Debuts in Brazil this August.
The production Nissan Kicks is now official in Brazil and will go on sale in August this year. Here's how it compares with the Ford EcoSport.
Exterior
The Nissan Kicks and Ford EcoSport, as with any other sub-compact crossover, look like a lifted hatchback, but that appears more so for the Ford. The Nissan Kicks looks slightly more rugged with a sharper design and muscular proportions.
Dimensions
The Ford EcoSport measures 4,241 mm in length (with the spare wheel), 1,765 mm in width and 1,696 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,521 mm. The Nissan Kicks measures 4,295 mm in length, 1,760 mm in width and 1,590 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,610 mm.
Mechanicals
The current Ford EcoSport is built on the company's global B-platform which was first used for the current, sixth generation Ford Fiesta that launched in 2008. The Nissan Kicks is also based on an old platform. It's the Nissan V-platform that was first used for the current, fourth generation Nissan Micra introduced in 2010. The Ford EcoSport is offered with a 1.6-litre Sigma Flex flex-fuel engine that produces up 115 hp and up to 156 Nm of torque and 2.0-litre Duratec Flex flex-fuel engine that produces up to 147 hp and 193 Nm of torque. Transmission choices include 6-speed manual and 6-speed PowerShift automatic.
The Nissan Kicks will reportedly be offered with a 1.6-litre flex-fuel engine that produces up to 116 hp and send power to the wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Interior
The interior is where the Nissan Kicks has significantly widened the gap. The Ford EcoSport looks dated with the age-old dashboard layout that has been used on all its B-Segment models. The SYNC infotainment system doesn't offer satellite navigation or a full colour display. The 2016 Ford EcoSport (facelift) coming this year will fix some of these flaws.
Nissan is yet to reveal the full equipment list of the Kicks, but the cabin looks far more premium in the first images. Dual-tone theme, flat-bottomed steering wheel, 7.0-inch full-colour display and 360 degree Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection are a few among the Nissan Kicks' notable features.
