Re: How much of a gamble is it really to buy the Nissan Kicks? After selling my old 2nd hand Skoda Octavia L&K MK1, I was on the lookout for a petrol car, with decent boot space, good build, and low maintenance costs. Also, I was looking for used cars not more than 1-2 years old. Me and my wife, while visiting multiple used car shops in Hyderabad, came across a 5-month-old Nissan Kicks XV petrol. Honestly speaking for both of us, we had not heard much about the Kicks in the market because of its low popularity.
The points of discussions that led to the purchase of this car are listed below:
- The immaculate condition. The car had only done 3000 KMs, was less that 6 months old and the exterior and interior condition was as good as a new car. In fact most of the plastic covers inside were still intact. The paint was new without any swirl marks, there were no scratches on the alloys and the fiber cladding on the car was not faded.
- Condition of the engine and mechanical parts. Since this was a new and low mileage car, we were assured that the engine, clutch, gearbox, and the tires wouldn’t have undergone any major wear and tear. There was also no servicing done as the first free servicing for Nissan Kicks is 10000KM or 1 year.
- Dimensions. The car looked tall when we compared it with other cars from the same segment in the shop. It had a decent 400 L boot, a center armrest, company fitted infotainment system with Android Auto, remote control for the infotainment system (Nissan Kicks does not have steering mounted controls but rather an additional stalk behind the steering wheel with all the controls for music, calls and voice control) - which were all the things we were looking for in our new car. In addition to this, we were impressed with the large 17-inch wheels.
- Vehicle inspection – We took the car to the Nissan service and had it inspected for any issues before finalizing the deal. The service advisor at Nissan was reluctant to carry out a general checkup as the car was new but agreed after I insisted. The results came out negative. There were no faults in the car. The car also had 3 years of extended warranty which was a bonus to the regular 2 years of warranty.
- Variant – this was the petrol non-turbo variant. Previously I owned an 18 years old 1.9 TDI Octavia and was used to driving a turbo diesel. The pull after the turbo lag, the torque and the heavy engine all appealed me but they came with a heavy maintenance cost(Turbo, EGR, mounts, etc). So, considering my past ownership experience, I was really looking forward to the Nissan Kicks 1.5 L petrol without the turbo. It was a simple engine meaning less components hence less maintenance. It also did not have a sunroof, which was another relief, because as the car ages, the rails of the sunroof, the motor all require upkeep. All in all, I wanted a trouble free, less complex car and this was it.
Considering all these points, we decided to purchase the car. The used car shop also helped me with an agent from the RTO office to assist with the RC and insurance transfer. Once the RC was transferred, I contacted Nissan to update my name as the owner in their records.
I have visited the Nissan workshop twice till date. They are busy throughout with Nissan /Datsun cars. I have even seen old Micra, Sunny and Teana being serviced. The service advisors are very polite and prompt. I was recently made aware that they have a PMP (Pre-paid maintenance package) for 2,3 and 5 years where you pay a sum of money in advance to cover the future costs of service and parts. I had apprehensions about the service and parts availability as the car has been discontinued. But the service advisors assured that there will not be any issue for spares and service.
It took me sometime to switch to driving a petrol engine, but it would be right to say that we have fallen in love with the car. The silent engine, the smooth drive, instant acceleration, all black interiors, and good suspension have won our hearts.
Lastly, before closing this article, I would like to list out some points that I do not like in the car.
- Minimal storage space inside the cabin. The central armrest does not open. There are no cupholders and the glovebox is deep but narrow.
- Absence of dead pedal. Again, this is something one can get used to over time.
- No start stop push button and no foldable key.
- Full features of the Nissan connect app are not available for the 1.5 SV non-turbo variant.
- Missing 50-50 split for the rear seats.
- Brakes feel spongy. |