Cute has many small car and crossover iterations and mostly those iterations come today with two-tone paint jobs.
Once popular in the 1950s when killer colors were aquas, pinks, and yellows, today the colors are more likely to be grays, whites and blacks, with an occasional real color like red thrown in. And why not brighten up the world’s subcompacts?
So, Nissan restyles its small Kicks crossover for 2025 and this tested SR, top-level model, dons a bright metallic red paint job with black roof. That’s just $680 extra, a bargain price for paint these days when luxury makes are charging up to $5,000 just to have a NOT gray or white vehicle.
Nissan has also muscled up the Kicks, both visually and power-wise. Like most crossovers and SUVs today, Nissan has squared off the exterior, particularly the nose and emphasized the wheel wells with black cladding to send the message that Kicks is tough, not that many will be taking it deep into the brush.
No, this is a fine daily commuter for small families, a couple adults and kids, although we managed to fit five adults aboard for a short haul and all were comfy enough. Kicks’ interior grew slightly as it’s now 2 inches longer and 1.5 inches wider. There’s decent cargo space behind that rear seat, but no one will expect you to help them move furniture to their next apartment.
Nissan raised ground clearance a bit too, up to 8.4 inches now, so that could help if traversing rural park land.
A boost of horsepower can help too, but the price is more modest fuel economy. Nissan has upped the power to 141 horses and 140 pound-feet of torque by upgrading to a new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder as opposed to the 1.6-liter I4 in the previous model. The gain of 19 ponies is noticeable as Kicks feels more competent when hustling away from a stoplight or down a freeway entry ramp.
There are two downsides though, one being the groan of the engine as it works to hit those freeway speeds. Note that Nissan sticks with its smooth Xtronic CVT as opposed to a standard automatic transmission. That generally helps fuel economy, but can add to powertrain noise, which it does here.
Plus, the slightly heavier new Kicks did not get as good of fuel economy as the 2023 model I’d tested. There I got 31.7 mpg. With this I managed just 26.3, but some of that loss was no doubt due to several particularly cold days of driving. Still, the EPA rates Kicks at 27 mpg city and 34 highway, down two mpg from the previous model.
Yet, this upscale Kicks trim included AWD, so that plays a role too as the earlier Kicks models did not offer that feature. AWD usually cuts gas mileage a bit, but here in Wisconsin we benefit from the AWD during snowy and sloppy months. So, it’s good that Kicks now offers it.
The handling remains quick and easy, a Kicks strong point, along with the improved traction and a bit more power. Ride though remains abrupt at times. It’s pretty firm. Part of that could be the 19-inch tires and wheels here compared with 18-inch standard tires. The larger alloy wheels were $355 extra but the package also included roof rail crossbars.
While the exterior upgrade is what one notices first, the interior has been spiffed up too and got several positive comments from passengers during the week’s drive.
First, the SR comes with a 12.3-inch info touchscreen, as does the mid-level SV trim. A base S model sticks with a 7-incher, so pretty small by current standards. A wireless phone charger is standard just below that screen.
Like Mazda, Hyundai, Chevy and several others, the styling has been emphasized inside, along with dashes of color. Nissan has done this too on its Rogue models.
The, seats are trimmed in black leatherette, but the cushions are a red and black cloth pattern that looks youthful and brightens the interior. There’s red and gray stitching on the dash and doors too, plus gloss black trim above the dash’s outer air vents. A patterned cloth trim is used on the dash face and under the air vents. Nissan also wisely uses a matte patterned top on the console to avoid sun glare.
There’s a D-mode (Drive Mode) toggle on that console too allowing a driver to easily slip into Sport from the Normal default. Nice when getting on a highway. There’s also Eco and Snow, much welcomed here in Badgerland.
Driver gauges are easy to see and adjust and the touchscreen simple to use. Nissan also continues its use of a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a bonus for creating more knee space when entering and exiting the car.
Best of all though may be the Zero Gravity seats that once were just for front seat passengers, but now are standard in the second row too. These are extremely comfortable seats as I’ve attested when driving the Rogue and other Nissans. But for an entry-level crossover to have such finely designed seats is a rarity and could be a deciding factor when comparison shopping.
The SR also added a Premium package that most of us would want. It adds a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, heated mirrors, remote engine start, rain-sensing wipers and heat ducts for the rear floor. Cost is $1,950. Another big plus for the package is a 10-speaker Bose audio system including speakers in the front seat headrests. Very helpful!
In the base Kicks there are just four speakers and six in the SR before the upgrade.
Safety is well handled here with Safety Shield 360 standard, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian recognition, rear automatic braking, cross-traffic alert, lane departure and blind spot warning, plus blind-spot intervention and intelligent lane intervention so you don’t slip over into another car’s lane.
Note that ProPilot Assist, a semi-autonomous driving system is standard too as is smart cruise control. Heck, some of these systems are still pricey options on a few luxury makes, but standard here. Go figure!
Let’s talk pricing, another win for Kicks.
Base front-drive S models list at $23,220, and you can’t find many other vehicles starting that low. Add $1,500 for AWD, which is available even on the entry-level trim. Note too that there are five color choices at no extra fee. Again, many luxury makes only offer white or gray before they start adding thousands for a color upgrade.
Move up to the mid-level SV with its bigger screen and a wireless charger and the front-drive model lists at $25,020, while AWD is $26,720. With SV you have a choice of 7 additional colors costing from $250 to $680, so still pretty reasonable.
Then there’s the tested SR at $29,070 with AWD, or $27,570 for front-drive. All prices include delivery. With options the SR’s out-the-door price was $32,485, still a bargain.
Note though that Kicks is manufactured in Mexico, so if tariffs are added, the price could be increasing soon. One may also want to consider one of the many competitors, including the likes of Mazda’s sporty CX-30, Subaru’s Crosstrek, Chevy’s new Trax (FWD) and Trailblazer (AWD), Kia’s Seltos and Niro, Honda’s HR-V, Toyota’s Corolla Cross, and Hyundai’s Kona.
All this is good news as budget buyers have oodles of excellent choices in this subcompact crossover market.
FAST STATS: 2025 Nissan Kicks SR AWD
Hits: Cute two-tone subcompact crossover, quick handling, decent acceleration, and AWD. Roomy interior for four, plus heated front seats, heated flat-bottom wheel, big info screen, panoramic sunroof, and 10-speaker Bose sound system. Good safety features like blind-spot warning, emergency braking and cross-traffic alert, plus ProPilot Assist, smart cruise, and Zero Gravity seats front and rear.
Misses: Ride can be abrupt, and engine groan is fairly loud.
Made in: Mexico
Engine: 2.0-liter I4, 141 hp/140 torque
Transmission: Xtronic CVT automatic
Weight: 3,322 lbs.*
Wheelbase: 104.6 in.
Length: 171.9 in.
Cargo: 24-50 cu.ft.
MPG: 27/34
MPG: 26.3 (tested)
Base Price: $29,070 (includes delivery)
Invoice: N.A.
Major Options:
Premium package (Bose audio w/10 speakers, panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, steering wheel and mirrors, rear seat floor heat ducts, remote start, rain-sensing wipers), $1,950
Splash guards, $250
Crossbars & 19-inch alloy wheels, $355
Spare tire, $180
2-tone premium paint, $680
Test vehicle: $32,485
Sources: Nissan, www.kbb.com, *Car & Driver
