The electric vehicle sphere is expanding more and more with manufacturers marking their foray in this segment, trying to harness the transition. Nissan too, has finally launched the 2021 Kicks e-power in Thailand. The name might have given it away that it is equipped with e-Power, Nissan’s electrified powertrain. The Kicks e-Power brings in a fully electric motor drive meaning that it can be driven completely powered by the electric motor. In Thailand, it is priced at an introductory base price of 889,000 baht (around ₹21 lakh) and the top variant will cost 1,049,000 baht (around ₹24.8 lakh).
What is it?
It is basically a hybrid version of Nissan’s Kick and just like all the modern hybrids work, the Kicks e-Power is no different when it comes to putting the power on the road. When extra acceleration is required to get you out of a tricky situation, let’s say, to overtake a fast-moving large vehicle, the electric motor receives power from both the battery and the engine to enhance its performance. And during deceleration, the engine stops running and regenerative power is used to charge the battery until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. This has proven to be a very efficient method when it comes to the overall fuel consumption.
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The new Kicks e-Power has an EM57 electric motor, generator and inverter under the hood that generates electricity from its 1.2 liters DOHC 12-valve three-cylinder engine. The e-Power system offers a maximum power of 95 kW (129 PS), a maximum flat-torque of 260 Nm, and a lithium-ion battery—all delivering a driving experience similar to an EV. The 1.57 kWh lithium-ion battery in the all-new Nissan Kicks e-Power has four modules that provide smooth acceleration, quiet rides, and increased fuel efficiency.
The model boasts of features such as Intelligent Driving, Intelligent Cruise Control, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Intelligent Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection and Intelligent Rear View Mirror. The cabin features a “Gliding Wing” instrument panel design that is dominated by a centrally mounted 7.0-inch full-color display housing an infotainment system. The Kicks e-Power also features four driving modes: Normal, S, Eco and EV.
Now that we already have the updated IC engine powered Kicks here and the electric vehicle market here too, is evolving, we can’t help but picture ourselves sailing around in the Nissan Kicks e-Power sometime in the near future.