Nissan Kicks: the small SUV arrives in Europe with the e-Power engine

Nissan is expanding its range for Europe with the Kicks, now available in e-Power form – the B-SUV that has already been successfully marketed in numerous international markets. The Nissan Kicks for Europe will be produced at the Sunderland plant in the UK, where it will join the Qashqai, the Juke and the new Leaf. This decision comes in the year marking the 40th anniversary of the production site, which opened back in 1986 and recently reached the milestone of 12 million vehicles assembled. To prepare the production lines for the new model, the Japanese brand has announced an investment of just under 200 million euros.

The Kicks will be the tenth Nissan model produced in Sunderland. The European version of the B-SUV will, in particular, feature the e-Power system, which was introduced on the Qashqai in 2025 and is now in its third generation. As is well known, this is a technology introduced by Nissan whereby the car’s wheels are driven by an electric motor, whilst the internal combustion engine is used solely to generate energy. It therefore does not require recharging like other battery-powered models. Moreover, the latest evolution of the system has brought further benefits, particularly in terms of fuel economy, as well as enhanced quietness.

The Kicks is currently manufactured in Japan, Mexico and Brazil and, across all generations, has sold over 1.8 million units in more than 70 markets worldwide. In Sunderland, in particular, models destined for the UK, Europe and Turkey will be produced. The announcement of the Kicks heralds another imminent launch for Nissan: the new Pixo, an A-segment electric car due to be unveiled on 23 September. Finally, from next year, the Sunderland plant will also produce the third-generation Juke, which, for the first time, will be available exclusively as an all-electric model.