If you’re in the market for a small crossover with all-wheel-drive, the Kicks isn’t for you. Nissan doesn’t offer this popular feature in the world of utility vehicles but it’s much obliged to sell you the SR Premium Package for one thousand bucks, alright! On the upside, Nissan is rolling out the e-Power powertrain beyond the automaker's home market.
What you’re looking at is the well-known series hybrid that Toyota made popular with its Hybrid Synergy Drive. In the case of the 2021 Nissan Kicks e-Power for Thailand, both the three-pot mill and electric motor drive the front wheels while the battery pack’s capacity is rated at 1.57 kWh.
Like the Prius, you don’t charge this fellow here through plugging. The Kicks e-Power is a self-charging crossover that promises up to 129 PS (127 horsepower) combined. On its own, the HR12DE naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine is good for 80 PS (79 horsepower).
"This is an exciting day for Nissan and Thailand,” said Yutaka Sanada, “as a key global production and export hub for Nissan and regional leader driving the company's vision for electrification of mobility." The regional senior VP of Nissan in Asia and Oceania forgot to mention if we’ll see the Kicks e-Power in North America or Europe where hybrids are popular.
Produced in Thailand at the Samut Prakan plant in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, the newcomer can be driven in four modes. Normal needs no explaining, S stands for Sport, Eco is also obvious, and EV is zero-emissions mode. No fewer than four trim levels are available at launch, ranging from the S to the VL and 889,000 to 1,049,000 baht. At current exchange rates, make that $27,725 and $32,715 for the base and top models.
This powertrain is fine and all that jazz, but don’t forget we’re in the presence of the 2021 Kicks. The mid-cycle refresh includes a larger grille, slimmer headlights, and air intake-like casings for the fog lamps. The rear end sports new taillights, a restyled bumper, and a different design for the hatch. The cabin, however, looks similar to the pre-facelift Kicks.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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