Nissan India has released the first set of details for the upcoming BS6-compliant Kicks SUV. The company also revealed that it will feature the most powerful engine in its class, the Nissan Turbo and Nissan’s widely-acclaimed X-Tronic CVT. The 1.3-liter turbo-petrol engine, known internally as HR13DDT, was first shown at Auto Expo 2020 at Nissan’s alliance partner Renault’s stand. With this engine under the hood, the 2020 Nissan Kicks will make 156hp of power and 254Nm of torque, which will make the Kicks the most powerful petrol mid-size SUV, initially. Nissan has also announced the engine will be available with an 8-step CVT gearbox. A 6-speed manual transmission could be offered as well.

Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India, said, “The all-new Nissan KICKS 2020 is built with Japanese engineering and technology and has high build quality with purposeful and intelligent technology with class-leading premium-ness. The New Nissan KICKS is powered by best-in-class turbo engine and best-in-class X-Tronic CVT offering higher fuel economy and acceleration.”

Like the Duster 1.3 turbo-petrol, the Kicks 1.3 will also sit at the top of the range, with the lower variants expected to come with a BS6-compliant 106hp, 1.5-liter petrol engine. This will help Nissan aggressively price its slow-selling SUV. The Kicks 1.3 can be expected with creature comforts like automatic climate control and cruise control, along with safety features like multiple airbags, ABS, and hill-start assist, to name a few. Key rivals to the 2020 Nissan Kicks BS6 will be the updated Renault Captur, the all-new Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and the Tata H5, among others.