The Nissan Kicks e-Power is a recently introduced hybrid car in Vietnam. It falls under the B-segment urban SUV category, which is highly competitive with many manufacturers involved. This model features e-Power technology, where the electric motor drives the wheels without the need for the petrol engine to directly provide power. The petrol engine acts as a generator, supplying electricity to the battery pack and electric motor.
Compared to other cars in its segment, the Nissan Kicks has a relatively higher price in the market. Let’s hear from Mr. Tu (40 years old, Hanoi) about his experience with the Nissan Kicks, which he purchased in 2023.
Hello! Can you share the reasons behind your family’s decision to purchase a Nissan Kicks?
Hello everyone, my family bought a Nissan Kicks in August 2023. It has been more than 4 months now, and we have driven it on various roads. While many people comment on the higher price of the car compared to the market average, as a daily user, I find the car’s value reasonable considering its cost.
Some people compare the initial investment amount with other cars in the same price range. However, with that price, we would only have a traditional petrol car with a stronger emphasis on branding, such as Honda, Toyota, or Korean cars.
Like any other customer, I took a test drive before making the purchase. I found the Nissan Kicks to be quite different from traditional petrol cars. When the battery is fully charged, the petrol engine turns off, and the car solely relies on electric power, resulting in a smooth driving experience. I have driven sedans, pickups, and SUVs before, but the Nissan Kicks stands out with its agility, fuel efficiency, good acceleration, and smooth ride.
The car is equipped with an e-pedal system, which provides great assistance when going uphill, downhill, or decelerating. Especially in the city, I rarely need to use the brakes. Just releasing the accelerator leads to automatic deceleration. Therefore, the car is easy to drive, even for beginners like my wife.
My family has traveled to various destinations in the Northwestern region with the Nissan Kicks, such as Tram Tau and Thai Nguyen, and the experience has been very smooth.
So, before the Nissan Kicks, did you own several other cars?
That’s correct. In 2014, I purchased a new Toyota Altis 2.0. In 2018, I bought a new Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck. Last year, I purchased a used Chevrolet Trailblazer.
The petrol engine in the Nissan Kicks acts as a generator. When the petrol runs out, users still need to refuel like in 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 needed to refuel once a month, with costs ranging from 800,000 to 1 million VND. The petrol engine still requires regular oil changes like any other car engine, and the cost of an oil change is less than 500,000 VND.
I find the maintenance costs to be quite affordable. For example, with the Altis, the minimum maintenance cost was around 600,000 to 700,000 VND. For the Triton, it was around 800,000 to 900,000 VND. And for the Trailblazer, it ranged from 1 to 1.2 million VND.
Most B-segment SUVs come equipped with active safety systems like the Honda HR-V and Toyota Yaris Cross, but the Nissan Kicks lacks this feature. What is your opinion on the necessity of this system?
Active safety systems are available in many cars currently, but in my personal opinion, these systems are really useful mainly when driving on highways at speeds above 90 km/h. In urban driving, the driver is the primary factor and cannot solely rely on the car to handle everything. Therefore, I don’t place much emphasis on this feature.
Considering this is your fourth car, how do you choose a car based on your criteria?
I choose a car based on my usage needs. Previously, I used the Trailblazer for travel purposes due to its high ground clearance, 7 spacious seats, and large luggage capacity. As for the Nissan Kicks, I use it for short trips of 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 in good condition.
What do you see as the drawbacks of the Nissan Kicks?
The interior equipment of the car doesn’t look great. Since this is the E variant, it doesn’t have leather seats, only cloth seats, which I don’t like. The plastic materials in certain areas feel rough. This is in contrast to the modern exterior and high-tech features of the car. I expected the interior to be equally pleasing.
The infotainment screen is also not very user-friendly, with a slow touchscreen. The seats are manually adjustable, not power-adjustable, and the car lacks rear air vents, which are available in other competing models.
It would be better if the rear seats could recline further, but this feature depends on personal usage needs. For regular long trips, reclining seats are necessary, but for urban driving, they are not essential.
If the Nissan Kicks carries 5 adults, it feels cramped, and the person in the middle seat doesn’t have comfortable legroom.
Many types of electric cars are available on the market now, with prices ranging from 500 million to over 1 billion VND. Why didn’t you buy a fully electric car?
As I work in the transportation industry, I have conducted extensive research on electric cars and various global electric car brands. It takes 10-20 years or even longer for a car brand to accumulate sufficient experience. In Vietnam, the VinFast electric car brand is relatively new. VinFast is transitioning from petrol cars, so they don’t have enough experience for me to trust the quality of their cars.
Next, there are Chinese car brands. I don’t have complete confidence 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 yet guaranteed.
In contrast, Nissan is a well-established brand in the global market, especially in Japan. The Nissan Kicks is also selling well in Thailand, providing me with confidence in the brand.
Thank you for sharing!
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