Item: 2019 Nissan Kicks
Author: Justin Cupler

Overview

The 2019 Nissan Kicks, the brand's smallest crossover, continues to offer an affordable entry point into the utility vehicle sector. Launched last year, it features three trims, but only one engine and transmission option.

What's New for 2019

The Brazilian-designed Kicks is unchanged for 2019, less than a year after becoming Nissan’s sixth utility vehicle.

Choosing Your Nissan Kicks

Every Nissan Kicks has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine under its hood that produces 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. This feeds the front wheels through Nissan’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission. The Kicks achieves an EPA-estimated 31 miles per gallon city, 36 mpg highway, and 33 combined.

For its modest price, the Kicks offers a reasonable portfolio of safety features. Every model includes automatic emergency braking and hill start assistance, plus seven airbags and a rearview camera. Seven inches of ground clearance improves the car’s ability on poorly maintained roads, and cruise control is standard across the range.

The Kicks is available in three trims:

CarsDirect Tip

Considering the modest price increase over the SV, the SR is our choice in the 2019 Nissan Kicks lineup, especially since it includes Nissan’s impressive surround-view camera system.

Get your price on a Nissan Kicks »

Neil Cumins

Automotive Editor - January 24, 2019

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Expert Review

Expert Rating

Unavailable

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

Justin Cupler

Automotive Editor - February 06, 2019

Unique crossover with mild styling imbalance. Had it not been for its funky-looking predecessor, the Nissan Juke, the 2019 Nissan Kicks would be a turn to the wild in terms of styling for Nissan. But compared to the Juke, the Kicks is actually a step toward the conservative. That said, the 2019 Nissan Kicks is still a unique-looking, love-it-or-hate-it crossover that offers loads of standard features, but buyers will notice a styling imbalance when sliding into the driver’s seat.

Wild side only skin deep. On the outside, Nissan’s design team used all the hard lines it could drum up to create the Kicks. We dare you to find one swoopy line or smooth transition. This gives the 2019 Nissan Kicks its wild exterior design that stands out in any crowd. Moving inside, though, this wild styling takes a back seat to more traditional looks. While this may seem like a strange transition, it’s understandable because staring at a loud-designed interior on a several-hour road trip could be a little much.

Fortunately, the cabin isn't completely void of any style. There's bold quilting on the standard cloth seats and a flat-bottom steering wheel to tie the wild exterior to its more reserved cabin. This toned-down interior also has loads of cargo space. With its rear seats upright, the Kicks offers up to 25.3 cubic feet of room, beating the Chevrolet Trax by 6.6 cubic feet, the Mazda CX-3 by 12.9 cubes, and the Toyota C-HR by 6.3 cubes. Fold down the rear seats, and this cargo space grows to 53.1 cubic feet.

Features galore. Though it’s an inexpensive crossover, the Nissan Kicks has plenty of advanced features. Even the base S trim comes well-equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, and a USB port at just $19,585 (destination fees included). The only competitor that has significantly more standard features is the C-HR, but its base price is much higher at $22,090.

By far the best value in the 2019 Kicks lineup is the midrange SV trim, which includes more youth-focused goodies like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, 17-inch wheels, keyless ignition, automatic climate control, and more for just $21,295.

Surprisingly, the Kicks’ available Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are hard to find in this class. The CX-3 offers neither, while the C-HR only has available Apple CarPlay and no Android capabilities. Only the Trax one-ups the Kicks with its standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Nissan Kicks

Small but safe. Small crossovers have a negative stigma for having all the downsides of high-riding SUVs without the added crash protection they provide. This isn't the case in the 2019 Nissan Kicks. The IIHS rates it a Top Safety Pick, making it one of the few subcompact crossover to receive this distinction. As for competitors, the Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona are Top Safety Pick Plus models, and the CX-3 is a Top Safety Pick. Otherwise, the rest of the Kicks’ competitors fell short in IIHS testing.

What’s more, the Kicks matches the likes of the C-HR and CX-3 by making the IIHS-required automatic emergency braking a standard feature. Buyers can also add other advanced safety features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Final thoughts. Younger buyers with tight budgets who still want a crossover that’ll stand out in a crowd will want to check out the 2019 Nissan Kicks. It offers wild styling, loads of safety features, and plenty of tech options to please even the pickiest buyer. Plus, when you head off to college, its up to 53.1 cubes of cargo room allows you to bring practically everything to the dorm in a single trip.

For buyers looking for a more toned-down look, the Chevy Trax is about as vanilla as they come. If you want more cargo room, there's no beating the Honda HR-V and its insane 58.8 cubic feet of space.

Check prices for the 2019 Nissan Kicks »

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Specs & Features

Highlights

Overall Crash Safety Rating

Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque

1.6L I-4 / 122 HP / 114 ft.lbs.

Transmission

2-spd CVT w/OD

Drive Type

Front-wheel

Fuel Economy - City/Highway/Combined

31 / 36 / 33 Mpg

Passenger Capacity

Bumper to Bumper Warranty

36 Months / 36,000 Miles

Mechanical Specs

Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque	1.6L I-4 / 122 HP / 114 ft.lbs.
Drive Type	Front-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Hwy/Combined	31 / 36 / 33 Mpg
Brakes	Front Disc/rear Drum
Front Suspension	Strut
Rear Suspension	Semi-independent Torsion Beam Beam
Spare Tire And Wheel	Compact Steel
Fuel Tank	10.8 Gal.
Recommended Fuel Type	Regular Unleaded
Average Cost To Fill Tank	$41

Dimensions & Capabilities

Maximum Cargo Volume	32.3 Cu.ft.
Passenger Volume	94 Cu.ft.
Exterior Length	169.1 "
Exterior Width	69.3 "
Exterior Height	62.4 "
Front Headroom	40.7 "
Rear Headroom	38.5 "
Front Legroom	43.7 "
Rear Legroom	33.2 "
Front Shoulder Room	53.0 "
Rear Shoulder Room	53.2 "
Front Hip Room
Rear Hip Room
Curb Weight	2,639 Lbs.
Wheel Base	103 "
Turning Radius	17.1 '

Exterior Features

Door Count	4 Doors
Wheels	16.0 " Steel
Paint	Clearcoat Monotone
Exterior Mirrors	Dual Power Remote
Bumpers	Front Body-colored
Grille Moldings	Black W/chrome Accents
Rear Spoiler	Lip
Exhaust	Stainless Steel / Stainless Steel With Chrome Tailpipe Finish

Interior Features

Seating

Passenger Capacity	5
Seat Trim	Cloth
Front Seat Type	Bucket
Heated Front Seats
Front Driver Seat Direction Controls	6-way
Front Passenger Seat Direction Controls	4-way
Front Armrests	6-way
Rear Armrests
Rear Seats	60-40 Bench

Radio & Infotainment

Radio	Am/fm, Clock, Seek-scan
Speakers	6 / 6 Rockford Fosgate
Radio Steering Wheel Controls
Apple Car Play
Android Auto
Bluetooth w/ Hands-Free Connectivity

Convenience Features

Steering Wheel Type	Telescopic Tilt Style
Climate Control
Cruise Control	With Steering Wheel Controls
Sun Roof
Rearview Mirror	Day-night / Auto-dimming Day-night
One Touch Open Window	Driver And Passenger
Tinted Windows	Light
Vanity Mirrors
Remote Keyless Entry	Keyfob (all Doors)
Power Outlets	1

Safety Features

Overall Crash Safety Rating
Overall Front Crash Safety Rating
Overall Side Crash Safety Rating
Rollover Crash Safety Rating
Front Impact Airbags	Driver And Passenger
Driver Side Impact Airbags	Seat Mounted
Knee Airbag	Driver
Passenger Side Impact Airbag	Seat Mounted
Rear Side Airbag
Seatbelt Pretensioners	Front
Anti-Lock Brakes	4-wheel Anti-lock Brakes (abs)
Forward Collision Warning	Automatic Emergency Braking (aeb) Forward Collision Mitigation
Blind Spot Sensor
Lane Departure Warning
Autonomous Cruise Control
Pedestrian Detection
Driver Attention Alert
Daytime Running Lights
Auto High Beams
Adaptive Headlights
Parking Sensors	Rear
Security Systems
Panic Alarm
Ignition Disable	Immobilizer

Warranty

Bumper To Bumper Months Miles	36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Major Components Months	60 Months / 60,000 Miles
Included Maintenance Months
Roadside Assistance Months	36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Corrosion Perforation	60 Months / Unlimited Miles
Accessories Months

Used 2019 Nissan Kicks for Sale

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