2025 | car reviews | nissan
Redesigned from top-to-bottom for 2025, the Nissan Kicks has a bold and dynamic new look. Its design is sharp outside and in, with more space and a modern new dashboard with the latest technology. While it’s not going to break any performance records, the new Kicks is proof positive that an entry-level vehicle can balance personality with practicality.
The design of the new Kicks is decidedly more boxy and angular than its predecessor, giving the compact crossover a more urban and contemporary look. It comes in three grades: S, SV, and SR, and for the first time, it’s available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants. We drove the SR FWD, which has the most premium features and the sportiest style, including a painted black grille, gloss black mirror caps with integrated turn signal indicators, and upgraded wheels. Our Kicks came decked out in one of the available two-tone color combos – a vibrant Arctic Ice Blue metallic contrasted with a Super Black roof.
At 171.9″ long and 70.9″ wide, the new Kicks is 2″ longer and 1.6″ broader than before, giving it more presence and more space inside. It’s also about 0.8″ taller, though it has the same 8.4″ of ground clearance. While it’s not a vehicle you’re likely to take off-road, a little extra height never hurts, and the lower body cladding protects paint from scrapes and dings should you drive on a trail with loose gravel. Look closely at these black plastic bits, and you’ll see a neat diamond-textured pattern that stands out from the crowd. The whole shebang rolls on spiffy 19″ alloy wheels with an eye-catching silver and black design.
Driving the 2025 Kicks is a pleasure, with its revamped cabin design and comfortable ride. It’s got a new 2.0-liter engine with 141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft. of torque, both meaningful increases from the last-gen model. That said, this model does weigh a bit more, so it’s only about a second faster from 0-to-60 mph than before at 9.0 seconds. The engine sends power to the wheels via a smooth and well-executed CVT, and its steering and suspension provide confident handling. FWD models are good for 28 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway, while the AWD loses 1 MPG off of each of those figures. While the cabin is generally quiet and free from vibrations, there’s a bit of wind noise at higher speeds, but it’s not loud enough to drown out conversations.
Nissan’s interior design team did a stellar job bringing the Kicks into the present with a streamlined new dashboard, topped off by a pair of crystal-clear 12.3″ displays. The SR has the nicest material package, with soft-touch surfaces on the doors, dash, and center console, along with leatherette seats with cloth inserts. The red accent stitching is sporty and the hatched pattern on the seats is unique and should also help hide stains. A faux carbon weave finisher on the dashboard and doors helps round things out nicely. The D-shaped, leather-wrapped steering wheel is a nice touch too.
Nissan outfits both the front and rear seats with their Zero Gravity tech, which is a fancy way of saying they’re super comfy and supportive, even on long road trips. The larger cabin means more shoulder room for front-seat passengers as well. The SR Premium package adds a panoramic moonroof, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, and remote start capabilities. It also takes one of our favorite things from the last Kicks and makes it even better. The outstanding 10-speaker Bose premium audio system now has ultra-nearfield headrest speakers for both the driver and front seat passenger. It’s one of the most immersive car audio systems on the market and produces exceptional dynamic range and imaging.
The Kicks’ tech has seen significant upgrades, and it’s easier to use with the big new touchscreen that comes standard with the Kicks SV and SR. The Kicks S gets a more basic 7-inch display. The updated NissanConnect multimedia system now supports wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, and the backup and surround-view cameras are dramatically sharper and, therefore, more helpful than before. SafetyShield 360 tech also comes standard and includes features like intelligent forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, intelligent cruise control, and driver alertness monitoring. Our SR vehicle also came with front and rear sonar parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, lane keeping, and cruise control traffic stop-go functionality.
The back seat of the Kicks also has a little more space than before, gaining nearly an inch of knee room and almost two inches of shoulder room. There’s still not enough space for taller passengers to ride for long, but the kids should find the second row comfortable, especially in those fancy Zero Gravity seats. And if they need to keep their gadgets charged, there’s a pair of USB-C ports on the back of the center console.
As far as cargo hauling space, the Kicks FWD has a meaningful advantage over the AWD variants. With the back seat in use, the FWD has 29.2 cubic feet of space and 58.5 cubic feet with the back seat folded down. With the Kicks AWD, those figures drop to 23.9 and 50.1 cubic feet, respectively. But if you expect to drive a lot in wet or wintry conditions, the added traction of AWD might be worth the space trade-off. Like most SUVs and crossovers, the back row folds in a 60/40 split for flexibility, and the cargo cover detaches easily if you need to haul taller items.
It’s great to see the design direction that Nissan has taken with the 2025 Kicks. Instead of creating another cookie-cutter crossover, they went all-in on to make it distinctive. The result is a great-looking vehicle that is sure to expand its appeal to a broader audience. The new powertrain is a nice upgrade over the prior-gen Kicks, and the interior design is better by leaps and bounds. It’s also a well-priced vehicle, given how expensive cars have become. The Kicks S FWD starts at just $21,830, while the top-of-the-line Kicks SR AWD has a $27,680 base price. Our well-equipped SR FWD had a sticker price of $30,705, which includes the highly recommended SR Premium Package, the fancy two-tone paint, and a $1,390 destination fee.