With the launch of the 2020 Nissan Kicks, the fight within the compact mid-size SUV space has intensified yet again. The Nissan Kicks has received some serious updates in terms of its powertrains. It gets a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The diesel engine has been discontinued since it was not BS6 compliant.
A fresh spec-to-spec comparison is in order against the Kicks’ nearest rivals – Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster. We have excluded the Tata Harrier and MG Hector from this comparison since they are larger in size and a segment above the aforementioned products. Let us see how the BS6 avatar of the Kicks fares in this clash.
Engine & Transmission
While the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta share the same powertrains, the Nissan Kicks and the Renault Duster share the same power plant. Point to be noted here is that the Seltos and Creta are offered with three engine options- a 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre diesel engine and a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. Whereas the Kicks, as mentioned before, is offered with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a powerful 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine. The Duster is currently offered with a single petrol engine – the same 1.5-litre unit as the Kicks. However, in the coming months, the Duster will also be offered with the same 1.3-litre turbo petrol unit.
| Nissan Kicks | Renault Duster | Kia Seltos | Hyundai Creta | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | 1.5-litre N/A petrol engine/ 1/3 litre turbocharged petrol engine |
1.5-litre N/A petrol engine | 1.5-litre N/A petrol engine/ 1.5-litre Diesel Engine/ 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine |
1.5-litre N/A petrol engine/ 1.5-litre Diesel Engine/ 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine |
| Power | 104.55bhp@5600rpm(N/A petrol)/ 156 bhp@5600 rpm(turbo petrol) |
104.55bhp@5600rpm(N/A petrol)/ | 113.4bhp@6300rpm(N/A petrol)/ 113.42bhp@4000rpm(diesel)/ 140 bhp @6000 rpm(turbo petrol) |
113.4bhp@6300rpm(N/A petrol)/ 113.42bhp@4000rpm(diesel)/140 140 bhp @6000 rpm(turbo petrol) |
| Torque | 142 Nm (1.5-litre N/A petrol) 254 Nm (Turbo Petrol) | 142 Nm (1.5-litre N/A petrol)/ | 138 Nm(1.5-litre N/A petrol) / 255 Nm (Turbo Petrol) | 138 Nm (1.5-litre N/A petrol) / 255 Nm (Turbo Petrol) |
| Transmission | 5-speed Manual / 6-speed manual (Turbo)/ CVT | 5-speed Manual | 6-speed Manual/ 7-speed DCT/ IVT | 6-speed Manual/ 7-speed DCT/ IVT |
Dimensions
All the products are closely matched to each in terms of dimension.
| Kicks | Duster | Seltos | Creta | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length(mm) | 4384 | 4360 | 4315 | 4300 |
| Width(mm) | 1813 | 1822 | 1800 | 1790 |
| Height(mm) | 1656 | 1695 | 1645 | 1635 |
| Wheelbase(mm) | 2673 | 2673 | 2610 | 2610 |
| Ground clearance(mm) | 210 | 205 | 190 | 190 |
Also READ: Hyundai Motor Company Preview Vision For Future Mobility Through A Miniature Model
Features
While the Seltos and Creta lead this segment in terms of features, with both matching each other spec-to-spec, the Nissan in its BS6 avatar has made a few upgrades to its equipment list. The Duster, however, lags behind in this department by a long distance and is not a match for the rest three.
| Kicks | Duster | Seltos | Creta | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touchscreen | 8 inch | 6.9 inch | 10.25 inch | 10.25 inch |
| Android Auto/ Apple CarPlay | yes/yes | yes/yes | yes/yes | yes/yes |
| Wireless Charging | no | no | yes | yes |
| LED DRLs | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Rear Wiper/Defogger | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| ORVM(power adjustment/power-folding) | yes/yes | yes/yes | yes/yes | yes/yes |
| Automatic Climate Control | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Air Purifier | no | no | yes | yes |
| Power windows | front/rear | front/rear | front/rear | front/rear |
| Rear AC Vents | yes | no | yes | yes |
| Parking Sensors | rear | rear | front & rear | rear |
| Sunroof | no | no | yes | yes |
| Airbags | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| ABS/EBD | yes/yes | yes/yes | yes/yes | yes/yes |
| Traction Control | no | no | yes | yes |
| Tyre Pressure Monitor | no | no | yes | yes |
Prices
While Seltos and Creta are offered in a number of variants, their price bracket is larger due to the number of engines and transmission combinations offered. In comparison, the Kicks is offered with two engine and two transmission options and has lesser number of variants and a smaller price bracket. The Duster is only offered in three variants since it has a single-engine and transmission option and is most affordable in this list.
| Ex-showroom prices | Kicks | Duster | Seltos | Creta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol 1.5-litre | Rs 9.49- 9.99 lakhs | Rs 8.49- 9.99 | Rs 9.89- 14.09 lakhs | Rs 9.99- 16.15 lakhs |
| Diesel 1.5-litre | – | – | Rs 10.34- Rs 16.34 lakhs | Rs 9.99- Rs 17.20 lakhs |
| Petrol Turbocharged | Rs 11.84- Rs 14.14 lakhs | – | Rs 13.79- 17.29 lakhs | Rs 16.16- 17.20 lakh |