India Bound: Nissan Kicks compact SUV teased

The global reveal is set for next month at the 2016 Rio Olympics Torch Relay and could make it to India in late 2017 or early 2018.

Nissan has revealed the front profile of the upcoming global compact crossover - the Kicks ahead of its debut next month at the Olympics torch relay. The vehicle will first go sale in Brazil and the company is also preparing their plant in Resende, Rio de Janeiro, for its production.

The Japanese automaker said that the Kicks is a global crossover and we believe that India is one of the key markets for this vehicle. Internationally the Kicks will sit below the Juke. Since Nissan does not sell Juke in India, expect it to sit below the Terrano. We also think that it will be a sub 4-meter offering at least for the Indian market to get maximum tax benefits. It will be then similar to what Ford did with the EcoSport. The EcoSport measures just a nudge over 4-meters in global markets while the Indian version measures 3.99m in length! In India, it will compete the like of recently launched the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza along with Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra duo - TUV300 & NuvoSport (click to read comparison).

From what we can see, the production version stays true to the concept in many ways but is a little bit more toned down as expected. It features dual-barrel halogen headlamps instead of flamboyant LED unit in the concept but you do get daytime running LEDs. The grille is almost identical to the show car and the Kicks SUV also boasts the contrasting floating roof, exactly like the Kicks concept along with the all-around body cladding that makes it look aggressive.

Head over to see what engines to look for in Nissan Kicks in India