New Nissan Kicks e-Power teased in ETCM’s CNY video – Malaysia launch in 2022?



The Nissan Kicks might finally be making its debut here in Malaysia, if Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s (ETCM) Chinese New Year greeting video is anything to go by.

The 59-second video showcases several of the Nissan models available here in Malaysia, but focuses a significant portion of the video on the Kicks compact crossover, specifically the e-Power variant, hinting at a potential debut on our shores this year.

The updated Nissan Kicks was launched globally back in 2020, where it was unveiled in the e-Power guise (the only variant available in Thailand), making it one of the first few global Nissan models to feature the e-Power technology.

Screenshot: Nissan Malaysia/YouTube

Unlike regular hybrid vehicles, the new Kicks is essentially an electric vehicle with a built-in battery-charger engine. The 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine underneath the bonnet helps charge the 1.57 kWh lithium-ion battery, which in turn powers the electric motor generating a peak output of 95 kW (129 hp), and a torque of 260 Nm – the latter available almost instantly as is standard on an EV.

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Thanks to the unique e-Power set-up, the electric motor is able to utilise extra electrical power generated from the engine – in addition to the battery – when needed, resulting in better acceleration.

The Nissan Kicks is also available with both 1.5- and 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated powertrains underneath the hood in other markets, though based on the video’s highlight on the e-Power variant, it seems likely that we’ll only be getting the “hybrid” model here – if it makes its debut here in Malaysia.

The B-segment crossover/SUV market here in Malaysia is quickly becoming saturated, with the latest addition being the Peugeot 2008 just two weeks ago.

However, the Nissan Kicks will join an elite group within the segment when it launches here in Malaysia, as only the Honda HR-V and Toyota Corolla Cross are available with a hybrid powertrain, and only the Hyundai Kona is available as a fully-electric model.

And while we’re still speculating, is that a Nissan Ariya we spot at the end of the video?


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