Nissan Kicks e-Power is a new petrol-electric hybrid car that has recently appeared in Vietnam. The car belongs to the B-segment urban SUV category, which is highly competitive with many car manufacturers participating.
This high-riding model features e-Power technology, where the car uses an electric motor to drive the wheels, without the need for the petrol engine to provide direct power. The petrol engine acts as a generator, supplying electricity to the battery pack and electric motor.
Mr. Tu with his Nissan Kicks
Unlike other cars in the same segment, the price to own a Nissan Kicks is considered relatively high in the market. Let’s chat with Mr. Tu (40 years old, Hanoi) about his recently purchased Nissan Kicks in 2023.
Hello! Can you share the reason why your family purchased a Nissan Kicks?
Hello everyone, my family purchased a Nissan Kicks in August 2023, so it has been more than 4 months now. We have driven the Nissan Kicks on many roads. Many people comment that the price of the car is quite high compared to the market average, but as a daily user, I find the value of the car to be reasonable compared to the cost.
Mr. Tu believes that although the price of the Nissan Kicks is higher than its competitors, the value of the car justifies the cost
Many people compare the initial investment amount with other cars in the same price range, but with that price, we would have a traditional petrol car with a heavier emphasis on brand. For example, Honda, Toyota, or Korean cars.
Like any other customer, I also had a test drive before purchasing. I found the Nissan Kicks to be very different from traditional petrol cars. When the battery is fully charged, the petrol engine turns off, and the car runs purely on electric power, making it very smooth. I have driven sedans, pickups, and SUVs before, but the Nissan Kicks is very agile, fuel-efficient, has good acceleration, and a smooth ride.
The car performs exceptionally well in urban areas, with easy and flexible handling and fuel efficiency
The car has an e-pedal system that provides great assistance when going uphill, downhill, or decelerating. Especially in the city, I hardly need to brake. Just release the accelerator and the car automatically decelerates. Therefore, the car is easy to drive, even for beginners like my wife.
My family has traveled many routes in the Northwestern region with the Nissan Kicks, such as Tram Tau and Thai Nguyen, and the experience was very smooth.
So, before the Nissan Kicks, you have owned several other cars, right?
That’s right. In 2014, I bought a Toyota Altis 2.0, which was a new model. In 2018, I bought a Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck, also brand new. Last year, I bought a used Chevrolet Trailblazer.
The petrol engine in the Nissan Kicks acts as a generator. When the petrol runs out, users still have to refuel like other traditional cars. What are your thoughts on the fuel efficiency of the car?
Since the car uses the petrol engine as a generator, it is extremely fuel-efficient. In the past few months, I only had to refuel once a month, with costs ranging from 800,000 to 1 million VND. This petrol engine still requires regular oil changes like any other car engine, and the cost of oil change is less than 500,000 VND.
I find the maintenance costs to be quite cheap. For example, with the Altis, the minimum maintenance cost was around 600,000 to 700,000 VND, the Triton was around 800,000 to 900,000 VND, and the Trailblazer ranged from 1 to 1.2 million VND.
Most B-segment SUVs are equipped with active safety systems, such as the Honda HR-V and Toyota Yaris Cross, but the Nissan Kicks does not have this feature. In your opinion, is this system necessary?
Currently, active safety systems are available in many cars, but personally, I think these systems are only truly useful when driving on highways at speeds above 90 km/h. In urban driving, the driver is the main factor and cannot rely on the car to handle everything. Therefore, I personally don’t care much about that feature.
This is your fourth car, so how do you choose a car based on your criteria?
I choose based on my usage needs. Previously, I used the Trailblazer for travel purposes as it had a high ground clearance, 7 spacious seats, and a large luggage capacity. As for the Nissan Kicks, I use it for short trips, about 150-200 km or for urban driving.
I have also taken the Nissan Kicks on long trips to the Northeast and Northwest regions, mostly on highways and to places where I know the roads are good.
What do you see as the drawbacks of the Nissan Kicks?
The interior equipment of the car does not look good. Since this is the E variant, it does not have leather seats, but rather cloth seats, which I do not like. The plastic materials in certain areas feel rough. This is in stark contrast to the modern exterior and high-tech features of the car. I expected the interior of the car to be equally beautiful as the exterior.
Mr. Tu is not satisfied with the design and interior materials, and besides that, the Nissan Kicks lacks many basic features in its segment, such as non-power-adjustable cloth seats and no rear air vents.
The infotainment screen is also not very user-friendly, with a slow touchscreen. The seats are manually adjustable, not power-adjustable, and the car does not have rear air vents, while other competitors do have them.
It would be better if the rear seats could recline further, but this detail depends on the usage needs. For regular long trips, reclining seats are necessary, but for urban driving, it’s not essential.
If the Nissan Kicks carries 5 adults, it is cramped, and the person in the middle seat does not have comfortable legroom.
There are many types of electric cars on the market now, with prices ranging from 500 million to over 1 billion VND. Why didn’t you buy a fully electric car?
I work in the transportation industry, so I have done quite a bit of research on electric cars and various electric car brands worldwide. For a car brand to accumulate sufficient experience, it takes 10-20 years or even more.
In Vietnam, the VinFast electric car brand is still very new. VinFast itself is transitioning from petrol cars, so they do not have enough experience for me to trust the quality of their cars.
Next are the Chinese car brands. I am not completely confident in their quality, whether it’s Baic or BYD. Although these Chinese brands are starting to establish authorized dealerships in Vietnam, the service and repair quality are not guaranteed yet.
In contrast, Nissan is a well-established brand in the global market as well as in Japan. The Nissan Kicks also sells well in Thailand, so I am confident in it.
Thank you for sharing!
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