Test Drive: NISSAN KICKS e-POWER

WORDS BY MARIBELLE ALBA

The Nissan Kicks e-Power is billed as offering the best of both worlds, as it utilizes both gasoline and electricity to achieve excellent driving performance with outstanding fuel efficiency. An electric vehicle running on gasoline? How does it work?

A subcompact crossover SUV, the Nissan Kicks e-Power exudes a modern and sporty look with smooth lines flowing from the headlights to the taillights. From a frontal perspective, what stands out are the V-motion grille and boomerang-headlights. Its two-tone color scheme creates a floating roof illusion, for a distinctive silhouette. 5-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels complete the overall package. Except for the e-Power badge on the rear, it does not call attention to its ‘electric’ identity.

The interior trim level is not overly plush or luxurious. Materials and amenities were carefully balanced to offer comfort while keeping the vehicle affordable.

At the heart of the Nissan Kicks is its e-Power unit which consists of the electric motor, an inverter, a lightweight battery, and a gas engine. The wheels are 100% electricity-driven. The gas engine is used to generate power and to charge the battery. The battery stores energy produced by the gas engine and from regenerative braking. The inverter converts DC power into AC power for the electric motor. As electric power is selfgenerated, there is no need to plug into an external power source.

The gasoline engine is a 1.2L 3-cylinder 12-valve DOHC engine that powers the electric drivetrain. Its electric motor pushes out 136ps of power and 280Nm of torque. A total of 96 lithium-ion batteries have a 213kWh capacity.

The transmission system is an automatic single-speed gear reduction, a concept that is novel to many Filipino motorists. Instead of the familiar gear ratios on manual/automatic transmissions, the single-speed gear reduction consists of a set of rotating gears connected to a wheel work that lowers input speed to reduce output speed, all while maintaining output torque.

Except for the entry EL variant, the Kicks e-Power comes with Intelligent Mobility features such as an around view monitor with moving object detection (only on the VL), forward collision warning, emergency braking, and driver attention alert.

On the VE and VL, the audio system is an 8-inch advanced touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity for calling and audiostreaming. It comes with the usual USB Type A port, a USB Type C port, an aux jack, plus a 12V power socket to charge devices.

With regard to driving experience, the Kicks e-Power felt very much like the usual well-made Japanese vehicle that you would expect from Nissan. Starting up the car, you just need to activate the engine using the Push Start/Stop button. Getting the car into gear is different, as there is no gear shift. Instead, you will find in the center console an electronic gear selector that looks more like a remote control. At the top is the Park button and below are the Reverse, Neutral, and Drive modes (D for normal driving and B for brake mode when driving downhill). Once the car starts moving, you can forget about the drive modes unless you will be backing up.

As mentioned earlier, the Kicks e-Power’s transmission is an automatic single-speed gear reduction system. Translated into the driving experience, all it means is that the pressure on the accelerator pedal controls your speed. Speeding up and slowing down feels linear with no shifting sensation as the engine power feels constant.

Unless you monitor the instrument panel which displays the power source, you hardly notice whether the car is relying on the gas engine to generate power. Possibly the only time this becomes obvious is at a full stop and the aircon weakens.

Overall, the Kicks e-Power is fun to drive. It is nimble and responsive in all types of road conditions, and its intelligent mobility and safety features are confidence-inspiring. Plus, of course, there is the added halo effect of driving a more environment-friendly vehicle.

The Nissan Kicks is offered at three trim levels: the e-Power EL at PHP1,239,000; the e-Power VE at PHP1,339,000; and the top-tier e-Power VL at PHP1,539,000.

To protect the value of your investment, Nissan offers an extended warranty of 5 years or 150,000-kilometers, whichever comes first, on mechanical and electrical components including the e-Power unit (gas engine, lithium battery, electric motor, inverter). A standard 3-year or 100,000km warranty covers body and paint, as well as accessories.

For those who would like to shift to electric vehicles but are still not quite sure about making the leap, the Nissan Kicks e-Power offers a safe transition that lets you benefit from driving an electric-powered vehicle but still with the assurance of a gas engine.