The Nissan Kicks has been showcased to Indian dealers at the Renault-Nissan's Alliance plant in Oragadam near Chennai, reports Team-BHP. The premium B-SUV's market launch is in early 2019.
The Nissan Kicks was developed primarily for emerging markets, but it has entered mature markets like the USA as a temporary replacement for the radical Nissan Juke that created the sub-compact SUV segment. The conventionally designed crossover rides on an uprated Nissan V platform.
To keep the costs low and make Kicks an affordable product for India, Nissan has deployed its dual-spec platform strategy. The Indian-spec version will ride on the highly localized Dacia B0/Logan platform featuring a slightly bigger body. The feedback from some who received an early preview say that “it looks better because of the size”, Alfonso Albaisa, Senior VP (Global Design), Nissan, told IAB in July.
Nissan could retail the Kicks in India strapped with the 1.5-litre H4K petrol engine and the 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine. It doesn’t offer AWD in global markets and don't expect that to change for India. As for the transmission options, an optional CVT is likely.
Also Read: Nissan Leaf likely to be launched in India in Q4 2018
The Nissan Kicks should come equipped with LED headlights & LED signature accents, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and seven airbags. It will compete with the Hyundai Creta, and prices are likely to range from INR 10-14.5 lakh (ex-showroom).
[Source: team-bhp.com]
