The 2025 Nissan Kicks Kicks Ass: Review

Nissan’s recent struggles are no secret, but the company still does one thing well: cheap, small cars. The 2025 Kicks is no exception. For the new year, the brand’s smallest SUV gets some big changes to the design, interior, and powertrain, which makes the already-excellent SUV even better. Plus, customers get two new features they’ve long been asking for: all-wheel drive and ProPilot Assist.

The exterior looks awesome. Nissan has moved away from its signature “V-Motion” grille and since adopted a flatter front-end design that works especially well on the new Kicks. The horizontal slats in the gloss black grille blend seamlessly into the headlights and running lights, while some extra black plastic dips down into the base of the bumper. It looks a little mouthy, but it works.

This SR trim is especially pretty. Additional black accents dot the exterior and blade-like 19-inch wheels come standard. You can also option a two-tone paint job; the Arctic Ice Blue with a contrasting black roof on this tester looks absolutely ace.

The interior is no less lovely to look at or sit in. There’s a healthy heaping of black plastic—both glossy and matte—but none of it feels especially chintzy. The SR model adds additional treatments like real leather on the steering wheel and shifter, faux carbon fiber accents (because sporty!), and orange stitching, which makes it all feel more premium.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Pros: Awesome Design, Well-Equipped Cabin, Actual Power, Still Affordable

Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats are excellent. They offer the perfect amount of bolstering and plenty of butt and back support for long-distance cruising. Unfortunately, even at the tippy top of the Kicks range, they are still manually adjustable and don’t come with lumbar support. Not all that unreasonable for such a cheap SUV, but still—it would be nice to have.

The new Kicks is 2.3 inches longer and nearly 1.0 inch taller than the 2024 model, which yields spatial improvements in a few categories. It has 30.0 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk (up from 25.3 inches) and 34.5 inches of legroom in the second row (up from 33.5 inches).

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The two 12.3-inch screens tacked onto the dash are exclusive to the SR model. The SV gets the 12.3-inch touchscreen but not the digital cluster, while the base S model makes do with a 7.0-inch touchscreen. The screens here work wonderfully; the graphics are crystal clear, touch-responsiveness is quick, and everything is easy to access. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also come standard, which is a big plus.

The new Kicks won’t blow your hair back with its performance, but it is unexpectedly nice to drive. A new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine replaces last year’s lethargic 1.6-liter unit, and it makes 141 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. The old Kicks had just 122 hp and 114 lb-ft by comparison.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Cons: Loud At Highway Speeds, No Power-Adjustable Seats, Best Features Limited To Top Trim

The uptick in output is immediately noticeable when you get on the throttle. There’s real, actual, usable torque from the 2.0-liter engine, which gives the Kicks decent pep off the line. Power plateaus quickly, but there’s still enough to easily get the SUV up to highway speeds and for passing. The CVT is mostly inoffensive, but it does give off a little drone at higher speeds. In general, the Kicks can be loud on the highway.

One big improvement to the Kicks for 2025 is the arrival of an all-wheel-drive option. The old Kicks was front-wheel drive only. Now with power at all four corners, the Kicks does better in wet and snowy conditions. Just make sure you’ve got the right tire.

Nissan also finally offers its ProPilot advanced driver assistance technology on the Kicks—but only the SR model. It works as well as most active safety features, keeping the car centered in the lane and at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of it. Braking and throttle are applied smoothly.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

But the real big kicker—pun intended—is the price. The 2025 Nissan Kicks is $23,220 with the mandatory $1,390 destination fee included. That’s only $490 more expensive than the previous model. The SR model, admittedly, isn’t that cheap; the front-wheel-drive SR starts at $27,570 and the all-wheel-drive version is $29,070. But most everything comes standard—the only big option is paint, which ranges in price depending on the color.

The 2025 Kicks is excellent. It ticks all the right boxes for buyers in this category, looks good doing it, and still costs less than $25,000 to start. It begs the question: Why isn’t every Nissan like this?

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Jeff Perez / Motor1

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