SCOOP! Nissan readies EcoSport rival

The compact SUV segment is red hot in India, and the latest manufacturer to join the bandwagon is Nissan. The Japanese carmaker is readying an all-new compact SUV to take on the Ford EcoSport in our market. This SUV is expected to be based on the Nissan Kicks concept urban SUV which was earlier shown in South America. 

 

This new compact SUV from Nissan will be powered by the familiar 1.5-litre dCi K9K diesel motor that also does duty in various Renault-Nissan products in India. However, it remains to be seen if it gets the 83bhp or the 108bhp version.

 

Designed by Nissan design studios in both North and South America, the Nissan Kicks concept features traditional SUV styling traits, including a raised ride height and muscular front and rear bumpers. The model also uses Nissan's V-shaped front-end design.

 

The Nissan Kicks concept SUV is 4.3 meters long, but our sources tell us that Nissan could shorten the length to four meters for our market, in order to qualify for the tax benefits which will help it to price it competitively against the Ford EcoSport.

 

The new Nissan compact SUV for India is expected to be showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo 2016.