Nissan's premium SUV spotted in India during tests ahead of Jan 2019 launch

The SUV is known as Nissan Kicks in US and is compete against the likes of Hyundai Creta and Maruti S-Cross

Nissan is set to launch a new premium SUV in India around January 2019 in order to make amends for the dwindling market share. The 2019 Nissan Kicks is a new generation car, specially built for a global audience and is already present in the USA market.

The 5-seater Nissan Kicks has a bold styling with newly-designed bonnet, a distinctive front grille and huge wheel arches, with a contrasting roof. Overall, the car looks much sportier and stylish than any other Nissan car on offer in India.

The Indian version of Nissan Kicks is expected to come in a new colour scheme with 7.0” touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate controls and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Onboard safety features like Active Trace Control, Moving Obstacle Detection, Dynamic Brake Control, Active Brake Assist are also present in the SUV. While all these features are available in the international edition, it is not yet clear whether the Indian version will come with the same.

While features like the automatic AC, rear AC vents, sunroof, keyless entry, start-stop button, driver seat height adjust, dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist and engine immobilizer will be available in the Indian version, Hill Launch Assist and Descent Assist will be available only in the top spec model.

The India spec Nissan Kicks is likely to be powered by the same 1.5 litre diesel engine seen on Nissan Terrano. The powertrain offers 110 hp of power and 245 Nm torque mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. A 1.6 litre petrol engine variant is also expected which can produce 106 hp power and 142 Nm torque mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The petrol engine could also receive a CVT gearbox.

The SUV market is growing exponentially and the competition is really tough with the Hyundai Creta and Maruti S-Cross having a major share in this segment. 

On the other hand, three more new launches are expected in this segment. Tata Harrier H5X, MG Motor SUV, and another Mahindra SUV based on SsangYong Tivoli is also expected around the first quarter of 2019. it will be interesting to see if the new SUVs manage to beat the existing leaders in this segment.