The 2022 Nissan Kicks is a fuel-friendly and uniquely customizable subcompact SUV packed with safety features and technology. Nissan knows how to deliver high quality in a small package, especially if you want to stick to a budget, yet you won’t feel like you’re sacrificing style or comfort. With a sporty vibe on the outside, the Kicks exhibits the handsome appeal that so many of their vehicles tend to have in the Nissan lineup. On the inside, the layout makes short work of getting on the road; all the controls are within easy reach, and the dash has a modern, clean look that isn’t over-designed. There are a lot of great features to love about the 2022 Kicks, so we made up a top ten list of our favourites. After you read about what the Kicks has to offer, you might find yourself searching “Nissan dealer near me” to get one for yourself!
#1 – Price
Few new vehicles are available in the low $20K range in the current market. But Nissan makes it possible to not only own a 2022 Kicks for a starting price of just $20,199 CAD, but it comes loaded with numerous standard features, including the full Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of driver-assist technology. Even in the uppermost trim, the Kicks remains affordable at a starting cost of $25,398 CAD before destination fees or options. Considering all the choices for customizing, the Kicks has a lot to offer buyers who are looking for a small SUV with both personality and good fuel economy.
#2 – Color Options
The Nissan Kicks is one of the most fun vehicles on the market to purchase, thanks to the numerous colour options. Every trim comes with a stylish two-tone colour palette where the main colour is offset with black accents to create an alluring profile. This can be taken even further, as five of the colour options offer an all-black roof for a really fun and unique look. Once you finalize colours for the exterior, you move inside the Kicks, where you get to choose options for the interior, too. Having so many options in such an affordable vehicle really makes the Kicks shine. Nissan certainly knows how to design a vehicle that you will enjoy being seen in.
#3 – Bose Headrest Speakers
Here again, Nissan delivers the fun. While car stereo systems can be optioned with an excessive number of speakers that can include subwoofers or incorporate amplifiers and equalizers, there is another option that changes sound quality for the driver. The Bose Personal Plus Audio System uses Bose UltraNearField speakers that are embedded in the driver’s headrest, making the sound quality more like wearing headphones. Obviously, wearing real headphones while driving is not recommended for safety reasons, so headrest speakers are the next best thing. You can choose from three settings when using the headrest speakers, with forward frontal, increased envelopment, and full immersion settings to personalize the sound quality. Then, if you want to share with the rest of the passengers, you can switch back to the traditional stereo system.
#4 – Around View Monitor
Whether you choose the full-screen birds-eye view or go with the split-screen option to see the Kicks from two angles at once, the available Around View Monitor works for both parking and low-speed driving safety. Being able to see how close you are to vehicles parked too close on any side is incredibly helpful, especially if you also need to keep an eye out for crossing traffic as you back out of a parking space. No more driving blind when trying to navigate in close quarters.
#5 – Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Using the standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert in combination with the available Around View Monitor, parking lots won’t trouble you ever again. This feature uses sensors to detect when traffic is about to cross your path while you are driving in reverse at low speeds. A warning is issued to let you know that a car may be approaching so you can brake before pulling out of a parking space or driveway; a lifesaver if you happen to live on a busy road or have low visibility to pull out safely. Few manufacturers offer such a feature at all, and even fewer make it standard across all the trims of their most affordable models.
#6 – Rear Door Alert
Essentially a rear-seat reminder, the Rear Door Alert pops up a visual message in the driver display to remind you to check the back seat. The feature remembers that the rear door was opened prior to the vehicle being driven, and once the car is stopped and the ignition turned off, it automatically sends a message. If the driver walks away from the vehicle without opening the rear door, the Kicks will honk the horn a few times as an audio warning to check the rear seat. Whether you put a child, a pet, or just a package in the rear seat, the Kicks won’t let you forget.
#7 – Zero Gravity Seats
The incredible design of these seats was inspired by space exploration and the study of the natural posture of the human body in zero gravity. The result is a seat that is supportive and impressively comfortable, perfect for long drives. If you plan to commute in your Kicks, these seats are made to help reduce fatigue from the discomfort that can occur with seats that don’t provide enough back, neck, or leg support. Enjoy just enough cushion that cradles you while you drive for hours.
#8 – Speed Sensitive Steering
As the name would suggest, the Kicks is equipped with an automated system that senses the vehicle speed and then adjusts the amount of steering assistance according to how fast the SUV is driving. This simply means that when you drive at lower speeds, the system gives more assistance to the steering power because, at lower speeds, the vehicle is more ungainly with less momentum. Once the Kicks is going faster, momentum makes steering easier, and less steering assistance is needed. As a side effect, when the system uses less power, you save on fuel, too. More highway driving means more fuel savings.
#9 – Intelligent Trace Control
Automation can make almost any driver look like a pro with assistance like Nissan’s Intelligent Trace Control. Before features like this, people had to deal with the fallout when taking turns too fast, but now a little sensor goes a long way. When steering around a bend, the sensor input tells the system to apply brakes to individual wheels if it detects slippage or loss of control, which then corrects the problem and keeps the Kicks on the road. It only handles minor adjustments, unlike safety features that mitigate road departure, but you will definitely notice how easily the Kicks takes corners and curves.
#10 – Set Limits for Other Drivers
If you add NissanConnect to the Kicks, one feature of the service allows buyers to customize alerts about your SUV. For instance, it lets you set boundaries for how far it can be driven, how fast, or even how late before it sends you a message when any of those limitations are exceeded. Parents of teens could benefit from knowing when their kids take the car after they go to bed, or if you have anyone in the family who borrows the car without asking first. Once the car goes outside the parameters you set, you’ll get a message through the app on your smartphone.
