Unlike Toyota, who ultimately had to retire the small C-HR in favor of the larger 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid in the United States, Nissan decided that quirkiness is best served only across certain regions.
As such, you won't see the odd Juke start the crossover SUV lineup in America. Instead, its place is occupied by the slightly more traditional Kicks subcompact crossover SUV – with the B-class model in production since 2016. Naturally, after they diligently took care of the nameplate with a facelift in late 2020 as a 2021 model year, Nissan is now preparing to pass the baton to the second generation.
The rumor mill has already taken notice of the first spy photos with development prototypes, and of course, that also bodes well for the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. For example, there are also those who combine the two aspects – the Halo oto channel on YouTube provides fresh automotive info that is corroborated with their virtual designs, and now, there is a new CGI take on the next Kicks subcompact crossover SUV.
According to the host, Nissan will make the next Kicks a tad larger across all dimensions to better accommodate the passengers and additional cargo. As for the styling, it's anyone's guess to strip away the camouflage – and that's exactly what the resident pixel master did. The unofficial depiction presents the next Kicks a bit more mature than the original iteration and in line with Nissan's latest design language.
Unfortunately, the channel's host only gave us an initial front-three-quarters POV with the next Kicks – there's no digital image of the rear, and nothing perspired about the cockpit changes just yet. Also, there is no information about what resides under the hood. So, do take all of this with a healthy dose of salt because nothing is official just yet from Nissan.
One thing is for sure, though. The little Kicks is a popular model in Nissan's lineup as the affordable and nimble CUV is successful with all age groups. That's not hard to understand why – the current model kicks off (pun intended) at $20,590 in the United States with 122 hp on tap and excellent 31/36 (city/highway) mpg specifications. It's also easy to spice up with tons of personalization options and also easy to drive, thanks to the standard availability of X-Tronic CVT across all trims.
Oh, well, it remains to be seen what happens next after Nissan just presented its first-quarter (for the new fiscal year) financial results, and fans are eagerly awaiting good stuff from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance partner. Especially in the United States, where the Z Nismo is coming this summer – but it shouldn't be left alone because the sports car is just an image vector rather than a high-sales performer like the Little Kicks.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News