- A Fuel-Efficient Powertrain
- Basic Standard Tech, Robust Safety Suite
- Should You Upgrade to the SV or SR?
- Versus the Competition
The Nissan Kicks didn’t make our list of the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy for 2022, but its price tag wasn’t to blame for its absence. Instead, it was the lack of available all-wheel drive that disqualified it from an official SUV designation. Otherwise, the Kicks’ starting price ranks high on the affordability list, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious shoppers. On sale now, the 2023 Kicks sees a $300 price bump over the outgoing base model and starts at $21,585 (all prices include destination charge). Still, the Kicks’ starting price is less than half of the average new car price estimated at $46,259 last month, according to J.D. Power.
Despite its small footprint and below-average price, the Kicks offers a surprisingly spacious interior that fits up to five occupants. It also gets impressive fuel economy and a healthy roster of standard safety tech. See what the base S model offers and how its price stacks up against higher trims and its small SUV and fellow pseudo-SUV (no available AWD) rivals.
A Fuel-Efficient Powertrain
2022 Nissan Kicks | Cars.com photo by Mike Hanley
The Kicks’ sole engine option, a 122-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder, carries over unchanged and is once again paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission. In our testing of the 2022 model, we found the SUV was competent on city streets, but it struggled with acceleration on the highway. What the Kicks lacks in passing aptitude, it makes up for in efficiency, with an EPA-rated 31/36/33 mpg and an even higher real-world mpg seen during our testing: a pump-calculated 37 mpg.
Basic Standard Tech, Robust Safety Suite
2022 Nissan Kicks | Cars.com photo by Mike Hanley
The modest list of standard tech features in the Kicks S includes a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three USB ports, a six-speaker audio system and push-button start. The SUV’s suite of standard driver-assist and safety features elevate its value, however. Nissan Safety Shield 360 comes with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot warning, reverse automatic braking and automatic high-beam assist. The S also comes with standard cruise control, but Nissan’s adaptive cruise control system can only be had on higher trims.
Should You Upgrade to the SV or SR?
2021 Nissan Kicks SR | Cars.com photo by Joe Bruzek
The base S comes with standard cloth seats and rides on 16-inch wheels wrapped in all-season tires. The SV model starts at $23,445 and gets larger 17-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails and an 8-inch touchscreen in place of the 7-inch unit in the base model; it also adds remote start.
Starting at $24,145, the range-topping SR offers unique exterior elements including black roof rails and mirrors, a dark chrome grille, and LED headlights and foglights. Interior appointments include unique seat fabric, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a 360-degree camera. A Bose eight-speaker sound system, faux-leather upholstery, and heated front seats and steering wheel can be added to the SR via an available Premium Package.
Versus the Competition
The Nissan Kicks competes with a host of small SUVs and pseudo-SUVs including the Chevrolet Trax, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Venue, Kia Soul and Toyota Corolla Cross. The Kicks offers a competitive starting price among rivals: The 2022 Trax starts at $22,895, the 2022 Venue at $20,295, the redesigned 2023 HR-V at $24,895, the 2023 Soul at $21,085, and the 2022 Corolla Cross has a starting price of $23,780.
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