2025 Nissan Kicks Review: Aesthetic Affordability
The verdict: The redesigned 2025 Nissan Kicks proves that cars don’t have to be expensive to be interesting or stylish, as the small SUV offers an array of unconventional stylistic touches and a strong mid-trim feature set that belie both its price and class.
Versus the competition: The 2025 Kicks is larger than before, replacing both the prior generation and previously discontinued Rogue Sport in Nissan’s lineup. It now faces off against models including the Honda HR-V, Kia Soul and Toyota Corolla Cross. While the Kicks’ S trim level doesn’t offer much, the middle SV and uplevel SR trims are attractive and well equipped.
Expensive cars are so hot right now. Ignoring the crashing waves of comparably expensive electric vehicles, it seems most automakers deeply enjoy the apparent margins afforded by pricier vehicles subsidized by America’s alarming tolerance for big debt. Why sell one $20,000 sedan when you can sell 15 $65,000 pickup trucks?
Supply and demand, baby — it’s all an endless cycle. And, with the gradual weaning of the sub-$25,000 vehicle, a demand for affordability grows, leading to a few new bright spots of thrift, including the 2025 Nissan Kicks. The debut of Nissan’s smallest, funkiest and least expensive SUV made big waves at the 2024 New York International Auto Show, and I’ve been keen to drive Nissan’s fresh-squeezed subcompact SUV ever since.
Related: Redesigned 2025 Nissan Kicks Priced From $23,220
Last-Gen Kicks? Kick Me
That’s a somewhat strange sentiment, as the prior generation of the Kicks is generally regarded as a miserable beacon of personal misfortune. Few folks presumably wanted the last Kicks; it was simply a means to land new, reliable transportation with a warranty and more cargo space than Nissan’s Versa or Sentra sedans. Meanwhile, the larger Rogue Sport was not much better, light on both character and a memorable name.
The new-gen Kicks solves both problems. Consider it the surprisingly handsome fusion of the prior Kicks and erstwhile Rogue Sport, adding optional all-wheel drive and growing considerably in size over its predecessor to the point that it’s nearly as large as the discontinued Rogue-lette. The family ties are more than skin-deep, too: The new Kicks’ naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is larger than the 1.6-liter mill in its predecessor, an updated variant of the Rogue Sport’s near-identical 2.0-liter heart.
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Trim Tango
On paper, the basest-of-base Kicks, the S trim, isn’t all that much better equipped than the stripped-out versions of its progenitors, offering only expected modern-era hardware like cloth seats, power windows, automatic headlights and a single USB-A port in the front for $23,220 (all prices include a $1,390 destination fee). The S trim’s sole standout feature appears to be the dual 7-inch displays for both the instrument panel and center infotainment system that are upgraded to 12.3-inch screens in uplevel trims. Crucially, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t available on the S, as this connectivity is gated behind the next-up SV trim, which starts at $25,070.
I am not for one second casting stones here. Though there are a staggering number of folks for which a 2025 Kicks S would be a blessing, I hazard the S will make up the minority of sales, with the majority spending a (relatively) paltry $1,850 to upgrade to the SV. This adds the 12.3-inch center infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual USB-C ports up front and wireless device charging, among other things.
Without having seen (let alone driven) the new Kicks SV in person, I can’t say much more about it other than my suspicions that it’s the one to get if you’re budget-minded. All of my time at Nissan’s first-drive event for the Kicks was spent in and around the line-topping SR, which starts at $27,570 and is loaded with additional toys like USB-C charge ports for the rear passengers, simulated leather seat trim, a matching 12.3-inch driver display and automatic climate control. (Per our ethics policy, Cars.com pays for its own travel and lodging when attending such manufacturer-sponsored events.)
Seriously Stylish
Before we get movin’, take a look at just how visually distinct it is. Even without the SR’s adornment, it’s a handsome crossover with more than a hint of the Nissan Z sports car in its visual attitude and a dollop of Volvo XC40 in its rear haunches. Equipped with the blocky, straked 17-inch wheels and contrast-color roof in either black, gray or the red you see in our photos, the Kicks’ traffic presence is undeniable; a quick stopover for coffee in my red-roofed test car had a middle-aged passersby leering at me and giving a surprising thumbs up.
Bold style seems to be the way forward in the arena of affordability. Whether it’s to free the car from visual markers of “entry level,” low-priced SUVs (and one trucklet) like the Kicks, Chevrolet Trax, Kia Soul and Ford Maverick put points in style with balanced substance, giving these “cheap” cars broader appeal.
On the road, the Kicks is a perfectly serviceable and reasonably refined small SUV that should serve you well beyond 100,000 miles; sip gas; and haul friends, family and cargo when needed.
Predictable Dynamics
It drives exactly as you might expect — and that’s a great thing! Steering is light and artificial with a smidge of weightiness, and braking feel is as confident and well balanced as any regular Nissan product. The ride quality is tidy and perfectly serviceable for the price and class, with well-controlled body motions and good bump isolation. Nissan says the new Kicks has increased sound-deadening material, and it sounds like it during low-speed urban navigation.
It’s only when merging or making aggressive maneuvers where the sole bit of cheapness emerges. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder is good for 141 horsepower and 140 pounds-feet of torque, and it pairs with Nissan’s familiar continuously variable automatic transmission that holds revs high and loud, resulting in a harsh, thrash-‘n’-gnash tone that echoes throughout the cabin — unpleasant, but a characteristic endemic from top to bottom in the class.
Power is adequate, with any wish for merging speed beyond the 65 mph mark taking a notably long time. That’s all right; for the overwhelming majority of Kicks owners, it’s enough. But those wishing to load it up with cargo or people will need to plan their passing moves.
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At normal speeds around town, however, it’s a great little runabout for hopping between the cafe, work, school and home. The SR is particularly suited for this, with fun accouterment like optional embedded Bose speakers in the front head restraints that lend a distinctly spatial sound to your best playlist. And when you’re not driving like an annoyingly aggressive automotive writer (like myself), the engine’s gnarly gnash settles nicely into the background, damped by cosseting auto-hold capability, rich displays and bright, cheeky red accents scattered throughout the cabin.
I like it. Affordability-focused shoppers shouldn’t have to choose between substance and style, or be punished for selecting one over the other. The 2025 Nissan Kicks is a heartening bit of cheer in a world that seems more expensive by the day, and a slash of color in a sea of silver and gray. Please get the red roof and the blocky wheels — why be boring?
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