They say one who can drive in India can drive anywhere in the world. I thought people exaggerated when they said this. Turns out, it’s true.
The Quint was invited for the drive of the Nissan Kicks to Dubai, and little did I know that there was a surprise waiting for me.
First, Nissan Kicks has been touted as the SUV in Nissan’s portfolio that will be heading to the Indian market next year. Nissan has said the India-bound Kicks will be different from what’s being sold in the Gulf. It’s going to be bigger in size and will come with better tech inside the car.
Now to the surprise! When I got to Dubai, I was told I would be driving not one, but four Nissan SUVs — Nissan Pathfiner, X-Trail, Patrol and the Kicks.
The first Nissan car I got behind the wheel in was the X-Trail. Though the X-Trail isn’t that familiar in the Indian territory, Nissan thinks very highly of this car. It’s a comfortable, good car, and has a 2.5-litre engine, but somehow, while driving, I felt it lacked punch.
Next in line was the Nissan Pathfinder. Experiencing the 3.5-liter V-6 engine on the highways was a bliss. Pumping 284 horses, this car is brute power with a touch of luxury.
After the seamless highway run, it was time to hit the challenging dusty terrain. I had the perfect machine to battle the dunes: The Nissan Patrol. Powered by a massive 5.6-litre V8 engine, this 4x4 beast of an SUV is capable of delivering max power of 400bhp and 560Nm of torque.
On the highways, the Patrol is intimidating because of its big size, although all that bulk does come at a heavy price. Fuel economy at just 14 kmpl on the highways is something that’ll give Indian car drivers nightmares. Guess that’s why the Patrol never came to India.
The Kicks in the Gulf is the starting level sub-compact crossover which underpins the likes of the Nissan Juke. It’s very practical and handles itself well on the road. Though, isn’t that imposing?
The upholstery is very basic, and even the instrument cluster mostly comes with physical buttons rather a touch interface. It’s good that the one coming to India will do away with the basics and add more tech.
Also, India will receive the Kicks with a 1.5-litre engine. We can expect the car to come to India early in January 2019. Nissan can expect stiff competition from the likes of the Hyundai Creta and also the Suzuki Brezza.
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