Nissan Brazil debuts Kicks compact crossover

Nissan Brazil has unveiled the production version of the Nissan Kicks compact crossover on Instagram.

Revealed as a concept during the 2014 Sao Paulo Motor Show and again a year later at the Buenos Aires Motor Show, Nissan saw its potential to pull in a huge market in the Latin American regions. A hefty $192-million was spent to start the production phase at their Resende Industrial Complex located in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

The result is a model that’s been designed as faithful to its prototype. Except for the larger side mirrors, more pronounced hood, bigger headlights, and retouched bumpers, the vehicle looks mostly the same as the concept. It even carries over the bright orange roof.

The Kicks’ underpinnings are based on the smaller Nissan March/Micra. But because of its similarities with the concept, it would most likely be a bit taller, wider, and longer than the Nissan Juke by a few notches.

However, Nissan has yet to reveal most of what customers can get with the Kicks - details such as its price, interior amenities, engine specs, and other technicalities.

The Nissan Kicks will demonstrate its full capabilities at this year’s Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro. Designed to reflect the Brazilian and Latin American cultures, it will be the Rio 2016 Olympic Games’ official car. 

Its global availability has not been officially stated yet, but it would be interesting to see how it will hold up against such models like the Ford EcoSport and the Chevrolet Trax.

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