A Week With: 2023 Nissan Kicks SR

Reasonably priced financial system vehicles usually are not useless, they’ve merely been reworked into SUVs. So sure, you should buy a Nissan Sentra, and anticipate 29 mpg metropolis, 39 mpg freeway. However say you need an SUV, or a minimum of the look of 1, then you possibly can go for the Nissan Kicks.

There’s a slight distinction in gasoline financial system, nevertheless, at 31 mpg metropolis, 36 mpg freeway. And also you’ll pay a minimum of a grand extra for what’s principally a tall hatchback, quite than an actual SUV. However sedans now not maintain sway with most consumers. Nonetheless, one has to marvel what kind of kicks the Kicks gives. We spent per week discovering out. 

Overview

The 2023 Nissan Kicks anchors the underside of Nissan’s SUV line-up, with a value beginning at $20,290. Supplied in ascending S, SV and SR trim, the 2023 Nissan Kicks returns unchanged for the brand new mannequin 12 months, that means it continues to be provided solely with front-wheel drive, regardless of an look that may recommend in any other case.

And irrespective of which trim stage you go for, you’ll get the identical 4-cylinder driveline, which features a repeatedly variable transmission. However it admirably serves its goal as an inexpensive utility car. Simply don’t anticipate to get your kicks from driving it. 

Exterior

Its wardrobe seems to be trendy with out seeming goofy, one thing you might by no means say concerning the late Nissan Juke. It wears its model nicely for such a small ute, with a good-looking sophistication the lacks the dwarfish awkwardness that afflicts too many small SUVS. The automobile’s aspect sculpting lends the automobile a deceptively lengthy look regardless of its quick 170-inch size. It seems to be athletic but refined, although it wears the newest in Nissan design hallmarks, together with the floating roof and V-Movement grille. 

Inside

You wouldn’t anticipate an opulent inside in a automobile this cheap, and, nicely, you don’t get one. Sure, you do get acres of arduous plastics, however they’re properly grained and Nissan does attempt to offset it considerably by becoming material armrests on the door.

The SR trim take a look at automobile benefited from a lavish listing of optionally available tools, most notably the $1,390 Premium Bundle, cash that’s nicely spent, because it provides an eight-speaker Bose audio system, you’ll additionally take pleasure in heated entrance seats and steering wheel, imitation leather-based seats, Nissan Linked companies, a Wi-Fi hotspot and keyless entry.

The cabin seems bigger than it’s due to the supportive entrance seats and an elevated seating place with loads of headroom. An important comfort is the padding on the middle console’s sides the place the entrance driver and passenger’s knees relaxation. For a automobile this shirt, there’s a stunning quantity of entrance legroom, whereas legroom is adequate for backseat passengers. With the again row in use, there’s a roomy 25.3 cubic toes of cargo house.

Powertrain

All Kicks get their energy from a 122-horsepower 1.6-liter double overhead-cam 4-cylinder engine mated to a repeatedly variable automated transmission. It runs on common unleaded gasoline at a price of 31 mpg metropolis and 36 mpg freeway, in line with the EPA. 

Security and Know-how

Talking of security, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration charges the Nissan Kicks with an general crash security take a look at rating of 4 stars. Entrance crash security is 4 stars for the driving force, three stars for the passenger. Aspect crash safety is rated at 5 stars, nevertheless. The Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security charges its crashworthiness as “Good.”

Remarkably, it comes with a powerful array of normal driver-assist security techniques, together with automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, rear automated braking and excessive beam help.

With Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 7-inch touchscreen on S variations, and an 8-inch touchscreen on larger fashions, Kicks homeowners obtain a decent tech bundle. A USB-C port is optionally available; three USB-A ports are commonplace. Though there isn’t an inbuilt navigation system, most drivers will nonetheless make the most of smartphone apps instead. The take a look at car featured the $575 Inside Electronics Bundle, which provides inside ambient lighting, door pocket mild, frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror and a common distant. 

Driving Impressions

Oddly sufficient, even if the Nissan Kicks feels vigorous sufficient round city, it feels breathless at freeway speeds, the place its lack of energy leads to a protracted, gradual boil to get to 60 mph. However what it lacks in brute energy it makes up for in gasoline financial system, which is extra essential to a Kicks purchaser.

Driving in metropolitan areas doesn’t appear fairly as torpid. The Kicks excels on this state of affairs, feeling livelier than chances are you’ll anticipate. Sure, steering is light-weight and lacks highway really feel, however that’s removed from stunning. Though the trip is exceptionally nice for its class, there’s a noticeable physique lean when cornering, in addition to some tire and highway noise, though that’s typical for its class.

Actually any kicks you get from the Kicks comes from gasoline financial system, which got here in at a hair over 34 mpg — a powerful displaying for this little metropolis crawler. That stated, it’s general bemeanor is that of a typical financial system automobile that simply occurs to appear to be s all SUV. BUt its coronary heart is absolutely that of a tall hatchback.

2023 Nissan Kicks SR Specs

Wrap Up

The 2023 Nissan Kicks is a sensible transportation widget, a great city runabout that makes for a vigorous grocery getter that doesn’t draw consideration to itself. And with a value that begins at lower than $21,000 for the bottom S trim, it many simply give an added kick to your finances, due to its affordability. However skip any expectations of driving thrills, for there are few to be discovered right here — not that there’s something flawed with that. 

2023 Nissan Kicks ­— Often Requested Questions

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