It seems like Nissan is about to kick its smallest North American crossover into contact. The present Mexico-built Kicks went on sale in the summertime of 2018 so it’s not vastly stunning that our spy photographers have captured its alternative testing forward of a 2024 reveal.
These photographers thought it is perhaps the following Juke, a reputation the marginally bigger Kicks changed within the U.S., however which continues to be alive and kicking in Europe the place the Kicks isn’t obtainable. However this crossover prototype’s extra sober styling and the very fact the Juke didn’t enter manufacturing till late 2019 and acquired a (very minor) replace final 12 months suggests it’s not the automotive hiding beneath the camo in these pics.
Regardless of the presence of all that camouflage we’re left in little question that the second-gen Kicks will likely be a extra grown-up automotive than the primary. Whereas the present Kicks’ styling is much less flamboyant than the Juke’s, that includes, as an illustration, a rear door deal with situated on the door pores and skin quite than within the C-pillar, the brand new automotive’s designers appear to have kicked the sensibleness up a gear.
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The entrance finish seems to be extra chiselled to impart a way of energy and make the Kicks seem like a much bigger automotive. There’s even what seems like a conservative VW-esque horizontal grille quite than the terrible U-shaped monstrosity on the prevailing automotive, and whereas there’s nonetheless a pronounced flick within the waistline over the rear arch, it’s a much less dramatic one than we’re aware of.
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We nonetheless anticipate Nissan to hold over its bisected C-pillar therapy although, and the form of the rear hatch define seems vaguely extra fascinating than the subcompact crossover norm, although with a lot tape on the rear finish it’s inconceivable to know whether or not these vertical gentle models may even lengthen inwards throughout the hatch.
The present U.S. Kicks is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, although it’s at present unknown whether or not that very same engine can be carried over to the brand new one, or whether or not it might undertake a smaller turbocharged engine and/or hybrid know-how. The Kicks is already obtainable with hybrid energy in some international locations, however not in North America.
Manufacturing of the brand new automotive was slated to begin in December of this 12 months, however Automotive Information just lately reported that the date had been pushed again to June 2024 resulting from a mix of the automotive failing crash exams and the theft of tooling from a provider in Mexico. So anticipate Kicks Mk2 to look in U.S. sellers a 12 months from now as a 2025 automotive.