Nissan has never been shy about naming conventions and often eschewed model numbers in place of quirky names like Cube and Versa. In Nissan’s home market of Japan, perky models like the Sunny roam the streets but the latest addition here in Canada has been dubbed the Kicks, a subcompact SUV targeting a younger market and subsequently giving the Juke a swift boot out the door.
Upfront is the V-Motion grille, a hallmark of Nissan’s contemporary design, as well as boomerang-shaped, LED daytime running lights. Its silhouette also draws prompts from its siblings, including a waistline that kicks up high at the C-pillar and a floating roof effect. Certainly from a looks perspective, the Kicks comes out ahead of the Juke, whose bulbous fenders and rounded rear hatch looked more like a squatting frog than an actual automobile.
Owners can express their personalities through the many exterior colors (and their names) including two-tone options like Fresh Powder with Deep Blue Pearl. My test vehicle was the top-trim SR model draped in two-tone Cayenne Red with Super Black. Inside ruins some of the vibe with charcoal being the only color available. SR models also receive orange contrast stitching, contoured prima-tex seating, and a pleather dash to break up the monotony of the black surfaces.
Fit and finish stand on par with a vehicle of this caliber, and I like the presence of different textures found throughout. While the leather-wrapped steering wheel felt particularly thin, the combination of orange contrast stitching and the D-shaped wheel provides a sporting flair. Trunk space is a standout feature, managing a cavernous 716 liters with the seats up and over 1,500 liters with them down, and almost best-in-class showing just behind the Honda HR-V. One unexpected annoyance, however, is the lack of fold-flat rear seats, and the trunk floor dips lower than the seat cushions, which can make loading large objects cumbersome.
By and large, Nissan has done a great job with the Kicks and among its immediate competitors, demonstrates good value. At an as-tested price of 24.903 USD, our loaded SR model comes just a thousand dollars less than the mid-range Mazda CX-3, and well under the 26.000 USD starting price of the Honda HR-V. Yes, the Mazda comes with more gruff from its larger engine, and the HR-V bests the Kicks’ storage capacity (only just), but the Kicks straddles a fine line between price and street performance, offering what most young audiences will want in a small urban SUV. Either way, you slice it, the Kicks kicks ass.
