The 2020 Nissan Kicks facelift has finally made its launch debut in Thailand,
the first country in the world to welcome the model and the second globally to
produce the e-Power hybrid powertrain used in it. Unsurprisingly, the
Thailand-spec Kicks will be offered with Nissan’s e-Power powertrain, which
operates differently from conventional hybrid systems. Here, a HR12DE 1.2 litre
three-cylinder petrol engine rated at 79 PS at 5,400 rpm and 103 Nm of torque
at 4,400 rpm acts solely as a generator for a 1.57 kWh battery located under
the front seats. This position sees no compromise to boot space, which remains
at 432 litres.
This in turn powers an EM57 electric motor
with 129 PS and 260 Nm that drives the front wheels. With this setup,
the engine essentially plays no part in providing drive, as only the electric
motor is tasked with getting you moving. The setup, which is linked to a shift
by wire system, comes with a number of drive modes, including Smart, Eco,
Normal and EV. There’s also a One-Pedal function that allows drivers to
accelerate and decelerate (via regenerative braking) using only the accelerator
pedal, just like what you can do in the current Leaf.
This powertrain is the only available
option for the entire Kicks range in Thailand, which consists of four variants,
starting with the S that goes for 889,000 baht. This is followed by
the E at 949,000 baht, V at 999,000 baht, and VL at
1,049,000 baht. On the styling changes, the compact SUV now sports
a larger V-motion grille at the front, which is flanked by headlamps (with LED
DRLs) that have been reshaped to be sharper and slimmer. There’s also a more sculpted
(and aggressive) front bumper that features prominent side “air intakes” in the
corners, with integrated fog lamps.
Not a whole lot has changed down the
sides, as there’s still a distinctive floating roof effect courtesy of
blacked-out C-pillars and a two-tone paint finish. Meanwhile, the rear end gets
a new bumper as well, one with a wider faux diffuser section painted in body
colour, while the taillights get boomerang-shaped light graphics.
While the exterior changes are immediately
noticeable, the interior of the new Kicks remains largely familiar. The
dashboard layout is unchanged from before, and the only prominent revisions
include a new design for the steering wheel that is similar to the Leaf, as
well as a reworked centre console to accommodate the model-specific gear lever
and powertrain controls. Available equipment for the Kicks are 17-inch wheels,
dual-zone climate control, an eight-inch Nissan Connect infotainment
touchscreen system with support for Apple CarPlay, leather upholstery and a
seven-inch digital instrument cluster display.
On the safety front, the SUV comes with
six airbags (front, side and curtain), ABS, EBD, BA, Vehicle Dynamic Control,
Hill Start Assist and Isofix child seat anchors. There’s also a wide array of
active safety and driver assistance systems that are parked under the Nissan
Intelligent Mobility banner.
These include Intelligent Cruise Control,
Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Around View Monitor, autonomous emergency braking,
Intelligent Ride Control, Moving Object Detection, Intelligent Forward
Collision Warning, Driver Attention Alert, Intelligent Trace Control, a digital
rearview mirror and Blind Spot Warning. Customers in Thailand will get six
exterior colours to choose from – Black Star, Brilliant Silver, Monarch Orange,
Radiant Red, Gun Metallic (grey) and Storm White. The last four options listed
are also offered with a black roof for those who prefer a two-tone theme rather
than a monotone look.
