Nissan Kicks e-POWER Facelift Review

Truthfully, the thought of yet another crossover joining Nissan's local lineup wasn't particularly exciting back in 2020. But with the power of its electric motor wrapped in one fist - extraverted styling (bright colour schemes included) wrapped in the other - the Nissan Kicks e-POWER was always determined to land a good few punches against longer-standing rivals on the market. Eventually, we, too, were thoroughly won over.

Three years have come and gone since, suddenly bringing with them the time for the Kicks to receive a mid-life facelift. The updates are light, admittedly, and differ from the more immediately notable overhauls received by a couple of other SUVs/crossovers here in recent months. Nonetheless, they are also effective, and quietly enhance a car that was already compelling enough to begin with.  

Right on trend 

Viewed head on, the 2023 Kicks e-POWER looks exactly as it did back in 2020.

Narrow eyes flank a huge 'V-Motion' grille, while black plastic lining the wheel arches and roof rails - pulled straight from the crossover design playbook - round out its 'urban' look.

Those who prefer something more aggressive can opt for the Adventure Series bodykit on this car, which throws in a rear spoiler, sportier-looking alloys (still 17-inchers), and front, side and rear skirts with red accents.

Come round to the rear, however, and one will notice a new strip connecting the taillights. Worth noting is that this is not an actual light bar but a 'light casing' (as a spokesperson described to us) - meaning it does not contain any bulbs and thus does not illuminate. Nonetheless, this new addition, in adhering with the current trend, does give the car a slightly more contemporary look.

Blink and you'll miss

Unless you're a longtime owner of the pre-facelifted Kicks e-POWER, what greets you when you step into the cabin isn't likely to feel too different either.

The dashboard layout is exactly the same as what we previously had. A responsive, button-aided 8.0-inch NissanConnect infotainment touchscreen takes centrestage, while the driver's display is a analogue-digital mix, including a 7.0-inch screen with one small but crucial update (we'll get to that in a bit).

Again, the updates are subtle, but do sprinkle an extra bit of sophistication over the Kicks once they are called to attention. For starters, non Apple-devotees have no longer been given short shrift, as the NissanConnect system finally supports wired Android Auto.

The Kicks now gets an elevated centre console that won't be unfamiliar to drivers of the Note e-POWER too. Tacked onto this is Nissan's latest e-POWER gear shifter, which is more elegant with its squared-out computer mouse shape than the previous stick lever. 

The previous centre console effectively felt like it was split into two parts - where the cupholders were located, and then onto the elevated portion with the gear shifter - but it's now a single, flat piece. This layout now allows for the placement of taller cups or bottles by default, but one neat trick is its configurability. If you're just getting a medium-sized Yakult Green Tea, you can fold down a flap to raise the height of the recess. 

For those who felt that the the previous punch of orange was bordering on garishness, the more muted, amber-coloured Nappa leather provided on the new car will surely delight. (This applies for Premium Plus variants; Premium models get black Nappa leather instead.)

Even better, provided as standard are tweaks to the doors, including soft-touch materials and a glossy, brushed material in place of silver plastic. One gets the sense that Nissan is playing the long game here: By honing in on the smaller details that will help the car remain in favour of its buyer over years of ownership.

Otherwise, this is still the comfortable and spacious interior we've always enjoyed. Because of its raised roof, even whoever is relegated to the middle seat on the rear bench will have enough headroom, while shoulder and legroom are great for a compact car. 

More pep to its step 

It's not just cosmetic updates that have impacted the Kicks e-POWER, however, as the crossover now uses Nissan's second-generation e-POWER drivetrain. (A quick explainer/refresher: The Serena and pre-facelifted Kicks belong to Gen 1; the Note, to Gen 2; and the most recent X-Trail, to Gen 3.)

The system you'll find when you peel back the Kicks' sheet metal is fundamentally unchanged: The car's front wheels are completely driven by an electric motor, which in turn, is powered by a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine acting as a generator. 

However, that electric motor now has a marginally higher torque rating - 280Nm, or 20Nm more than before - and the car is thus slightly quicker off the line. Its century sprint timing now stands at 9.5s, compared to 9.7s previously. 

The fact that you can call upon all 280Nm within a finger's snap makes the Kicks e-POWER very delightful to drive. The car feels peppy off the lights, and supplants road hogs with great ease when on the highway. Steering is light, and while it does ride more firmly than some other crossovers, it's not to the extent where it crashes and judders over uneven surfaces. Best of all, cabin insulation is impressive - a quality accentuated by the sense of quiet provided by its electric drive.

On this note, total silence is unrealistic despite the electric propulsion, since the car's engine still has to work to power the motors. But for what is supposed to be an 'entry-level' car, Nissan has shielded occupants relatively well from the sounds of the system; the drone feels quite subdued even when mashing the accelerator pedal.

As with the pre-facelifted car, putting the car into Eco mode allows for one-pedal driving; lift off the throttle and its regenerative braking system will bring the vehicle to a halt. Here's where we return to the updated display. 

Nissan says a key concern voiced by customers was a lack of indication about when the car's brake lights were coming on with the regenerative brakes in operation. (How, then, would motorists behind know if they were slowing down?)

To address this, the 7.0-inch screen on the driver's display can now be toggled to a digital image of the car from the rear, which effectively works as a live display of its brake lights. (The car's remaining range was displayed in the same spot previously; it's now been moved down to the screen's bottom edge.) The update may have a functional purpose of providing extra assurance - but it also feels like a good-humoured touch fully coherent with the car's lively character.

'Extra kick'

Most of us didn't know what to expect when Nissan first launched the Kicks e-POWER, but appreciation for the car has genuinely grown over time. 

While serving up all the practicality and ease-of-driving sought in a compact crossover, the combination of its small size and unique drivetrain elicits enjoyment from behind the wheel one might not expect when first setting eyes on the car. It's well-equipped, too, with Premium Plus variants offering safety assistance features such as blind spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. 

In other words, the Kicks e-POWER was already largely on the right course all along, and instead of altering it drastically, what Nissan has (rightfully) done with the update is iron out some of the rougher edges to make it a more complete car. With this - as we'd colloquially say -  'extra kick', the model remains one of today's best-packaged compact crossovers.

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