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REVIEW: The 2020 Nissan Kicks is a stylish crossover with an enticing $19,000 price — but start shelling out for the upgrades and you'll be disappointed
REVIEW: The 2020 Nissan Kicks is a stylish crossover with an enticing $19,000 price — but start shelling out for the upgrades and you'll be disappointed
Alanis KingJun 2, 2020, 01:55 IST
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.Nissan
The 2020 Nissan Kicks is Nissan's entry-level crossover for buyers who want a bigger car without a bigger price tag. It's your barebones "first car" style of vehicle, just with bigger bones.
The Kicks starts at $18,870 and has three trims, with the highest starting at $21,120. But don't let the small gap between base model and top trim fool you, because the Kicks can be optioned toward the $30,000 mark.
All Kicks trims are powered by a four-cylinder engine that makes 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque.
The Kicks, overall, is a worthy bare-bones crossover that does its job and looks nice from the outside. But start optioning the Kicks out to make it more upscale, and you'll regret it — because, at the end of the day, squeezing a $27,000 vehicle into a $21,000 shell just doesn't work for this little crossover.
The 2020 Nissan Kicks is trying to be a lot of things. With a starting price of less than $19,000 and thousands in optional features tacked on, it's not simply trying to be an inviting, bare-bones crossover. It's also trying to be something slightly more upscale.
But sometimes, those two goals just don't mix as well as they should. The Kicks is one of those times.
The 2020 Nissan Kicks: An entry-level crossover for the everyday buyer
The 2015 Nissan Juke (left) and 2018 Nissan Kicks (right).
Nissan
2020 nissan kicks trims
Trim levels for the 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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Details and safety ratings: A low base price with a high range of options, but not all of them are worthwhile
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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What stands out: A cheap way to nab a crossover, with styling elements that'll make you feel spunky
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
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What falls short: Cheaper features that carry over into more expensive models, leading to a mishmash of style
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
How the Kicks compares to its competitors: Lower base price, better fuel economy, scattered headlight quality
The 2018 Nissan Kicks (top left), 2020 Hyundai Kona (top right), 2020 Honda HR-V (bottom left), and 2020 Toyota C-HR (bottom right).
Nissan, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota
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2020 nissan kicks toyota c-hr honda hr-v hyundai kona comparison
How the 2020 Nissan Kicks compares to some of its competitors. Warranty information includes manufacturers' limited warranties, not powertrain warranties. (Right click to enlarge in a new tab.)
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
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Our impressions: An economy car struggling to be more upscale
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
2020 Nissan Kicks
The 2020 Nissan Kicks.
Alanis King
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The gist: Low base price in a popular market segment, with inharmonious add-ons up the price ladder
Pros: The Kicks is cute, and has a lot of great appearance features both inside and out to make someone feel like they bought more than just an everyday economy car. Its big steering wheel also makes the car feel bigger and higher end, and its high ride and abundance of window space will make a driver feel like they have a safe view over the road.
Cons: There are a lot of add-ons for the Kicks, but they don't all work in harmony on a car with an $18,870 base price. The nicer touches look disjointed, as if tacked onto a much less expensive car. Plenty of cheaper elements are left on the car even in its higher trims, and the 122 horsepower getting the Kicks up and going will make you think three times before attempting a left turn out of a parking lot.
What to know before you head to the dealership: Like many modern cars, the Kicks doesn't have the best headlights. But while the price differences between its trims are minor, the difference in headlight quality is major. The headlights on the $18,870 S trim and $20,500 SV trim got IIHS' lowest rating, and the low beams were found to have "inadequate visibility" in all of its tests. On the $21,120 SR trim, though, IIHS gave the Kicks' headlights its second highest safety rating. If an extra $2,250 is what it takes to get a massive jump in road visibility, and thus road safety, it's worth the spend.