Nissan has revealed the India-spec Kicks, which will compete in a quite competitive segment when it arrives next year. It goes up against the current king of the class, the Hyundai Creta, and the stylish, well-equipped Renault Captur. However, the Kicks packs a nice blend of space, looks and equipment that may worry its competition. Does it have enough to topple the established players in this segment? We put them together on paper to find out.

Dimensions

The India-spec Kicks is bigger than the international model. Its length stands at 4,384mm, which is 89mm longer than the model sold abroad, making it the largest SUV here. The Captur and the Kicks share the same M0 platform, which is why they have the same wheelbase, width and ground clearance. However, the Captur is not as long or as tall as the Nissan. The Hyundai Creta has the smallest dimensions in this comparison but is the tallest of the lot.

Powertrain

The Nissan Kicks is most likely to share its engine options with Renault’s Captur, namely the 110hp, 1.5-litre turbo-diesel motor and the 106hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine. Gearbox options for the Nissan will include a 6-speed manual for the diesel and a 5-speed manual for the petrol, the same as the Captur. A CVT gearbox on the petrol and an automatic transmission on the diesel engine will be offered with the Kicks in the future. The Hyundai Creta features the most powerful diesel engine in this comparison, housing a 1.6-litre motor which puts out 128hp and 260Nm of torque, though there is also a 90hp, 1.4-litre diesel motor mated to a 6-speed manual on offer. The Hyundai also gets the option of a 1.6-litre petrol motor making 123hp and 151Nm of peak torque. Both 1.6-litre engines get 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearbox options. The Creta has the largest capacity motors and the highest outputs, and has an added advantage of getting the option of an automatic transmission as well, for the moment.

Equipment

Nissan has only revealed the exteriors of the Kicks, with interior and features details to be unveiled later. Meanwhile, we do know that the Kicks will get full LED headlights, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and 17-inch alloy wheels on the top-spec trims. The Captur also features LED headlights and 17-inch alloys but it misses out on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and gets a smaller, 7.0-inch touchscreen. The Creta is packed with features but misses out on LED headlights. It does, however, get a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and 17-inch alloy wheels on the top-spec SX (O) trim.

Prices

In terms of pricing, it is the Creta that undercuts its rivals, with prices for the petrol trims starting at Rs 9.50 lakh, while the 1.4 diesel option starting at Rs 9.99 lakh. The sticker price for the base 1.6 diesel Creta begins at a more expensive Rs 13.26 lakh, though it comes with an automatic gearbox as standard. However, top-spec versions of the Hyundai are quite pricey in comparison, with the petrol model retailing at Rs 13.66 lakh and the diesel costing Rs 15.10 lakh.

The Captur is priced between Rs 9.99 lakh and Rs 11.46 lakh for the petrol and between Rs 10.99 lakh and Rs 13.25 lakh for the diesel, making it the most affordable of the lot. Interestingly, the top-spec Platine trim is not available on the petrol model, which means it misses out on kit like leather seat upholstery, two addition airbags, ESC and hill-start assist.

As the Kicks will slot in above the Terrano in Nissan India’s range, expect prices for the base petrol variant to start at Rs 9.4 lakh, while the top-spec diesel’s estimated price will be Rs 15 lakh. At this price point, most variants of the Kicks will cost as much as the corresponding Captur trims, while undercutting the Hyundai Creta.