The new Nissan Kicks small crossover SUV has been unveiled in right-hand-drive in Japan, ahead of a potential Australian arrival as a new entry-level model to sit below the Qashqai small SUV.
The second-generation Kicks, which was already produced in left-hand drive in Mexico for North America, features Nissan’s latest design cues and the company’s third-generation e-Power hybrid technology, already offered here in the Qashqai.
The Kicks sits below the Qashqai in terms of both size and price, and is a rival to the Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Venue and popular yet ageing Mazda CX-3 small SUVs. It uses a version of the CMF-B platform underpinning the Juke, which was recently axed in Australia.
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While the original Kicks wasn’t sold here, the second-generation model is on the cards for Nissan Australia as part of a wider product rollout as the brand looks to recover from declining sales.
This included a 15.2 per cent year-on-year sales decline in Japan in 2025 and a 21.6 per cent slide in Australia, with every model posting lower sales apart from the Pathfinder large SUV which has subsequently been discontinued.
“I think we’re in a position of restructuring what the portfolio is going to look like for the next stage for Australia,” Richard Cander, Nissan corporate executive for family, product and component strategy, told CarExpert earlier this year.
“I think Kicks could be an option for sure. Let me look at it.”
It could be part of a raft of new Nissan models the Australian arm is considering, including the NX8 SUV – offered as an electric vehicle (EV) and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) – and the N7 electric sedan, both of which are produced in China under the Dongfeng Nissan joint venture.
Nissan has already confirmed the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute for local showrooms, which could also form the basis of an SUV spin-off, while it has also shown the Terrano PHEV SUV concept, which Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette declared as one of the brand’s “priority models” for Australia.
Nissan Australia hasn’t ruled out the new-generation Juke SUV, which, like the Kicks, sits below the Qashqai.
If it does come to Australia, the Kicks could have a base price below that of the Qashqai ST-L, which is currently priced from $45,640 before on-road costs.
Priced from ¥2,999,700 ($A26,544) in Japan, the new Kicks is 4366mm long, 1801mm wide and 1626mm high, making it longer, wider and taller than its predecessor.
Its 2655mm wheelbase (distance between the front and rear axles) is just 10mm shorter than the Australian-market Qashqai’s 2665mm figure, although the Qashqai stretches to 4425mm overall.
With front-end styling inspired by “an American football helmet”, higher-spec models feature polygon-pattern detailing on the lower bumper and side sections, along with a full-width tail-light signature.
All Kicks variants use the same third-generation e-Power hybrid system, which pairs a 72kW/115Nm 1.4-litre three-cylinder petrol engine acting solely as a generator with a 105kW electric motor that drives the wheels.
While front-wheel drive is standard, all model grades are available with all-wheel drive for a ¥349,800 ($A3097) premium, adding a 50kW rear-axle motor, approximately 160kg of extra weight and a Snow drive mode.
Claimed combined fuel economy is as low as 3.9L/100km for the entry-level front-wheel-drive Kicks X. The equivalent all-wheel-drive version consumes a claimed 5.0L/100km, with 17-inch alloy wheels fitted as standard and 19-inch alloys available on higher-spec grades.
Inside, the larger cabin includes Nissan’s ‘zero gravity’ seats, designed to reduce fatigue, along with synthetic leather trim used on the seats, door panels, dashboard upper section and centre console.
All models include NissanConnect connected services, while up-spec grades feature dual 12.3-inch displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment system.
They also gain an Intelligent Around View Monitor with additional camera angles, and integrated Google functionality.
The flagship G grade adds wireless phone charging, a panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, electrically adjustable driver’s seat and a 10-speaker Bose audio system.
The Kicks also features an upgraded autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, as well as rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot intervention.
The first generation of Kicks entered production in 2016, and gained an e-Power hybrid option in some markets in 2020. While the Juke was Nissan’s entry-level SUV in markets such as Europe and Australia, the Kicks served in this role in most other global markets.
The second-generation Kicks entered production in Mexico in 2024, though like the larger X-Trail/Rogue there was a lag between the start of North American production and Japanese production.