Nissan’s moment has arrived. On June 18, Japan welcomes the new Kicks — and this is no cosmetic facelift, despite what many expected. The crossover wears third-gen e-POWER for the first time, paired with e-4ORCE all-wheel drive. In other words, it’s leaping into the same league as Nissan’s bigger models.
Prices start at 2,999,700 yen for the front-wheel-drive X Simple Package and climb to 4,248,200 yen for the G e-4ORCE. That’s roughly $20,716–29,338 at current rates. Eight trim levels. Eight — that’s a lot, and it’s deliberate: Nissan wants the Kicks to play both the affordable urban SUV card and the pricier all-wheel-drive family hauler card at the same time. A jack-of-all-trades.
But the real story is hiding under the hood. The e-POWER electric unit is now built on a 5-in-1 layout: motor, generator, inverter, reduction gear, and step-up converter crammed into a single module. More compact, lighter, quieter. It works alongside a 1.4-liter HR14DDe gasoline engine that never turns the wheels — it serves purely as a generator. The buyer gets EV-like behavior without a charging plug or range anxiety. The electric motor moves the wheels; the gas engine quietly feeds the battery. A deal that, five years ago, sounded too good to be true.
The 4WD versions get e-4ORCE — an electric all-wheel-drive system that orchestrates motors and brakes in real time. For the Kicks, this is a serious step up. Compact crossovers usually sell on the “city plus occasional weekend trips” formula, but in Japan, snow, mountain switchbacks, and tight streets quickly separate the marketing SUV from a machine with real traction on both axles. A dedicated SNOW mode is included.
Nissan tied the design language to an American football helmet — and isn’t shy about it. A wide horizontal grille, expressive daytime running lights, a full-width rear light bar. Inside, expect soft-touch materials, more knee and head room, Zero Gravity rear seats, Google services tied into NissanConnect, and a dual 12.3-inch display in higher trims. ProPilot now comes standard on every version, no exceptions, and the surround-view cameras have learned several new modes.
Against the Toyota Yaris Cross, Honda Vezel, and Mazda CX-3, the new Kicks bets not on the usual hybrid setup but on the feel of an EV. Toyota wins on fuel economy and resale value. Honda — on thoughtful cabin design and versatility. Nissan plays a different card: silent running, the instant punch of an electric motor, all-wheel drive — and all of it without buying a full EV. The pitch targets buyers who want tomorrow’s sensations today, but aren’t ready to be tethered to a charging cable.
