[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by purb_du

BUT what really blown me away was the sheer power of the engine post about 1700-1800 rpm. It took me by surprise and really had to recalibrate my grip on the steering which was precise and responsive.

Feedback like this from an initial test drive leaves me very happy. I am one of those who like underrated cars/ underdog brands to succeed in our market - after all, that is what is going to bring more diversity and variants here in the long run. I have been a fan of the solid build and handsome looks of the Kicks from the time that it launched in the market, even though I knew it would be a failure given the low brand equity that Nissan has here. The car was begging for a powerful engine and now that it is here, I hope the Kicks gets a fresh lease of life. After all, it is the era of turbo petrols and the fact that the Kicks has got a stonker of a turbo petrol makes me happy.

Hoping for more test drive reports from members in the coming days. Definitely do not want this car to fade into oblivion like the last one did.

[Sebring]

The turbo petrol performed better than the Korean Turbo Diesels? Wow, this I must check out! One of my pet peeves in Indian Kicks was the area around hand brake. Felt tacky. Even the hand-to-controls geometry was uncomfortable. The hard plastics gave it a cheap feel. Any marked improvements in interiors? Please fill us in

Originally Posted by purb_du

engine felt way more powerful and accelerated way better than the 1.4 Turbo Gdi of the Korean brands. Do check it out.

[purb_du]

Originally Posted by Sebring

The turbo petrol performed better than the Korean Turbo Diesels? Wow, this I must check out! One of my pet peeves in Indian Kicks was the area around hand brake. Felt tacky. Even the hand-to-controls geometry was uncomfortable. The hard plastics gave it a cheap feel. Any marked improvements in interiors? Please fill us in

The interiors and exterior was just like before. It was a manual so I cannot really comment on the CVT console. It is definitely not plush or spacious inside as the Seltos/Creta but I was more interested in checking out the engine performance and it did bring a grin.

I personally can do away with segment best interiors like a big sunroof or a touchscreen for eg. for something which is powerful and enjoyable to drive. And I think with time the controls and ergonomics feels in place and especially when we upgrade across category/segment things might feel out of place initially.

[purb_du]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Feedback like this from an initial test drive leaves me very happy. I am one of those who like underrated cars/ underdog brands to succeed in our market - after all, that is what is going to bring more diversity and variants here in the long run. I have been a fan of the solid build and handsome looks of the Kicks from the time that it launched in the market, even though I knew it would be a failure given the low brand equity that Nissan has here. The car was begging for a powerful engine and now that it is here, I hope the Kicks gets a fresh lease of life. After all, it is the era of turbo petrols and the fact that the Kicks has got a stonker of a turbo petrol makes me happy.

Hoping for more test drive reports from members in the coming days. Definitely do not want this car to fade into oblivion like the last one did.

Absolutely ! Nissan is known for its legendary SUVs and hopefully it is able to do something with the Kicks this time around. I feel it is priced well enough for what it offers with this modern and powerful engine along with its looks. Only thing that worries me a bit is its after sales service.

[jayguar]

Is the ride quality of Nissan Kicks similar to that of Kia Seltos or is it better?

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by jayguar

Is the ride quality of Nissan Kicks similar to that of Kia Seltos or is it better?

Kicks ride quality is noticeably better than that of Seltos. Seltos' strong point is definitely not great ride quality.

[KPR]

Has anyone who had earlier driven a fiat's Tjet / Abarth TDed this 1.3L turbo petrol? What is the feedback?

[84.monsoon]

Here is a recent youtube drive review of the Kicks 1.3 manual, that seems quite detailed (in Hindi) and reasonably balanced. The reviewer says that once the engine crosses 2000 rpm, there is absolutely nothing like it - very punchy and free-revving. It easily beats the Creta/Seltos 1.4 TGDI engines according to this guy. He says the steering is a bit hard, but gear shifting is soft. Interesting fact he talks about is that it has the least turning radius in the segment. Major flaw pointed out is the lack of dead pedal on the manual variant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP8l6QPUTBY

[Nalin1]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Interesting fact he talks about is that it has the least turning radius in the segment. Major flaw pointed out is the lack of dead pedal on the manual variant.

Yes, the Kicks as we all know is on the same platform as the Duster/Terrano/Captur. Among its many strong points like its suspensions, ride quality and ground clearance, is its turning radius .

You can easily squeeze into the small lanes and take right angled turns with ease.

Likewise the same irritating drawbacks are also shared . The lack of a dead pedal for one!.

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Major flaw pointed out is the lack of dead pedal on the manual variant.

Dead pedal is not a major flaw IMO, atleast to me. I have used cars with dead pedal on long journeys and realized I don’t use them and tend to pull my feet back. I am not sure how many feel this way.

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by purb_du

Hello all. Just had a very short test drive of the 1.3 Turbo petrol manual Nissan Kicks.

Thank you for posting it.

As many mentioned, there seem to be some quarantine on Nissan kicks, as no major auto magazines have reviewed it yet. Being an enthusiasts' community, I recommend we take the lead in road-testing it.

Let me do my bit too.

[purb_du]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Thank you for posting it.

As many mentioned, there seem to be some quarantine on Nissan kicks, as no major auto magazines have reviewed it yet. Being an enthusiasts' community, I recommend we take the lead in road-testing it.

Let me do my bit too.

True and I second that. Was wondering just today why such a response from major auto mags/channels etc, considering this particular 1.3 Turbo petrol engine created quite a buzz in the 2020 Autoexpo.

There is no lockdown now and test drive vehicles are available. On the contrary people were desperate to review the competitor product even during lockdown.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by purb_du

True and I second that. Was wondering just today why such a response from major auto mags/channels etc, considering this particular 1.3 Turbo petrol engine created quite a buzz in the 2020 Autoexpo.

There is no lockdown now and test drive vehicles are available. On the contrary people were desperate to review the competitor product even during lockdown.

All the reviews and walk-arounds so far have been of the 1.3 Manual, have not seen a single review or video of the XTronic CVT in any of the showrooms.

I guess there may have been supply chain delays in sourcing the CVT gearboxes, as it is most likely fully imported. Previously Nissan only had the CVT for the 1.5 NA version of the Kicks being manufactured in India, which has less than 150 NM of Torque. I bet the 1.3 Turbo CVT, with its 254 NM of torque, will require a different CVT box, able to handle heavy torque loads. Nissan may be holding off test drives until they have the CVT units of the Kicks 1.3 available, since it is always better to put the best forward and release the most complete and feature rich version to the media.

[RavenAvi]

A detailed walkaround video of the new Kicks 1.3L Turbo petrol, courtesy DJ Bro @ Auto Trend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2U7A5luH70

[GBX]

Any videos showing this remote engine start in action? It's nice to see it available on a MT car.