[Mechy_74]

Originally Posted by Ayankicks

Congratulations on the purchase. Even I have the white one. What kind of mileage you are getting. Mine is doing 11 consistently in the city.

Thank you! White looks best to me with all those claddings (faux claddings!).

I am yet to reach 11 in city traffic. I have tried earliest shifts without much engine-lugging (fifth in 30s) to no avail. Seems higher on vibration of stick and engine-gearbox noise as well.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Mechy_74

Thank you! White looks best to me with all those claddings (faux claddings!).

I am yet to reach 11 in city traffic. I have tried earliest shifts without much engine-lugging (fifth in 30s) to no avail. Seems higher on vibration of stick and engine-gearbox noise as well.

Early gear shifts in fact do not help and reduce mileage. The optimum gear shift should be at around 1800-1900 rpm to ensure that the engine remains in the correct rev band for the next gear. Dropping engine revs too low requires more fuel and leads to poor pickup. Also keep your foot light on the accelerator.

[dragntailonfire]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Please share any pictures you have.

Some potato quality pictures of the XE variant. Please excuse, these were taken by the sales rep and send via WhatsApp.

The interiors doesn't look too bad, but the omission of a touch screen in a 11L car (on-road price in Kochi) is a bit hard to digest.

[BANDHAV]

I have spotted few low end variants here on road in Delhi. The difference in exrerior apperance between base model and top model is too stark. In absence of the roof rails the car looses it character completely. It looks almost unfinished. Top model on the other hand is one handsome looking car.

[Mechy_74]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Early gear shifts in fact do not help and reduce mileage. The optimum gear shift should be at around 1800-1900 rpm to ensure that the engine remains in the correct rev band for the next gear. Dropping engine revs too low requires more fuel and leads to poor pickup. Also keep your foot light on the accelerator.

I was coming from the notion that the lesser the rpm (as long as it still accelerates) lesser will be the Fuel consumption, idling RPM practically being the lowest state of rpm and power. This is not how I have normally driven, as I tend to shift at slightly higher than the par rpm.

It shows a very very healthy mileage figures when driven on plain road at 55-60kph in the fifth. It has a pretty handsome torque plateau 2k to 3.5k and red-lines at 6k. The Turbo diesel like torque span gives good city drive-ability on speedy stretches of city. One expects slightly better power when mileage is not so good.

I had left Venue GDI DCT only because of fear of mileage.

Now I am inclined towards driving at 60 on stretches on which displayed speed limit is 50 and normal is 80-90kph, with speed cameras known to generate challans after a 100.

Leave early, be overtaken.

[sdaityari]

Originally Posted by Mechy_74

I was coming from the notion that the lesser the rpm (as long as it still accelerates) lesser will be the Fuel consumption, idling RPM practically being the lowest state of rpm and power. This is not how I have normally driven, as I tend to shift at slightly higher than the par rpm.

It actually depends on two factors: engine load and RPM. With low gears at high speeds, your engine load is less but RPMs are high whereas in high gears low speeds, the engine load is much higher (imagine the engine trying to pull a stationary car in 3rd gear would be struggling to do so).

Behemoth's right - though the engine load varies a bit, the sweet spot is around 1800-2000 RPM in most cars.

Here's a graph that shows instantaneous fuel consumption:
https://www.physicsforums.com/attach...17-jpg.172041/

I first learnt about the concept in this video on the YouTube channel Engineering Explained.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNspNdVkslA&t=150s

[jeganatu]

Took my kicks for some little off roading doing justice for having bought one.

I was travelling to a place called kutladampatti, near madurai with my kids for a weekend picnic and took this strecth of road where it reaches a small waterfall. I was hoping some water due to late monsoon rains we had few days back. Rather found the stream empty and was de-silted by dozers hoping for the water. I saw these tractor marks inside the canal and thought why not I try some off road driving.

Took my beast and had about 20 minutes of fun driving on the raw muds. The height of the steep is not seen correctly in the video due to video illusion. May be we can compare the depth of the canal and visualize the real degree. Any sedan would surely get stuck up in the middle. Ground clearance of kicks taking it a lot easier.

Sharing some of the pics and clips

https://youtu.be/P3U_XCLvjkg

[TG_F196]

Originally Posted by jeganatu

Took my kicks for some little off roading doing justice for having bought one.

Sharing some of the pics and clips

Thank you for the video and pictures. Your car looks stunning in orange! And it's nice seeing that a car not really made for off roading being able to do this. I hadn't really considered the Kicks in front of the Seltos, but seeing it's pricing and the horrible dealership experience I might need to check the Kicks out. How is your ownership experience thus far?

[jeganatu]

Originally Posted by TG_F196

Thank you for the video and pictures. Your car looks stunning in orange! And it's nice seeing that a car not really made for off roading being able to do this. I hadn't really considered the Kicks in front of the Seltos, but seeing it's pricing and the horrible dealership experience I might need to check the Kicks out. How is your ownership experience thus far?

Kicks may not be a real offroader, but considering the wide wheel base, ground clearance, optimum platform its well set for real time practical possible stunt like these. Say for example, kicks or duster can jump over the center median with ease if in case there is a need to do so. Thats all one need in his vehicle to put in use really. For serious off roaders there are n number of other vehicles.

I am 100% satisfied with the performance, built quality. Awesome to drive esp on high ways. Feels solid like a benz, I always cruise at 120km with confidance.

Negatives: The only thing I hate in this car is dust accumulation between the door panel and inner door panel's rubber seal. This is because of space between them is too much. Though being so tall, I cannot drink comfortably with a 1 liter bottle because of high seating position. Even my beat give me that space. Buckling passenger seat belt is a tough task, some serious design flaw, thanks to the fixed arm rest.

Regarding my dealer- jeevan nissan, the group has nissan and honda 2 wheeler offices in 5 districts surrounding Madurai. I have never faced any issues with them for anything. And good thing is that the dealer is just 15 min or 8km from my home. (Even I have taken them into email communication with Nissan India for doing some justice to existing owners in the variant/price correction.)

Today I went to kia showroom and checked the seltos. Shockingly I found the boot space is not big as my kicks. Same was with jeep compass. The seltos was short, and hence was not looking massive like kicks. The top end was full of gizmos and techs which is the usp of the car. As a car, Seltos did not impress me for that price range low being 11 and top being 19. Low end models with 16 inchers we aweful or too bland to see. End of day on the road people just see the car and not the variant.

I came out of the kia happily that I made a right decision choosing kicks.

[TG_F196]

Originally Posted by jeganatu

I am 100% satisfied with the performance, built quality. Awesome to drive esp on high ways. Feels solid like a benz, I always cruise at 120km with confidance.

I came out of the kia happily that I made a right decision choosing kicks.

Thank you for this ownership review. I will surely check out the vehicle now, sounds like it is good value for money.

[Mechy_74]

Nonetheless, my Nissan Kicks Sales associate opened the pitch with a loaded, "Sir, do you do off-roading?". And then he chose a test-ride circuit with rough and uneven patches to showcase how it can handle coming down from a steep. However, you also need to go up the bump before having to come down and this makes sure that the petrol kicks is never an off-roader. It is a pure and pure good city C-SUV, with a fantastic 2k to 3k band. The gearing is low and fifth gear also makes you feel like a third in that band.

[jeganatu]

Originally Posted by Mechy_74

. However, you also need to go up the bump before having to come down and this makes sure that the petrol kicks is never an off-roader. It is a pure and pure good city C-SUV, with a fantastic 2k to 3k band. The gearing is low and fifth gear also makes you feel like a third in that band.

Kick petrol is strictly for sedate drivers. I had test driven both petrol and diesel simultaneously before finalizing diesel.


I almost took 3 test drives of kicks before making a decision.

1st and 2nd drives was on petrol, as initially I was not considering a diesel engine. At this time dealer had not got a diesel test drive vehicle, so I was awaiting it.

3rd was done with petrol and diesel simultaneously.

Petrol has moderate power quite enough for city driving. On the high way it severely lacked the punch and was struggling to overtake. I did not like the way it responded or give me the confidence of driving on the highway.

Diesel was like a dog on the loose! One can feel the sheer power after rpm crosses 3k mark. The engine had so much power and scrambled to 120 with ease. Overtaking was never hard and it never felt out of power any time. Simply,its a diesel rocket. My main use is on the open highways, hence petrol never impressed me. More over I am owning a petrol beat having 1.5 lak on the odo doing wonders.

My SA too took the car to a small off road trail and did some donuts kind of stunts to impress.
Even hyundai creta SA too the took me to the same trail for the off road experience. Among the two, kicks felt best as it took the bumps with ease and I was feeling comfortable with less jerks inside the cabin of kicks than creta.


Meanwhile I had a lucky save yesterday. A few feet forward, I would have been hit too.

https://youtu.be/kbnaVbGjkz0

[Mechy_74]

Originally Posted by jeganatu

Kick petrol is strictly for sedate drivers.

Yes, am slowly trying to turn into a sedate driver, despite skipping sedans.

Originally Posted by jeganatu

My main use is on the open highways, hence petrol never impressed me.

Yes, and also, any car without a 6th is going to be inefficient on freeways. I have driven Ritz Petrol on highways, which does 80 at 2kish in fifth and redlines at 7k delivering a non dropping torque-line throughout. It was a pre VVT KB12 and I am proud of having driven that engine.

Originally Posted by jeganatu

...I was feeling comfortable with less jerks inside the cabin of kicks than creta.

I felt Creta was not good in taking the rough. May be travel of shock absorbers is shorter. Even then, people say that it has got a softer ride and is difficult to handle at speeds. May be softer initially and harder later. Whereas Kicks has a more linear kind of springing. Anyhow, sales folks of Hyundai were too indifferent to make me want to spend those bucks there. Unlike Honda and Nexa.

Originally Posted by jeganatu

Meanwhile I had a lucky save yesterday. A few feet forward, I would have been hit too.

Nice to know that. Drive safe. It has got a slew of safety things in the diesel top end one, whereas only Brake Assist in petrol.

[Mechy_74]

Originally Posted by Mechy_74

Nice to know that. Drive safe....

Silly of me to come up with that sentence. It was nice to know that you stopped safely and did not roll into a collision.

[coldice4u]

Autocar has published their first long term of the Kicks and its mostly good news. They are talking about the tough SUV feels which many of its peers like the Creta, Seltos etc lacks. They also have high praise for how well the interiors are put together and the superlative ride.

The Kicks especially after the variant rejig has turned out to be a really attractive VFM offering in this age of overpriced cars. Especially the XL diesel variant is really well priced with the nice touch screen and the 17 inch alloys ! We all know that Creta is overpriced. Nissan should have launched the car with this updated pricing instead of trying to trade punches with the Creta.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-lon...-report-413674