[tarik.arora]

Originally Posted by e46

And why would you want a car which is a segment or a half above, to be priced at the sub 4m segment.

I am quoting this just to put my point across and not to pin-point on anyone. If i remember correctly, i have read this expectation before as well.

I would love to understand on what grounds people compare cars? What makes people feel that a car like Kicks should be priced at par with sub 4-metre SUVs? Top end diesel Kicks is priced at 14.65 lacs, while, Nexon/Brezza top end is a shade below 10 lacs. That is a massive difference of close to 5 lacs (50% in percentage).

Can someone help me understand the reason behind this expectation? Also, if we can keep brand image away from this equation, that would be great!

[Nalin1]

One thing that the Kicks directly kicks the Creta is in its sheer size and dimensions !

Size matters guys! Not only for practicality and usage but also for the sheer presence on the road. I have driven cars of all shapes and sizes for over a decade in Bangalore and the respect given for butch looking/macho sized/brute front grills is very different. You do not really have to drive it differently or try and bully anyone. This respect just comes .

Anyway as we all know looks are subjective and Creta too is a beautiful car, but somehow in my opinion just does not tick my 'SUV' check box.

Now of course the Kicks too is a crossover and obviously not a full blown SUV, but more SUV than a Creta IMO.

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by tarik.arora

I would love to understand on what grounds people compare cars? What makes people feel that a car like Kicks should be priced at par with sub 4-metre SUVs? Top end diesel Kicks is priced at 14.65 lacs, while, Nexon/Brezza top end is a shade below 10 lacs. That is a massive difference of close to 5 lacs (50% in percentage).

Can someone help me understand the reason behind this expectation? Also, if we can keep brand image away from this equation, that would be great!

No one is expecting the top end diesel to be priced like the Nexon or Brezza diesels. That is realistically not possible especially considering the gst rates of 30% for the Vitara and Nexon vs 40+ % gst rates for the Kicks.

But what I expect is atleast the base variants and mid variants should be priced under 10 lakhs - because the segment leader Creta has E/ E+ variants both petrol and diesel priced under 10 lakhs - and naturally are the highest selling variants of the Creta. They don't have a single diesel model under 10 lakhs. Renault Nissan is no Toyota to command premium pricing over Hyundai.

An upcoming competitor without the panache of the Creta and the brand pull of Hyundai should be pricing their cars marginally lower than the Creta. Instead they go on to price it at a premium to the segment leader.

[civic-sense]

Between the Creta and the Kicks, I'd any day pick the Creta. Kicks is just another Duster in funkier clothes. Not that the Duster is bad per se. But it is old, and derived from the archaic Logan. Creta is based on the same platform as Elantra. That itself speaks volumes on how the Creta is more modern than the Kicks.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

Between the Creta and the Kicks, I'd any day pick the Creta. Kicks is just another Duster in funkier clothes. Not that the Duster is bad per se. But it is old, and derived from the archaic Logan. Creta is based on the same platform as Elantra. That itself speaks volumes on how the Creta is more modern than the Kicks.

Creta is based on i20 platform.

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Creta is based on i20 platform.

Wikipedia says:

The ix25 is based on the Hyundai–Kia platform that underpins the Kia Soul, Hyundai i30, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Cee'd (among other cars), and is similar to the Kia KX3. In India, where it was scheduled to go on sale on July 21, 2015, it will be badged "Hyundai Creta" after Crete.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Creta

[tarik.arora]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

But what I expect is atleast the base variants and mid variants should be priced under 10 lakhs - because the segment leader Creta has E/ E+ variants both petrol and diesel priced under 10 lakhs - and naturally are the highest selling variants of the Creta. They don't have a single diesel model under 10 lakhs. Renault Nissan is no Toyota to command premium pricing over Hyundai.

And why do we want to comfortably ignore the feature difference between Creta E+ and Kicks XL (both diesel). As far as my knowledge goes, Kicks XLD has certain advantages over Creta E+:

a) Bigger dimensions and thus better space (more of an assumption)
b) A bigger and powerful engine (109 hp vs 89 hp & 240 Nm vs 220Nm)
c) Automatic climate control
d) Rear parking sensors
e) Cooled glove box
f) Rear defogger
g) Music system with blue tooth connectivity
h) Fatter tyres (215 section vs 205)
i) Nissan connect
j) Brake assist

I do agree with your argument on the pricing to be lower than an established competitor but we are comparing apples to oranges. Hyundai has managed a sub 10 lakh price by compromising on certain features and Nissan has gone the opposite way. You might question Nissan's approach in the interest of volumes but no way they are charging a premium over creta if the additional equipment is taken into account.

[jeganatu]

Comparing on road price of breeza , creta, kicks ( no AT)

Now really confused with Kicks or creta.
Is it worth the price for kicks? Really don't know on what basis to justify the price of kicks. Nissan is now cat on the wall.

[C300]

Originally Posted by jeganatu

Now really confused with Kicks or creta.

Best to take long TD of both the cars. No substitute for first hand driving experience.

[RedStallion]

Nissan Kicks was displayed at Inorbit mall. I went there to have a look of this car.

Below are my observations:
- The colour combination was a dual tone which looked good in person.
- The car-size is comparable to the Creta.
- The front portion is way too busy for my choice. They also provide an option to add extra chrome as an accessory.
- The doors are too light. I could recall, the door weights were comparable to new Dzire. I did not expect feather light doors at this price point.
- Interiors look good, compared to the Creta (except the top model of Korean OEM)
- MID is too plain, the choice of background colours for the speedometer is average. It looks outdated.
- The start-stop push button is kept too low on the dashboard. IMO, it looks out of the place. Indicator stalk is on the opposite side as we all know.
- The steering wheel was too plain. It had merely four to five buttons for the top model.
- Front side headroom is too low due to the sloping roofline. However, the rear side provides a generous amount of headroom.
- Clutch is light but the travel is too long.
- The armrest is fixed. It has no storage space as informed by SA. (I was surprised to know this)
- The dashboard provides a soft touch feeling.
- Higher ground clearance. (210 mm to be precise)
- IRVM is too small
- The glove box which is cooled but too small

It does not pose itself as a looker. IMHO, it is an average looking car with decent interiors and nice to have features. There are competitors to Kicks which can take on the car with ease. It is going to be really tough for the Nissan to sell this product with a price tag near to the Creta.

Please find the attached picture in which I found material used in the boot was already damaged. (It could be an only case with this display car.)

Thanks.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by RedStallion

Nissan Kicks was displayed at Inorbit mall. I went there to have a look of this car.


Please find the attached picture in which I found material used in the boot was already damaged. (It could be an only case with this display car.)

Thanks.

I saw the same thing with the test drive car in Gurgaon and the service advisor told me that the test drive car was used in the media drives and everyone kept trying to pull the boot carpet to check where the spare was! Maybe Nissan should not have glued the carpet down and made it liftable to prevent this from happening. The spare is actually underneath the car and there is a bolt to lower the spare holder.

[porsche_guy]

Originally Posted by RedStallion

Nissan Kicks was displayed at Inorbit mall. I went there to have a look of this car.

Checked out the same car the next day. I felt it was an average car. Quite below my expectations. However, the interiors seemed to be quite nice, although not very spacious. Here are some pics I took with my smartphone so please excuse the quality of pictures. The dual tone shade looked nice though.







Overall, for what is essentially a 'renaissance' product for Nissan in India, I think it is quite average and won't be able to stand up to competition from the Creta, or for that matter, even the Harrier.

[pavi]

For me Nissan Kicks front looks like a sad face. Something like the ‘sad faces’ we see in the usual mimes.

[nik_kapur]

The Kicks was displayed at the Mall of India in Noida so i went and had a nice look around. It appears shorter in height compared to the Creta and that will be a massive issue IMHO ! Its more like a S Cross than a Creta !
The interior is a nice place to be in, good quality materials and it feels richer than the Creta overall. Once the doors shut (we a nice german thud i may add), it feels well insulated from the outside and quite snug (not airy like a Honda).
Having owned a Duster, i aint buying another car from Renault or Nissan in the near future but i think this car may find some buyers. Its not going to set the sale charts on fire and the only car that is going to compete with the Creta is its own sibling from KIA in the months to come. Whilst the Tata Harrier is a stunning effort, i dont see urban rich buying a Tata over a Hyundai or Kia ! Just won't happen. The Tatas and Mahindras have their own market and they fight it out there.

[hellraizer]

I test drove the Nissan Kicks over the weekend. The test drive was a good 3-4km. Let me also tell you that this test drive was coming in the backdrop of the Harrier test drive, the previous day.

Exteriors:
The exteriors look pretty neat. Nothing to write home about, but looks a proper cross-over. Like someone has remarked in the previous posts, it's more of a "Cross" and less of an SUV, rather not imposing, which in my world is not bad at all. I would rate the exterior a 4/5.

Interiors:

• The interior is well put together and looks sturdy. Black and Brown dash looks classy. The steering wheel is nice and chunky. However, I don't think Nissan can be forgiven for putting the less commonly used cruise controls in place of the more frequently used media buttons. To top it, there are black spaces as well. Nissan, How can you do this?
• The seats are well-contoured and have good under-thigh support. Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the seat comfort, both front and rear.
• The fixed arm rest with no storage is rather not so useful, but must better than the Harrier, where the hand rest is placed way too back.
• The HU screen has quite a lot of glare, more like looking at a cheap chinese smartphone. I was able to connect my phone and test the AA feature. The audio sounded average. I couldn't figure out how to trigger "Google Assistant" using any buttons either on the dash or on the steering controls. I guess, you have'll to make do with the soft buttons on the AA screen.

Overall, I would rate the interior a 3/5.

Ride and Handling, NVH:

• This is where the car shines. The NVH levels are great for a diesel and I could instantly see the difference between Kicks and Harrier. The NVH of Harrier was a lot higher. The steering and gear lever on the Harrier had some vibes which were almost completely absent on the Kicks. I guess, Nissan has vastly improved this area.
• The steering felt like it had the right amount of weight to it (Read No dead feel like in Creta). The 1.5 diesel drove like a charm and I was instantly impressed with the overall drivability. It feels more car like and that is not bad at all. The Harrier on the other hand felt big and bulky and despite having a bigger more powerful engine. It also felt slower. City drivability is definitely better in Kicks when compared to the Harrier. I would rate this 4/5.

My overall rating would be a 4/5 for this car. I have test driven the Creta, Compass, Harrier and Kicks all in a short period of time. I must admit that I came away impressed with the package. It suits my requirement. I will be making a decision soon.