We finally got a genuine crossover SUV for the second generation, 2025 Nissan Kicks. It stands higher off the ground, offers more space in both rows, and offers AWD as an option.

What’s Good: Sharper styling. More space in both rows as well as the cargo bay. New engine with more power. Available AWD…Finally!

What Could Improve: Continuously variable transmission only adequate. Too many luxuries baked into the Premium package. Still a touch behind on peak power.

My Conclusion: Nissan made good use of a global platform to offer big space in a small package. It’s also very competitively priced. AWD puts it back on the map.

OVERVIEW

Nissan dropped the second-generation Kicks for 2025, it’s entry level crossover SUV now, finally, looks like one. Nissan also backs up the styling with more SUV appropriate specs. You get 30 cubic feet of storage behind the second, 8.4-inches of ground clearance, and optional all-wheel-drive.

Of the three trims offered. The base S trim starts under $25k. The mid-level SV adds a lot of the mainstream luxuries people look for, like a wireless smartphone charger. And you can go all-wheel-drive in the top-of-the-line SR trim and still keep the price tag under 30,000. Not bad.

Powertrain

Nissan kicked the original Kicks 1.6-liter engine to the curb, replacing it with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. The increase in displacement increases outputs accordingly. The Kicks makes use of 141 horsepower and 140 lb.-ft of torque, beating the outgoing model by 19 HP and 26 lb.-ft, respectively.

Power goes to the front wheels, as standard, channeling through a continuously variable transmission in the process, just as the first Kicks did. But, Nissan replaced the old transmission with a new one that offers a wider ratio range and generally better performance. In my quick drive, it felt much the same.

Critically for an SUV, Nissan now offers all-wheel-drive for the Kicks. It adds $1500 to the sticker for the base S and top SR trims and $1650 to the price of the SV. Nissan says the added cost is due to the SV changing from steel to alloy wheels (both 17-in in diameter) when changing drivetrains. Intriguing.

On the road, the extra torque especially helps the Kicks feel comfortable in all suburban driving situations. You command plenty of power to get up to highway speeds. And the Kicks will comfortably zip through traffic. It’s a welcome change.

Even with the bigger engine, you still get reasonable fuel economy, too. Even in all-wheel-drive guise, you’ll manage 27 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway, 30 combined. And, when it’s time to fill up, the Kicks happily drinks regular gasoline.

Chassis

Nissan built the new Kicks from a global Renault platform. Compared to the outgoing model, it feels more solid and better maintains its composure for uneven or patchy pavement. It also allowed Nissan to speed up steering and sharpen suspension responses to make the Kicks for nimble and quick on its feet.

It’s also larger in every dimension, but still under 175-inches long. All perfectly appropriate for the subcompact SUV space.

One interesting quirk. Up front, you get a strut suspension a near universal layout for this class of vehicle. But the rear suspension changes with the choice of front- or all-wheel-drive. The former gets a solid rear axle, in a twist beam geometry. The latter gets an independent, multilink layout. Nissan says it helps with off-roading. But the on-road behavior of my test car was vastly improved from before.

The Kicks feels light and composed. It also maintains a relatively level body when hustling around a corner or two. That different suspension tune stiffens the ride a bit, I still found it plenty compliant for everyday driving. Others may disagree.

Details and Inside

Larger than before, the Kicks will swallow up to 30 cubic feet of stuff behind the second row. And, if you fold the second row down, that number doubles to 60 cubic feet. I pulled out my measuring tape and saw around 63 inches of depth before bumping up against the back of the front seats. And the Kicks measures more than 40 inches wide at the narrowest point. Good space.

If you get the $1950 premium package in the SR, you also get heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic roof, rain sensing wipers and more. I wish the heated seats came standard in the SR trim, but so it goes.

You do get a standard 12.3-inch center display, wireless smartphone charger, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Not to mention a second 12.3-in digital instrument cluster. Nissan splattered several USB ports throughout as well.

Moreover, the seats, which manually adjust, felt comfortable. Nissan calls them zero gravity. Four of the five passengers in the Kicks get one. The middle seat of the second row gets, I don’t know, space for ibuprofen.

in conclusion

Nissan vastly improved the Kicks for 2025. It’s now a crossover SUV that looks like a crossover SUV and has the specs to back the looks up. But, critically, the Japanese brand kept the price down. Getting in a brand-new Kicks costs $23,220. That puts all-wheel-drive on the table for under $25k.

When you consider the price, the space, and the amenities offered, the Kicks makes a strong case for itself.

COMPETITORS

Chevrolet Trax
Honda HR-V
Hyundai Kona

SPECIFICATIONS

2025 Nissan Kicks SR: 4-door, 5-seat, Crossover SUV
Base price: $29,070 (includes destination charge)
Price as Tested: $31,875

Powertrain: 2.0-liter I-4
Engine Power: 141 horsepower at 6000 rpm
Engine Torque: 140 lb.-ft at 4000 rpm
Transmission: continuously variable transmission
Drive: All-wheel-drive

Fuel Economy in MPG (AWD/FWD) and range
27/28 city
34/35 highway
30/31 combined
Driving range: 369/372 miles

Dimensions
Length: 171.9 inches
Width: 70.9 inches
Height: 64.0(AWD) – 64.2(FWD) inches
Wheelbase: 104.6(FWD) – 104.9 (AWD) inches

Weights and Capacities
Curb weight: 2987 (FWD S) – 3252 (AWD SR) lbs.  
Interior volume: 96 cu ft
Cargo volume (second row up/down): 30/60 cu ft

Calculated weight to power (lbs./HP): 21.2:1 – 23.1:1
Mfr’s claimed 0-60 mph: NA seconds
Mfr’s claimed Top Speed: NA mph
Government classified size: small sport utility vehicle

Options: SR AWD Premium package, $1950; accessory 19-in alloy wheels, $605; splash guards, $250

Here’s how Nissan introduced us to the second-generation Kicks