First Look: 2021 Nissan Kicks

If you’re surprised to hear that it’s already time for the Nissan Kicks to get a mid-cycle refresh after only two and a half years in North America, your reaction makes sense. But it’s not that the brand is ahead of the game exactly: while Kicks made its debut here in 2018, this frugal front-wheel-drive crossover has been in production for global sale since 2016, so the time is right for it to receive a little bit of polish.

Both the front and rear design end have been updated with the most dramatic changes being to the grille, which now gets the much more dramatic V-motion treatment along with thinner available LED headlamps. On the rear, the bumper has been updated with LED rear headlamps and a new shark fin antenna. The optional 17-inch wheels are now available with new designs.

Exterior colour combinations have been simplified with black, white, grey, and brighter blue and red options available for solid colours while two-tone combinations have been reduced to these same colours with a black roof, plus an orange and black option. In other words, if you’re especially attached to the blue body and white roof or grey body and orange roof colourways from the 2020 model, get in touch with your dealer sooner than later.

While the same powertrain carries over to the new model – a front-wheel-drive 1.6-litre four-cylinder making 122 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque matched to a continuously variable transmission – the SV and SR trims have upgraded disc brakes on the rear wheels.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard equipment along with the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of safety technologies including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic braking, and high beam assist. Radar cruise control is available starting from the SV grade, as is a newly offered 8-inch colour touchscreen display along with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

Other interior improvements include silver door trim and an updated side vent design, and a total of four USB ports, including an available USB-C. An optional centre console acts as a fixed centre armrest on higher trims. Twelve different accessories in five colours are available through the Kicks Colour Studio, which can be installed by the dealer or the customer. This includes optional black 17-inch alloy wheels with coloured accents.

Packaging retains the S, SV, and SR grade levels, but premium features such as around-view cameras, the headrest-mounted Bose audio system, leatherette seats, and 17-inch black alloy wheels are now split out into a Premium package add-on to the SR grade. The 2021 Nissan Kicks goes on sale in February with pricing to be announced closer to launch.

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