The 2020 Nissan Kicks RS Is a Special CUV at an Affordable Price

I test-drive a lot of cars at Torque News. I do not recommend all of them to our readers. People's needs are different and one size doesn't fit all. However, I do think the 2020 Nissan Kicks is a good purchase.

The 2020 Nissan Kicks is a CUV that I appreciated during my test-drive last week. It successfully mixes several ingredients that make it interesting, such as interior space, fuel economy, driving pleasure and equipment. Plus, you get it all at a very reasonable price, which makes it a purchase that couldn't be more logical.

Nissan Kick's Reliability

From a reliability standpoint, I don't think there is much to worry about. First, the 2020 Kicks equipped with known mechanical elements since it borrows its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine - very simple in its design - from the Nissan Versa Note. Nissan's continuously variable automatic transmission is also part of it, which can bring both good and bad. As mentioned earlier, the fuel economy it provides is good. I can't speak of the Kicks' long term reliability as I have only driven it for a week. Nissan is known for making reliable cars and I don't think there are any other potential problems to foresee.

The 2020 Nissan Kicks compact crossover adds standard Nissan Safety Shield® 360 technology across all grade levels.

• Aimed at city living consumers, the 2020 Kicks CUV tackles the intensity of the urban landscape.
• Embodies Nissan Intelligent Mobility with standard Nissan Safety Shield 360 technology.
• Fuel economy is rated at 31 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined.
• Class-above technology includes a standard 7-inch touchscreen, available Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto, available Bose® Personal® Plus audio system.

On the down side, I can only mention the low power of the mechanics. The engine of the 2020 Nissan Kicks is rated at 122 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque. This vehicle is a gateway to Nissan's adventure-ready sport utility portfolio, thus you can't expect the top soundproofing, yet it's a perfectly comfortable car to drive in the city and that it does a perfectly decent job, considering the affordable pricing of the 2020 Nissan Kicks. I was driving the SR CVT package and the total cost on the sticker was $26,775.

The 2020 Nissan Kicks

The Nissan Kicks is a relatively new vehicle on the market, but the small SUV from the Japanese manufacturer is already doing quite well. It is constantly increasing in popularity and I would even say that it is seriously starting to overshadow the competition.

As is the case with all subcompact SUVs, the Nissan Kicks relies above all on an upscale design, advanced technologies and a pleasant ride to please. The latter is especially intended for a young and urban clientele. It is a vehicle with a strong personality and that is something that particularly pleases the new generation of drivers. Nissan states the 2020 Kicks is "designed to fit the needs of singles or couples looking for unique styling, roominess, personal technology, smart functionality and advanced safety features at an affordable price."

Some believe that Nissan offers too many SUVs, but the success of the Kicks proves quite the opposite. In fact, expect the majority of new vehicles on the market to be SUVs in the next few years. I, personally, was very pleased to see the Kicks at such an affordable price.

The 2020 Nissan Kicks is powered by a small 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that develops 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. Like I mentioned above, this is a relatively modest power even for a vehicle of this size.

The Kicks is a very light vehicle with a total weight of 2600 lbs, which is reflected in its fuel consumption of 31 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined. As a result, this makes the 2020 Nissan Kicks as one of the most economical non-hybrid vehicles at the pump on the market.

Regarding the design and the interior I can say that Nissan is betting on a modern and dynamic design, which is very eye-catching. With the 2-tone finish and its floating roof, the small SUV from the manufacturer really stands out from the crowd and that's exactly the image that Nissan was looking for. Moreover, it is not something unique to the Kicks since the Hyundai Venue, the Kia Soul and the Toyota CH-R which are all rivals of the Kicks offer substantially the same concept.

The interior of the 2020 Nissan Kicks is rather modest, which is quite normal for this kind of vehicle at that affordable price, but it has all the essentials. The materials that make up the interior are not of high quality, but the design makes up for everything. In fact, I must say that for such an affordable vehicle, the Kicks offers fairly complete standard equipment and the Japanese manufacturer has managed to integrate everything well into the dashboard. Each element is easily accessible and this is what makes the Kicks so pleasant to drive.

The 2020 Nissan Kicks is a surprisingly spacious and well-functional CUV. It offers fairly complete standard equipment and the value for money of the SV version is particularly advantageous. The 2020 Nissan Kicks is sure to turn heads on its way, especially when you opt for one of the two-tone color combinations.

By the way, the rumor is that the 2021 Nissan Kicks is having a facelift and will grow to look like a sharp SUV. We, at Torque News, look forward to it.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.