2025 Nissan Kicks

2025 is the launch year of the second-generation Kicks, which replaces the old 122-hp 1.6L with a naturally aspirated 2.0L four. It is the only engine on S, SV and SR, so the volume SV trim and the range maximum are the same 141 hp.

Peak torque is 140 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm from the same 2.0L four across every trim and both drivetrains — up from 114 lb-ft in the first-generation car, but still at the bottom of the SUV band.

Nissan publishes no acceleration claim; four independent 2025 tests bracket 9.5–10.7 s, so ~10.0 s is the representative figure. Reviewers call it the slowest vehicle in the subcompact SUV class.

With no turbo and no hybrid handoff there is nothing to lag at light throttle, and the 2.0L is a real improvement over the old 1.6L, but it must be worked hard on merges and grades and turns loud and coarse doing it.

Nissan's Xtronic CVT is smooth and shock-free in gentle city driving, but it holds high revs under any real demand and the resulting drone is a recurring complaint — the usual CVT trade-off rather than a faulty unit.

Nissan publishes no US tow rating for the 2025 Kicks and offers no factory tow package. Aftermarket hitch ratings are not a vehicle rating, so this counts as not tow-rated.

New for 2025, Intelligent AWD is optional on all three trims (S, SV, SR) rather than only the top trim, and AWD cars get a multi-link rear suspension and Snow mode. The system is a basic reactive on-demand setup with no low range, locker or torque vectoring.

Its 8.4 in of ground clearance leads the subcompact class and Snow mode helps on unplowed roads, but there is no off-road trim, no skid plates, no locker or terrain-mode suite, and it rides on street tires. It is built for snowy commutes, not trails.

There is one engine and one transmission with no electrified option: every 2025 Kicks uses the 2.0L four and the CVT, and the only choice is FWD or AWD. Nissan's e-Power hybrid Kicks is not sold in the US. The carry-over first-generation car was sold separately as the Kicks Play and is not part of this nameplate's lineup.

Every 2025 Kicks has the same 2.0L I4 and CVT, so EPA ratings are the same on S, SV and SR and only the drivetrain changes them. FWD is the volume configuration.

With no hybrid assist, the naturally aspirated 2.0L gives up city economy to electrified subcompacts, and the larger second-generation body is 3 MPG behind the old 1.6L Kicks' 31 city.

Highway is the Kicks' best EPA figure: the CVT and modest output suit steady cruising, and 35 MPG is competitive with the turbo-three rivals in the class.

The small 11.8-gallon tank, not efficiency, limits range: 31 MPG combined on that tank gives about 366 miles, which is modest for an SUV.

This is EPA's published annual fuel cost at 15,000 miles a year on regular gas, among the lower figures for a non-hybrid SUV. AWD adds $100 a year.

It takes regular unleaded on every trim, with no premium recommendation and no charging to arrange. The only drawback is the small tank, which means more frequent fill-ups rather than more expensive ones.

NHTSA rates the redesigned 2025 Kicks 4 stars overall; a 3-star frontal crash result pulls the composite below 5 despite a 5-star side score.

The 2025 Kicks earned a Top Safety Pick (vehicles built after July 2024, under the older criteria that did not require the rear-occupant test), with Good small overlap and Good updated side results. But it was rated Poor in the updated moderate overlap front test: moderate head/neck/chest injury risk for the rear passenger, head nearly striking the front seatback, and both belts sliding out of position. Seat belt reminders were also Marginal. A Poor in a core crash test keeps it in the bottom band even with the award.

Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard on every 2025 trim (S/SV/SR): AEB with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and high-beam assist. Intelligent Cruise Control is standard on S and SV. That is a complete core suite from a $21,830 base; only true lane centering (ProPILOT Assist) is limited to the SR.

A split result. IIHS rates pedestrian front crash prevention Good, but the tougher vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 evaluation is only Marginal: the system did well against car targets but struggled against motorcycle and offset targets.

Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are standard on all trims, which is better availability than many subcompact rivals. Coverage is alert-only, though: there is no blind-spot steering intervention and no safe-exit alert. Rear automatic braking is the one active backstop.

The volume S and SV trims get lane departure warning only. Lane centering needs ProPILOT Assist, which is SR-only and new to the Kicks for 2025. It holds a lane competently on well-marked highways but disengages where markings fade.

Intelligent Cruise Control is standard on S and SV, which is above segment par at the base price. The SR's ProPILOT Assist adds stop-and-hold plus steering assist. The system is capable, but it is the older ProPILOT 1.0 calibration without navigation linkage.

No 2025 Kicks trim offers hands-free highway driving. ProPILOT Assist is hands-on only, and Nissan's hands-off ProPILOT Assist 2.0 is not offered on the Kicks.

IIHS rates the 2025 Kicks headlights Good. Every trim uses LED projector low and high beams with high-beam assist, so the volume trim is not penalized; the only gap is the lack of curve-adaptive beams.

The upright greenhouse and raised seating give decent forward and side sightlines. The redesigned body's thick rear pillars and shallow back glass, however, create over-the-shoulder blind zones. A rearview camera is standard, but the Intelligent Around View 360-degree monitor is SR-only.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Good for ease of use. There are two full LATCH positions plus a center tether position that can borrow lower anchors. The limit is the small rear cabin: three seats across is a squeeze, and rear-facing installs eat into front legroom.

Two-row five-seater on every 2025 grade (S/SV/SR); low end of the SUV band.

Generous front headroom for a subcompact thanks to the boxier second-generation body.

Competitive front legroom for the class.

Tall roofline gives above-average rear headroom for a subcompact.

Rear legroom is adequate for the segment but short against compact SUVs.

No third row is offered; two-row five-seater only.

Among the largest cargo holds in the subcompact class, but low against the fleet-wide SUV band; AWD's multi-link rear cuts it sharply.

Folded-seat capacity is good for a subcompact but small against the SUV band.

Large cupholders, big door pockets and a console bin make for competitive everyday storage; no standout innovations such as a dual-level cargo floor on volume trims.

Zero Gravity front seats are repeatedly praised for long drives; rear bench is flatter and legroom-limited.

Softer than the first generation and fine on smooth roads, but reviewers call it busy and unsettled over broken pavement, especially on 19-in wheels.

Despite added insulation, road and engine noise are consistent criticisms at highway speed.

Heated front seats are available only on SV/SR (package), heated wheel only on SR; no ventilated seats or rear climate, and the base S gets none.

The redesigned 2025 Kicks S FWD starts at $21,830. Add Nissan's $1,390 destination charge and the entry price is $23,220, which is below the bottom of the SUV band.

The SV is the value-volume grade: it adds alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch touchscreen and hands-free keyless entry over the S. It costs $23,680 plus $1,390 destination. Even the SR FWD, at $27,570 delivered, sits near the SUV band floor.

The Kicks uses a simple, naturally aspirated 2.0L four with a conventional CVT and no turbo or hybrid hardware, so service is cheap. The published estimates vary widely, but all of them sit near the low end of the SUV band.

Steady demand for cheap small SUVs helps the Kicks hold value better than the subcompact SUV average. Nissan's weak brand-wide resale values and heavy incentives keep it behind Toyota and Honda.

Nissan offers only the industry-minimum 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty. That is the floor of the band and well short of the 5-year coverage Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi rivals give.

5 years/60,000 miles is the band floor. Rivals such as the Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos and Mitsubishi offer 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage.

Nissan includes no free scheduled maintenance in the US. The only perks are 3-year/36,000-mile roadside assistance and a trial of NissanConnect connected services. That puts it behind the Toyota Corolla Cross, which comes with 2 years or 25,000 miles of free service.

$25,070 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (58% retained, or about $14,541) leaves about $10,529 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,000 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $14,529 in total.

The two main predictors are favorable but mostly borrowed. J.D. Power gives the 2025 Kicks 82/100 ("Great"), and Consumer Reports expects about-average reliability. Both figures rest on the previous generation and the brand, though, because 2025 is the first year of an all-new second generation with a new 2.0L engine and new electronics. J.D. Power itself notes the carried-over rating and says first-year redesigns are unproven, so this stays below the 80+ band.

The brand signals were mixed as of the 2025 model year. Consumer Reports ranked Nissan 6th with a score of 57, and Nissan ranked highest among mass-market brands in the 2025 J.D. Power IQS. The J.D. Power 2025 VDS, however, put Nissan 17th at 215 PP100, worse than the 202 study average, so three-year dependability was still below average. That puts it in the upper mid-pack, not a consistent top-5 brand.

The 2025 Kicks has four NHTSA recalls, which is on the busy side for a launch year. All four are electronics, software or labeling issues, and none involves the powertrain or fire risk: a combination-meter display that can go blank, a center display that can go blank in reverse, a shift-to-park warning that may not activate, and wrong GVWR/GAWR values on the certification label. Most are fixed with a software update, so they sit in the typical band. The weld-quality recalls on door strikers and seat brackets affect the 2026 Kicks, not the 2025.

The redesigned 2025 Kicks uses a naturally aspirated 2.0L four (141 hp / 140 lb-ft), shared with the Sentra, paired with the Xtronic CVT. It is a simple, low-stress setup with no turbo or hybrid parts to fail, and this engine family has a decent record in the Sentra. The CVT is still the concern: current Nissan units in low-torque cars like this have held up far better than earlier ones, but owner reports of slipping and early wear still follow the family, and a replacement out of warranty is expensive.

Reviewers rate the redesigned cabin better than expected for an economy subcompact. SV and SR trims have soft-touch surfaces where hands rest, the design hangs together, and hard plastics are mostly kept low in the cabin. It is good for the price but not class-leading.

Nissan's initial quality was strong at the brand level, ranking highest among mass-market brands in the 2025 J.D. Power IQS, and reviewers praise the Kicks' fit and finish for its price. The score is held back by first-year electronics faults (display and meter software recalls) and by early owner reports of a blank instrument display and interior rattles.

Nissan has one of the denser mass-market dealer and service networks in the US, and its service satisfaction has been above average in recent J.D. Power CSI studies. It was the highest-ranked truck brand in 2023 and 2024, and J.D. Power's 2025 sales-satisfaction results were also strong.

It is cheap to keep running. Nissan averages about $500 a year in maintenance and repairs against a $652 industry average, and the Kicks projects roughly $7,800 over ten years, below the SUV average. Parts are priced like commodity parts and widely stocked because the mechanicals are shared with the Sentra. The one big exposure is a CVT replacement out of warranty.

Volume SV gets the 12.3-inch screen; the base S makes do with a 7-inch unit for 2025 (the 12.3 became standard only for 2026).

The 12.3-inch system is crisp and responds quickly with logical menus, and physical climate controls are retained; the S's 7-inch unit is dated.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on SV and SR; base S is wired-only for 2025.

No built-in navigation on any 2025 grade; owners rely on phone projection, with basic Siri/Google pass-through voice.

Base S/SV 4-speaker audio is weak, but the SR offers a Bose Personal Plus 10-speaker system with headrest speakers.

S and volume SV pair analog gauges with a 7-inch driver display; the full 12.3-inch digital cluster is SR-only.

NissanConnect-equipped models can receive infotainment/firmware OTA updates via modem or Wi-Fi; no feature-adding whole-vehicle OTA.

MyNISSAN app offers remote start, lock/unlock and locate on SV/SR, but remote access is subscription-gated after a trial and there's no digital key.

Volume SV gets two front USB-C ports and a wireless pad; rear USB-C only on SR, and the S has a single USB-A.

Push-button start with Intelligent Key and walk-away lock on SV/SR; remote engine start optional; no hands-free liftgate or phone-as-key.

Rear camera standard; Intelligent Around View Monitor (a class exclusive) on SR only; no automated parking.

No head-up display offered on any 2025 grade.

Tall roof and wide-opening rear doors help car-seat loading, and LATCH rates Good, but rear legroom tightens with rear-facing seats and cargo is modest with a stroller.

Safety Shield 360 (AEB with pedestrian detection, BSW, RCTA, rear auto braking) standard on every trim and an IIHS Top Safety Pick for later builds, offset by a 4-star NHTSA overall and a Poor updated moderate-overlap result.

Comfortable front seats but thin rear amenities (no rear vents on volume trims, rear USB-C only on SR) and road noise limit multi-hour trips with four aboard.

Light steering, smooth CVT at city speeds, standard adaptive cruise on S/SV and a good seat make it easy around town, though the ride is busy on rough streets.

Low-price, 2.0L CVT powertrain returning roughly 31 mpg combined (FWD) on regular fuel keeps per-mile costs low, though a bit below the old 1.6L Kicks.

Compact footprint and ~34.8 ft turning circle thread through the city easily; the small rear window hurts rear sightlines and 360 camera is SR-only.

Not rated for towing and has only modest cargo space; not a work vehicle.

New-generation platform and CVT with no fleet-duty track record; cloth/leatherette interior is budget-oriented.

No onboard power, no tow rating, limited accessory ecosystem beyond roof crossbars and cargo organizers.

Good seats and available ProPILOT Assist (SR) help, but a loud cabin, strained highway passing and a small tank make it a middling tourer.

First Kicks with available AWD and 8.4 in of ground clearance; handles gravel and snow, but no tow rating and modest power.

60/40 split rear seat and roof rails on upper trims; ~30 cu ft behind the seats FWD is big for the class, but AWD cuts it to 23.9 and there's no hitch rating.

Nimble and secure, with the AWD models' multi-link rear adding composure, but body control is merely competent and never sporty.

Light and accurate at parking speeds, but numb on center with little road feel.

Strong, easily modulated brakes with short instrumented stops for the class.

The 141-hp 2.0L/CVT is smooth in town but slow (roughly 10 s to 60) and holds high revs when pushed.

Engine sounds coarse and thrashy under load and drones on the highway.

Tight turning circle, near the best of the SUV band.

Upright seating with good forward visibility and a clear button layout, though the rear window is small and the SV's seat is manual-only.

Pleasantly light and easy but slow and noisy — an appliance for commuting rather than a car to take the long way home.

Every 2025 Kicks comes with Safety Shield 360: forward and rear automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-departure warning. Adaptive cruise, a 7-inch digital cluster and push-button start are also standard. But the base S still gets an 8-inch touchscreen with wired smartphone connection; the 12.3-inch screen with wireless CarPlay/Android Auto starts at SV. (For 2026, Nissan made that screen standard on every trim.)

At $23,220 delivered, the Kicks gives you a full active-safety suite, 8.4 inches of ground clearance and AWD for $1,500 on any trim. That is real bang for the buck among subcompact SUVs. It falls short of a standout because the 141-hp CVT gives up performance to the turbocharged Chevrolet Trax, which is also cheaper.

There are three trims (S, SV, SR), each with front- or all-wheel drive: six configurations from $21.8K to $27.7K, plus SV and SR Premium packages. There is only one powertrain, with no hybrid, and the US lineup is narrower than the five-trim Trax.

The redesigned 2025 Kicks took off: 2025 US sales rose 33.9% to the nameplate's best year ever, with record quarters along the way. It is one of the fastest risers in the segment.

Nissan is a widely accepted mainstream brand with no image halo in this segment. Its weak resale values drag on it, well behind the Toyota, Honda and Subaru badges shoppers in this class pay extra for.

Nissan is one of the more incentive-heavy mainstream brands. The 2025 Kicks has routinely carried customer cash, low-APR financing and lease specials, and leftover 2025 units see deeper discounts now that the 2026 model is on sale. Sales are at record levels, so these are real savings for buyers, not fire-sale pricing.

2025 is the first year of the all-new second generation. It has a larger body, a new 2.0L engine replacing the old 1.6L, and AWD for the first time in the US. There is no redesign risk for years.

Reviews of the redesign were solidly positive, and it launched with an IIHS Top Safety Pick and a Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX award. Reviewers consistently flag the slow 141-hp CVT powertrain, though, and it rarely wins comparison tests outright.