Nissan Kicks variants spotted testing ahead of 18 October premiere

IAB reader Harini from Chennai has spotted two heavily camouflaged test mules of the Nissan Kicks. Nissan Motor India will officially reveal the new model on 18 October. The company has already released the teaser sketches of its Hyundai Creta rival, confirming a few details.

Underpinning the global-spec Nissan Kicks is the Nissan's V-platform, which is also called the Versatile platform, that debuted on the Nissan Micra in 2010. On the other hand, the India-spec version will be based on the low-cost B0/Logan architecture. The Renault-Nissan alliance platform was last adopted on the local version of Renault Captur. The Indian version of the SUV will have larger dimensions than the global model which measures 4,295 mm in length, 1,760 mm in width, and 1,590 mm in height.

Speaking on the design of the India-spec model, Alfonso Albaisa, Senior VP (Global Design), Nissan has told IAB that some people who have seen the new model believe that the Indian version looks better due to its larger dimensions. We expect the design of the interior to stay true to the international version.

The Indian-spec Nissan Kicks will share its engine and transmission options with the Duster. These include the 1.5-litre H4K petrol engine mated to a 5-speed MT or a CVT and the 1.5-litre K9K oil-burner that is available with a 6-speed manual transmission or an AMT. AWD isn't on offer globally, and we don’t expect that here either.

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The Nissan Kicks will launch in India in January 2019 with bookings likely to start around the end of 2018. The model could have a base price of INR 9.5 lakhs (ex-showroom).