2025 Nissan Kicks First Drive Review: Fresh Kicks

The current Nissan Kicks is a more conservative replacement for the wildly styled Juke that came before. Besides the hip Kicks name, it was a rather ordinary subcompact tall hatch. Although it is a decent vehicle, it lacks a bit of passenger space, power, and the option of all-wheel drive.

For the 2025 model year, Nissan is introducing an all-new Kicks that looks to address all of these shortcomings, along with funkier styling and an updated interior.

What’s New for 2024: Bigger Platform

The 2025 Kicks rides on a new global platform that Nissan and Renault currently use in Europe. This is the first vehicle to adopt the new platform in North America. It makes for a larger Nissan Kicks that now measures 171.9 inches in length, a 2.3-inch increase. It’s also 1.6 inches wider and almost an inch taller.

Styling, interior finishes, drivetrains, and the engine are all equally new in the Kicks. Like its predecessor, the new SUV will be offered in three trim levels, S, SV, and SR. Any of the trims can be had with front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Exterior Style: If the Shoe Fits

The exterior of the Kicks no longer looks like a shrunken Nissan Rogue or Pathfinder. There is some family resemblance in a few details, but for the most part, the Kicks is unique. Up front, there is a wide grille that integrates three LED light strips on either side of SR models. On the S and SV, those strips are replaced with chrome-like bars. At the rear, there are split-level taillights and a standard roof spoiler.

Nissan was quick to point out that the body cladding on the front and sides of the SV and SR trims are textured to look like the soles of high-end sneakers. Get it? The Kicks looks like a shoe.

As a value-packed youthful vehicle, there are a ton of colors available for the Kicks, including several two-tone setups on SV and SR models. The entry-level Kicks S FWD comes with 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers while the Kicks SV FWD comes with 17-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. Opt for all-wheel drive on either of those trims and the wheels are upgraded to 17-inch alloys. That wheel is also standard on front-wheel drive SR models, while the SR AWD can be had with 19-inch alloys wearing 225/45R19 tires.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy: More Power, In Search of More

A big change for the new generation baby Nissan SUV occurs under the hood. Gone is the 1.6-liter engine, replaced by a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder. In the Kicks, it makes 141 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. Those are healthy increases over the current model. The only transmission available is a continuously variable automatic that has a greater ratio range, with shorter lower gears to provide quicker acceleration and longer higher gears that cruise at lower rpm on the highway.

Despite all these changes, the Kicks is still rather slow. Offsetting the power increase is a gain of roughly 300 pounds compared to the old Kicks. That puts the new vehicle in the 2,987 lbs to 3,252 lbs range. Hammering the gas pedal produces instant response and a heap of engine noise, but acceleration is leisurely, especially at highway speeds.

Around town, the response is perfectly acceptable, and the Kicks delivers impressive fuel economy, rated at 28 mpg (8.4 L/100 km) city and 35 mpg (6.9 L/100 km) highway for front-wheel drive models, or 27 mpg city and 34 mpg highway for all-wheel drive versions.

Handling and Drivability: Playful

The biggest improvement to the Kicks comes in the form of driveability. The new platform is stronger and allows for less body flex and greater response. The vehicle’s steering wheel is small with a thin rim and transmits an increased feel to the driver. Heck, we’d even say the Kicks can be somewhat playful.

This isn’t a performance SUV, but for a small SUV with a rather impressive 8.4 inches of ground clearance, it has better road manners than we expected. It’s important to note we only got to drive the all-wheel drive model that has a multi-link rear suspension, whereas front-wheel drive models have a twist beam axle.

The I-AWD Drive system is an on-demand system that is front-wheel drive only until the vehicle detects slippage, and then engages the rear wheels.

Ride Quality and Comfort: Great Feel

Despite the agile reflexes, the Kicks still offers above-average ride comfort. We can hear nearly every bump we drive over through the various suspension components, but we do not feel any of them. Nissan has taken steps to reduce outside noise and vibrations, and on the vibration front, it has worked well. If we are to choose between feeling bumps and not hearing them, or hearing bumps and not feeling them, we’ll always take the latter.

As mentioned earlier, there is more passenger space inside which is readily noticeable. Despite official figures of 38.0 inches of headroom and 34.5 inches of legroom for rear seat passengers, we easily fit a six-foot-tall tester behind another six-foot-tall tester with room to spare. Besides the roofline being tall, it does not slope down at the sides either, which would restrict rear seat visibility. Combined with the optional panoramic moonroof, the back of the Kicks has an airy feel.

Cargo capacity has grown to 30 cubic feet behind the rear seats for FWD S trim levels and 60 cubic feet with the seats folded down. All-wheel drive models lose a bit of cargo capacity due to the more complex rear suspension set-up. These vehicles are rated at 23.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 50.1 cubic feet when they are folded down.

Interior Style and Quality: Making the Most of the Materials

In SR trim, Nissan has given the new Kicks an interesting-looking interior considering the price point. There is a carbon-fiber-looking material on the dash and doors that’s a soft touch material. There are orange accent stitching on the doors, dashboard, center console, and seat backs. As well, there is a large orange center trim piece around the gear selector.

Nissan makes a big deal about the inclusion of zero gravity seats up front and for rear outboard passengers. They are quite comfortable and come covered in cloth for S and SV models, while the SR gets a leatherette finish.

Tech and Safety: Well Equipped

Besides a bit of style, the Kicks also comes with a decent amount of technology. Standard is a 12.3-inch driver information screen that sits adjacent to the infotainment screen. In lower trim models it measures 7-inches in size, while the upgrade system comes in at 12.3-inches. Like most modern vehicles, there’s available wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with a wireless charging pad.

The 2025 Nissan Kicks SR Premium Package includes the Bose Personal Plus 10-speaker audio system. With it, the front passenger seat now includes the same dual-speaker headrest that the driver receives. Other optional features include heated seats, a panoramic moonroof with a power-operated sunshade, the 360 degree-around view monitor, a heated steering wheel, and rain-sensing wipers.

On the safety front, the Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard on all trim levels and includes features like automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind spot warning, and more. The Kicks SR can also get Nissan’s ProPILOT which adds items like steering assistance, intelligent cruise control with traffic stop and go, etc.

Value Dollars and Sense: Lots of Choice

The 2025 Nissan Kicks S FWD starts at a price of $23,220 (all prices include destination charges). Maxed out, a fully loaded SR AWD with all available options comes in at $31,020. This includes the $1,950 Premium Package that adds the Panoramic Moonroof, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, remote engine start, rain-sensing wipers, the Bose 10 speaker audio system, and more. In our opinion, if going for the SR, adding this package is a no-brainer.

In Canada, the 2025 Nissan Kicks S FWD starts at $29,229 while the loaded up SR Premium AWD comes in at $37,724.