India-bound Nissan Kicks teased ahead of May 3 debut

Ahead of its global premier on the opening day of the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil, a teaser of the Kicks compact SUV was released by the Nissan recently. While the South American markets are set to witness the introduction of the Nissan Kicks initially, there are ample reasons why Indian enthusiasts should be excited about the car too.

First unveiled as a concept at the 2014 Sao Paolo Auto Show, the car could underpin the same V-Platform as the Nissan Micra and Nissan Sunny. Secondly, Nissan would be looking to phase out the Terrano that has failed to generate volumes, leave alone replicate the success of its Renault cousin, Duster. But though nothing has been confirmed by the Japanese manufacturer in India yet, these two factors could majorly influence its decision to bring the Nissan Kicks to India as early as possible.

On the outside, the car speaks of a sporty design, high-ground clearance and SUV-like stance. The concept came with dual-tone exteriors while complementing dual-tone alloys, an oblong grille and sleek headlamps further added to the sporty feel of the purported sub-4 meter SUV.

For the Brazilian markets, the Nissan Kicks could be offered with a 1.6-litre flex-fuel (petrol/ethanol) engine. However, the India-bound model could come with both fuel choices in the form of the 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. The compact SUV market in India is brewing with options and if Nissan plays smart like Renault did with the Duster, it could definitely ride this tide.