The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released crash-test results for the 2026 Nissan Kicks, and the numbers tell two very different stories. The crossover earned “good” ratings for the small overlap front test, the updated side-impact test, headlights, pedestrian protection, and seat belt reminders. Then came two “marginal” scores — second from the bottom on the IIHS scale — and they undid almost everything else the car got right.
The first stumble came in the updated moderate overlap front test, which now also measures rear-seat occupant protection. The structure and driver protection scored top marks, no complaints there. But for the rear passenger, IIHS flagged elevated chest injury risk. The lap belt also rode up during the test, dragging down the restraint system’s rating. The result applies to 2026 model-year vehicles built before July 2026.
It got worse from there. The standard front crash prevention system also landed a low score. Against a car-shaped target, the Kicks avoided a collision in every run up to 69 km/h — no issues whatsoever. Against a motorcycle target, it failed outright. In the very first test at around 50 km/h, the system never slowed the vehicle down. The remaining motorcycle scenarios weren’t even run after that — there was no point.
The outcome was predictable: the Kicks doesn’t meet the requirements for a 2026 Top Safety Pick award. Those require at least good ratings across the core crash tests, and here two categories stumbled at once.
In the US, the Nissan Kicks is offered with front- or all-wheel drive and starts at $22,730 before destination. Every version comes with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine making 141 hp, paired with a CVT.
