- The 2025 Nissan Kicks is completely redesigned with more space and newer tech, but the automaker will still offer the old model.
- The last-gen version will be sold as the Kicks Play, but it's only available in the base S trim.
- The 2025 Nissan Kicks Play will start at $22,910, undercutting the new Kicks by $310 when it goes on sale next year.
The Nissan Kicks has been completely redesigned for a new generation. It now has more space, a mightier engine, better tech, and available all-wheel drive. However, if its new looks and larger size aren't your cup of tea, fret not, as Nissan will keep selling the old subcompact SUV alongside the new one.
The last-generation Kicks will carry over for the 2025 model year and be sold as the Kicks Play, but it will only be available in the base S trim. That means a 122-hp four-cylinder engine, a continuously variable automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive. In base form, the S trim comes with a 7.0-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker audio system, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
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When it goes on sale early next year, the 2025 Kicks Play will start at $22,910, which is only $310 less than the newer model's base price. While that's a small discount, the old version does have better fuel economy. The EPA estimates the older powertrain will get 33 mpg combined, which is between 2 and 3 mpg better than the newer iterations.
This isn't the first time Nissan has kept an old model around alongside its newer compatriot. Nissan continued selling the first-generation Rogue for a time as the Rogue Select. Other automakers have also employed similar tactics, with Ram famously offering the 1500 Classic until recently. As for why Nissan chose to call it the Kicks Play when Kicks Starter was right there, we'll never know.
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
