If a car manufacturer goes through a rough phase, a sure-shot way to get back on track is to develop an SUV for the masses. SUVs are all the rage nowadays and have certainly outshone all the sedans and hatchbacks of the world. Nissan’s India operations were looking a little misty when the manufacturer decided to introduce the Magnite. And now, Nissan is gearing up to launch the 2021 Kicks in the United States. Nissan Kicks was first introduced in the US back in 2018.
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Nissan has already rolled out the updated model of the Kicks SUV in select few markets like Thailand and Japan.
The teaser image released by Nissan USA’s Twitter handle reveals the same updated model which currently exists in Thailand and Japan. Special attention has been paid to its design where the front end is highlighted by a larger V-Motion front grille with sleeker headlight units. While this does give the Kicks a more prominent face, the remaining tweaks in terms of styling are subtle. If Nissan launches the same Thailand-spec model in the US, we can expect to see a larger infotainment screen as well. The new product for the US market will be officially showcased on December 8 and it is only then that the full list of changes and updates will be confirmed.
Nissan Magnite
Nissan, like every other manufacturer, has been utilizing SUVs as its main arrow to shoot for higher sales. It recently launched the Magnite in India. The Magnite’s introductory prices start at INR 4.99 Lakh and the top-spec variant goes up to INR 9.38 Lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, Delhi). There’s a little catch here though and a very important one at that, these are introductory prices which are valid till December 31 and after this date, the starting price will be revised to ₹5.54 lakh (ex-showroom).
Beneath the hood will be a 1.0 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.0-litre turbo petrol mill. The naturally aspirated petrol engine is borrowed from the Renault Kwid and Triber, which delivers 72bhp of max power and comes paired with either a manual or AMT gearbox. The other option is an all-new 3-cylinder HRA0 1.0-liter Turbo engine, which is the first of its kind in the country and is available with Manual 5 speed and X-TRONIC CVT gearbox. Nissan claims that the HRA0 1.0-liter Turbo engine adopts “mirror bore cylinder coating” technology from world-class sports cars such as the Nissan GT-R, which reduces resistance inside the engine, thus delivering smooth acceleration and efficient use of fuel. The turbocharged engine is expected to produce 100bhp of power and 150Nm of peak torque.