Our Rides: Getting Our Kicks On

You know how the automotive industry sees LGBTQ+ consumers these days?

They see us as style leaders. Fashionistas and trendsetters — albeit stereotypically.

C’mon, admit. How many times you’ve gone to any bar, Pride event, or any gathering of our community and always felt like the most beautiful person in the room. Perhaps the most fashion-forward person in the room.

When it comes to automobiles, we like a little style and a dash of flash. Yet, you must admit that you want your style to go with some performance and practicality. After all, we are practical people — right?

Which brings me to the 2025 Nissan Kicks. Certainly, it is stylish and fashion-forward. It is also practical with an uptick in performance from the outgoing model.

Let’s back up a bit. Until recently, the Nissan Kicks was seen as a small, affordable SUV with ample performance and a bit of style. Prior to the Kicks’ arrival for the 2019 model year, there were two smaller SUVs that Nissan offered to us — the Juke and the Rogue Sport. Eventually, Nissan discontinued both of these models and kept the Kicks at dealerships.

That presented a problem for us in the Upper Midwest. The original Kicks was offered with front-wheel drive and a 1.6-liter engine. When we looked at it — and saw how affordable it was — we asked the salesperson whether it came with all-wheel drive. The answer was to upgrade us to the more expensive and larger Rogue. Some of us said “No thanks.”

With this 2025 Nissan Kicks, our wish for an all-wheel drive version of this small SUV has been granted.

To find out whether this wish was indeed granted, Nissan sent me to Santa Barbara to take the 2025 Kicks for an immersive experience. In other words, I took it out for a spin around the most beautiful city in California and into the stunning Santa Ynez Valley. There, I wanted to see if the 2025 Kicks has transformed into the gateway SUV that we asked for.

It all starts with a clean sheet design. Nissan knew the 2025 Kicks had to be larger than the outgoing model. It also needed to make a statement doing so. The designers went to work on a bold exterior design that was influenced by the athletics world. Sneakers became part of the design in some of the details found on the body and inside the cabin. Perhaps an homage to the model’s name, Kicks. They created a black trim area that reminded the designers of linebackers on a football field. Maybe a conscious nod to Nissan’s sponsorship of the Heisman Trophy?

Still, the 2025 Kicks’ bold design incorporates a large grille area with thin LED headlamps, an upright roofline, a tall 8.4-inch ground clearance area, and a new LED taillight design never seen before on any Nissan. That C-pillar glass design is an evolution of what Nissan has been working on design language-wise. The SR all-wheel drive tester came with a set of 19-inch geometric aerodynamic aluminum wheels to finish out the look of this top-of-the-line sporty model.

The interior of the 2025 Kicks was indeed elevated and advanced. My SR tester came with a new flat instrument panel that stretches two-thirds across the dashboard. Inside the panel are two 12.3-inch screens. The left screen is a customizable digital instrument cluster providing clear information to the driver.

On the right, is a touchscreen for an infotainment system driven by NissanConnect. Through this screen, you can connect your smartphone device wirelessly. SR models add wireless charging, as well. My tester came with the upgraded Bose 10-speaker audio system with headrest-mounted speakers for a more immersive sound.

Nissan’s Zero-Gravity seats are very comfortable and supportive. The front seats have manual adjustments for rake, height, recline, and lumbar — all creating a fatigue-free experience behind the wheel. The SR’s seats were upholstered with cloth inserts surrounded by leatherette material. There is plenty of red contrast stitching all over the cabin, including on the seat inserts. There is plenty of room in the back seat, as well.

Cargo space has improved in the 2025 Kicks. Front-drive models get up to 30.0 cubic feet behind the second-row seats, expanding to 60.0 cubic feet when those seats are folded down. In my SR all-wheel-drive tester, you have 23.9 cubic feet worth of space, expanding to 50.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. The reason for this difference in cargo space was to accommodate the all-wheel drive system’s components underneath the floor.

With its larger size comes more performance. The 2025 Kicks is powered by a 141-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 140 pound-feet of torque. Nissan also improved its Xtronic continuously variable transmission with better ratio mapping and power take-off. This tester was equipped with the Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system, featuring a smaller Direct Coupling unit to transfer power to all four wheels when necessary.

The 2025 Kicks delivered a better driving experience overall. It managed everything from scooting along the streets of Santa Barbara to climbing up and over the Santa Ynez Mountains. The Xtronic’s new mapping helped when it was needed to shift “gears” from hill climbs to passing maneuvers and managing traffic.

The ride quality was quite good, handling all sorts of roads with nominal feedback. There was minimal lean and roll through the turns. Evasive maneuvers were also well-managed and responsive. The 2025 Kicks certainly felt quite poised as it went along its paces.

There was a very good response from the steering system. With a solid on-center feel, keeping the 2025 Kicks in a lane was very manageable. Another win is for the braking system. The pedal feel is just right with solid response to all four discs. In turn, normal and panic stops were also solid.

Nissan also added its ProPILOT Assist system on the 2025 Kicks as a way to manage your highway driving. It simply worked well on stretches of highway where you can let the 2025 Kicks do its job by sticking within the lane and keeping proper pace.

There are three trim levels available on the 2025 Nissan Kicks. You can also choose between front- or all-wheel drive for each one. Pricing starts at $21,830. My SR AWD sampler came with a sticker price of $31,445.

Nissan has elevated the 2025 Kicks to fill a gap in their SUV lineup. You get the practicality you need, the design that stands out in a crowd, and the right amount of performance to get you anywhere. With the addition of all-wheel drive, you can now get through winter without breaking the bank.

Could the 2025 Nissan Kicks be your next small SUV? It should be on your shopping list. Try one on for size and you might just be as impressed as I was.

SIDEBAR: Kicks and a Meal

As I sampled the 2025 Nissan Kicks, I was reminded that Santa Barbara is home to some great seafood. Local catches are what drive a lot of cuisine in and around the city.

If you want a good place to start, explore the Santa Barbara Pier. This is where you get your first taste of the local seafood — including sea urchin and other shellfish.

Local seafood was front and center at Loquita, a few blocks from the hotel I stayed at on State Street. Most of the dishes from this very popular tapas restaurant came from local sources and suppliers. Ingredients include ahi tuna, prawns, octopus, crab and so forth. The main paella course full of mussels, large shrimp, and fabulous flavors was amazing, by the way.

The Hotel Californian also has great food to enjoy at their restaurants. Of note is Blackbird, where we enjoyed a starter of oysters, along with other local seafood delicacies. However, you cannot go wrong with the steak and a lovely risotto.

There are more gems along State Street and downtown Santa Barbara beyond the US-101. The city’s main drag becomes a pedestrian mall full of shops and places to eat. It is worth the stroll.

Loquita
202 State St., Santa Barbara, CA
www.loquitasb.com

Hotel Californian
36 State St., Santa Barbara, CA
www.hotelcalifornian.com