How much of a gamble is it to buy the Nissan Kicks

Before you wonder why I ended up shortlisting the Kicks when there are several other ‘safer’ choices available, do hear me out.

BHPian riturajsharma19 recently shared this with others.

So, as evident from the title, I am contemplating buying a Nissan Kicks 1.3L turbo. Before you wonder why I ended up shortlisting the Kicks when there are several other ‘safer’ choices available, do hear me out.

I reside in Jorhat, Assam and own a 2011 Fiat Punto Active diesel that has barely run 40k kilometers. Being ten years old and also being devoid of any active or passive safety features, barring seatbelts of course, I think it’s time to upgrade even though mechanically and cosmetically it is in the pink of health. Besides, the quality of most roads here in Assam doesn’t make cars like the Punto a practical choice anymore for long journeys. Roads here in Assam, particularly the highways, are something of a mixed bag – ranging from smooth, well-laid stretches to long stretches filled with large and deep potholes that could potentially damage low riding vehicles.

The resale value of a ten-year old Punto diesel, on the other hand, is a different matter altogether. During these pandemic times, I find it a risky proposition to offer test drives to strangers due to obvious reasons. I have finally decided to upgrade to a safer car with a budget of approximately 15lakhs, with as many safety features that I can afford, while hoping to get a good exchange deal on my Punto. So here are the cars that I had shortlisted.

Ford Ecosport Titanium Sports diesel

My sister owns a 2018 Ecosport Titanium S diesel and I have driven it extensively.

Pros

• Solid build
• Great ergonomics
• Great engine and gearbox combo
• Decent handling

Cons

• Ride quality at low to medium speeds
• The brakes seemed inadequate, especially compared to the braking performance that the Punto offers.

Mahindra XUV 300 diesel

Yet to test drive. The dealer seemed disinterested. Also boot space is a major issue.

Tata Nexon diesel

Liked the facelifted front fascia. However, the rear seems disjointed. The extensive use of shiny plastics on the inside is a complete no no for me.

Nissan Kicks 1.3 turbo petrol

I always liked the Kicks due to its looks though Nissan’s shaky position in the Indian market never made me seriously consider it. However, with the advent of the Magnite, things appear to change for Nissan India. I test drove the diesel Kicks recently, as the turbo petrol was not available with the dealer for TD.

Pros

• Solid enough build quality
• Good handling
• Superb ride quality on a variety of road conditions
• Decent brakes, seemed better than the ones on the Ecosport

Cons

• Only four airbags where top end trims of competitors offer six.
• Weird ergonomics (static armrest, audio controls behind the steering and numerous other such issues)
• Host of missing features that competitors offer (no dead pedal (present on the Punto), no sunroof, no TPMS and several other missing features)
• Hard clutch on the diesel. Apparently, the clutch on the petrol is better but can’t be sure.

It needs to be mentioned here that only the following manufacturers have dealers here in Jorhat:

• Maruti
• Hyundai
• Tata
• Mahindra
• Honda
• Nissan
• Ford
• Renault

I could have waited to check out the upcoming Kushaq and Taigun twins but the lack of dealers in the 300 km radius made me think otherwise. I find Maruti and Hyundai products unappealing due to a variety of reasons. Kia too has no presence in the vicinity.

Despite not being too happy with the braking performance of the Ecosport, I had initially decided to make it the top contender, while hoping to get used to the brakes eventually. What truly made me drop the Ecosport was the exchange value of Rs 85,000 that the dealer offered for my Punto.

The Nissan dealer on the other hand has offered me Rs 2 lakhs for the Punto, apart from an additional discount of Rs 30k for the top end XV Premium (O) MT.

I am tempted to go for the Kicks, even though it is a market dud. The deal that I have received on the Punto seems too good to pass up. At the same time buying a Nissan product does appear to be a gamble in more ways than one.

What do you guys reckon? How much of a gamble would it really be?

Here's what BHPian ashis89 had to say on the matter:

Think of the exchange price for your Punto as an additional discount on the Kicks. Please don't look at this exchange price to decide on any car but rather look at the landed cost of the new vehicle after exchanging the old one, the overall value that the new car gives and most important, the satisfaction you get from the new car.

You might end up with a similar dilemma a few years down the line when you want upgrade from a Kicks and are worried of its market value.

Edit: Sometime ago, Nissan was offering huge discounts on the Kicks. Your dealer might be offering the same 'disguised' as exchange price.

Here's what BHPian S15 had to say on the matter:

Assume I am a car dealer for noob automobiles. I have a car called flop.

The Noob Flop, as a model doesn't sell very well, and the company has allowed me to offer discounts of upto 1.5 lakhs.

Some random potential buyer comes to me with a demand to trade in their old discontinued hatch. I can make out, from the way that he talks about his car, that he likes it too much. So I, instead of offering him Rs. 1.5 Lakhs on the car, offer him just 30K on the car, and add the extra 1 lakh to the price of his discontinued hatch. And I keep the extra 20k as extra bargaining power in hand. If the buyer is a sharp negotiator, I'll offer him the extra 20k, else that's my salesperson's commission.

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