panoramic sunroof with opening front section. Obviously we’re looking at a fully loaded SR trim grade here and the entry-level grades always look a bit different. Time will tell.
Powering the Kicks is a larger and more powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission. It has 141 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. The big news is that Kicks will now be available with AWD as an option and that’s across the board on all trim grades.
To make that worthwhile, the Kicks also boasts the best ground-clearance among its competitors with 8.4-inches so it might be an attractive and affordable option for those of you in snow states where that really matters.
Trim grades will include the familiar collection of S, SV and SR. Two different Premium packages will be available to amp up the luxury and style like you see here. Pricing and final specifications will be along closer to the on sale date of the 2025 Nissan Kicks later this year.
