We’ve seen the all-new 2025 Nissan Kicks, and on the surface at least it seems Nissan has developed a compact crossover SUV with a clean and cohesive exterior design—a far cry from the previous Kicks.

The outgoing kicks has been around since 2018, with a refresh coming along in 2021. We previously tested a well-appointed Kicks SR model, and it made a compelling case for Kicks ownership—especially once you accepted the vehicle’s relative lack of power, numb steering, cramped rear seats, and general lack of pizazz and instead focused on its efficiency and affordability.

Like the outgoing model, the new 2025 Nissan Kicks will be available in S, SV, and SR trims, with optional premium offerings at the SV and SR levels. Nissan gave us a preview of a Kicks SR with the Premium package, which includes touches such as a panoramic sunroof, Bose 10-speaker audio, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and remote engine start. With these features as well as other areas of the new Kicks, Nissan trickles down elements of tech, design, and convenience from the segment above.

he 2025 Nissan Kicks’ wide stance and 8.4 inches of ground clearance hints at its all-wheel-drive architecture, a hugely welcome improvement. The 2025 model marks the first time Nissan will offer the Kicks with either front-wheel drive or with AWD. The Kicks sorely needed power to all four of its wheels, so this is a hugely welcome upgrade alongside the design overhaul.

A transversely mounted 2.0-liter inline-four gasoline engine powers those wheels, and it’s good for 141 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque fed through a six-speed automatic transmission. The latter is sure to be an improvement over the outgoing continuously variable transmission used in the previous model. Meanwhile, the new Kicks’ engine output increases by 19 hp and a notable 26 lb-ft over the old model’s 1.6-liter naturally aspirated inline-four.

Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard across all grades and includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and high-beam assist. Kicks S and SV models will include adaptive cruise control as standard. Kicks SR adds Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, which brings steering assistance to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane. Already offered on several other Nissan models, this is the first application of ProPilot Assist on a Kicks, which speaks to Nissan’s ethos of trickling down tech from its more expensive vehicles into its entry-level offerings.

The balance of sophistication and flair continues through from the exterior to the interior space, where interesting textures and playful design featuring great use of accent colors create a modern, airy space intended to offer a counterpoint to the mean exterior. Here, too, the Kicks feels less crossover, more compact SUV.

The comfy Zero Gravity seats distribute weight and pressure evenly, and the SR ones even have a touch of lava-red weave running through them and Bose Personal Plus speakers in the headrests. The materials in this pre-production model felt decently tactile, with nothing coming across as too cheap. This Kicks SR featured the 12.3-inch infotainment (a more basic 7.0-inch version will be standard in lower trims) and a large panoramic sunroof.

#nissankicks2025
#newnissankicks2025
#nissankicks