2025 / 2026 Nissan Kicks
Nissan redesigned the Kicks for the 2025 model year. (Credit : Jack Kazmierski)
For 2026, Kicks is available in five trims. (Credit : Jack Kazmierski)
Although pricier trims get leatherette, lower-priced models get cloth seats. (Credit : Jack Kazmierski)
The redesigned dashboard now features a dual-screen setup. (Credit : Jack Kazmierski)
The 12.3-inch infotainment system features wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. (Credit : Jack Kazmierski)
AWD models get four driving modes, including “Snow.” (Credit : Jack Kazmierski)
Affordable, capable and fuel-efficient, Nissan Kicks is suitable for a variety of fleet applications. All-new for the 2025 model year, Kicks carries over to the 2026 model year pretty much unchanged.
With available all-wheel drive, and an available “Snow” mode (Normal, Eco and Sport modes are standard), the updated Kicks can help fleet drivers navigate the uncertain road conditions that define winter travel here in Canada.
Nissan designers have done an excellent job of reinventing the Kicks. Reimagined and redesigned, this compact crossover has a much bolder and more masculine stance, which makes for a much stronger first impression. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but we think most people would agree that the glow-up makes a big difference.
Inside, the all-new Kicks is more spacious, more airy and more comfortable than the previous generation Kicks, which is still sold as the Kicks Play, at least for the 2025 model year. The new Kicks has more interior room, and boasts more rear-seat legroom than the Kicks Play.
The interior is also more refined, streamlined, clean and uncluttered than the previous generation Kicks. It feels more welcoming and thoroughly modern. The redesigned dashboard now features a dual-screen setup: One screen replaces the traditional gauge cluster display in front of the driver, and the other houses all the infotainment functions.
Five trim options
For 2026, Kicks is available in five trims: S, SV, SV Premium, SR and SR Premium. While S and SV trims are available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive, all other trims come with all-wheel drive as standard equipment. Regardless of the trim, Kicks comes with a 2.0L four-cylinder engine rated at 141 hp and 140 lb.-ft. of torque coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
All trims come well-appointed with key driver assistance technologies, including intelligent cruise control, predictive forward collision warning, blind spot warning (blind spot intervention on higher trims), cross traffic alert, lane departure warning (intelligent lane intervention on higher trims), intelligent emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear automatic braking, high beam assist, and driver attention alert. Pricier trims get a 360-degree camera, traffic sign recognition, intersection assist, and Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist technology, which is a a hands-on, semi-autonomous driver-assistance system for highway driving.
As far as third-party ratings go, the 2025 Kicks has been recognized by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) with a Top Safety Pick rating, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given it a four/five star overall safety rating.
Cozy interior
Heated front seats are standard on all trims, and although pricier trims get leatherette, lower-priced models get cloth seats. A heated steering wheel is standard on all but the base trim. Keyless entry with push-button start is standard, and all trims (except the base) get a remote engine start system.
Nissan has included many must-have tech features, including wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, and a hands-free text messaging assistant. A wireless phone charging pad comes on all trims except the base.
We had the opportunity to spend a week behind the wheel of the 2025 Kicks, and were delighted with how easy it is to maneuver, and how roomy and comfortable the passenger cabin proved to be. Kicks also has plenty of room for cargo, with a total capacity of almost 850L with the seats raised, and 1,700L with them lowered.
We applaud Nissan for the 2025 model year redesign, which breathes new life into the brand’s smallest and most affordable crossover. With a starting MSRP of just over $27,000, the 2026 Kicks offers a value proposition that many fleets will find compelling.
Price and Specifications
Year Make Model Trim
2025 Nissan Kicks SV
Base Price
$33,621
Notable Options
None
Price as Tested (including freight, PDI)
$33,621
Powertrain
2.0L Four-Cylinder Gasoline Engine
Transmission
CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)
Horsepower
141 hp
Torque
140 lb.-ft.
Fuel Economy (according to NRCan)
8.4/6.9/7.7 L/100km (city/hwy/comb)
Fuel Economy (observed)
8.0 L/100km (comb)
