Nissan Kicks SUV Bookings Stopped in India; Here's Why

Nissan India has reportedly suspended the bookings for the Kicks SUV in India. The company has temporarily stopped accepting its bookings on the official website. Not just the carmaker, dealers across the country have stopped the immediate bookings of the Nissan Kicks as well. According to industry sources, this decision has been made due to low sales volume throughout 2022. The SUV's sales figures show that Nissan managed to sell only 3 units of the Kicks in last November. Besides, it did not dispatch even a single unit in the following three months. Meanwhile, we expect that the SUV might get discontinued due to upcoming BS6 Phase II emission norms, which will come into effect from April 1, 2023.

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The RDE (Real Driving Emission) or BS6 Phase II norms require vehicles to have an onboard self-diagnostic equipment to monitor real-time driving pollution levels, along with other emission devices such as catalytic converter and oxygen sensors. 

Nissan Kicks SUV: Engine and Specs

The Nissan Kicks receives two engine options: a Mercedes-derived 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol motor and a 1.5-litre NA (naturally aspirated) petrol engine. The 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine churns out 154bhp of maximum power and 254Nm of peak torque, while the 1.5-litre NA petrol engine delivers 104bhp of power output and 142Nm of torque.

To give you a brief background, Nissan India launched the updated Kicks SUV (a BS6 upgrade) in 2020 at an introductory price of Rs 9.50 lakh (ex-showroom) for the NA variants. The carmaker decided to discontinue the diesel powertrain and introduce the 1.5-litre NA petrol engine. At the time, the crossover was available in 7 variants with manual and CVT transmission options.

Nissan Kicks SUV: Colour options, Rivals 

The updated Kicks is offered with a total of 9 colour options. There are 6 monotone options that include Blade Silver, Night Shade, Bronze Grey, Fire Red, Pearl White and Deep Blue Pearl. In addition, the car is also available in 3 dual-tone options - Bronze Grey with Amber Orange, Fire Red with Onyx Black, and Pearl White with Onyx Black. As for its rivals, the 2020 Nissan Kicks competes against the likes of the newly launched Hyundai Creta, the Kia Seltos, and others.

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Despite its bookings being temporarily suspended, the Kicks is still listed on the company's website. As far as the SUV's update with respect to the new RDE norms are concerned, there are no clear details.  

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