2025 Nissan Kicks Review: Budget Conscious Crossover

The Nissan Kicks might have started its life in South America, where it debuted at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, but it made its way to the U.S. only a year later. This Kicks filled the void left by the polarizing Juke’s U.S. departure from the small crossover space, which is only becoming more popular and competitive. The Kicks gave Nissan a new, competitively priced small crossover to help sway entry-level shoppers to its dealer. Well, the Kicks was popular enough to warrant a second generation, which gave the Kicks bolder styling and more power. Now stuffed under the hood of the Nissan Kicks is a 2.0-liter that sends 141 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque through a CVT to the front wheels, or through the optional all-wheel-drive system. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Nissan Kicks and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the ’25 Kicks where he highlights some of his favorite features and the new features that join the second-generation machine. Later, Murphy takes you on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2025 Kicks, how it's standing up against the competitive set on the sales chart, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the ’25 Nissan Kicks special.