There’s a new Nissan Kicks in town for 2025—and we’re not talking about the redesigned second-generation model that Nissan announced back in March. Nope. Nissan has just announced that the first generation model will continue to be available to car shoppers for the 2025 model year under the perhaps overly exuberant name “Kicks Play.” This may very well be the least exciting “new” model to hit the streets for the 2025 model year, seeing as it is just a continuation of a vehicle that has been on sale since 2018 (2016 in some overseas markets), but the 2025 Kicks Play is set to be a relatively attractive option for buyers searching for an affordable subcompact car in a market that is rapidly losing all of its budget-priced options.
Keeping the Line Running
It’s not all that uncommon for manufacturers to continue production of a previous-generation model for a year to two while they ramp up production of the new generation. Chevy recently pulled this trick for the 2022 model year when it offered the pre-refresh Silverado 1500 as the “Silverado 1500 Limited” alongside the updated version of the truck—and we can’t forget about the Ram keeping the fourth generation of its half-ton pickup on the market as the “Ram 1500 Classic” for an astounding seven years after the introduction of the fifth-generation model before finally ending production this October. Whether Nissan intends the Kicks Play as a single model year stopgap or has long-term plans for the new nameplate remains to be seen, but either way, it serves a few purposes.
Keeping an older model in production lets Nissan continue to use an existing production line longer, getting more return on its investment and keeping prices low. And while the older model may not be as competitive anymore, offering it alongside the newer model means Nissan can satisfy both budget buyers and those looking for the latest and greatest (or at least as close to the latest and greatest as the entry-level Kicks can get). Overall, when done properly, this technique can be a win-win for both the manufacturer and car shoppers.
What Does the Kicks Play Offer?
Since the Kicks Play is just a continuation of the original Kicks from 2018, don’t expect any new features or updated styling here. If you’re familiar with the 2024 Kicks, then you already know everything there is to know about the 2025 Kicks Play. In fact, Nissan has actually trimmed the model down to just the base S trim. It still comes with a surprising amount of features for its low starting price, including a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of advanced driver assist features. However, it is missing some of the more premium options from the 2024 model year, such as keyless entry, Intelligent Around View Monitor, the Bose sound system, and the larger eight-inch touchscreen.
Unfortunately, the biggest issue is that the 2025 Kicks Play starts at $21,520, which is $500 more than the 2024 model and only $300 less than the redesigned 2025 Kicks. Given that the second-generation Kicks is larger, more powerful, nicer looking, and significantly better equipped, it is difficult to see why anyone would choose the Kicks Play for such negligible savings. While keeping the first-generation Kicks around isn’t a bad idea for Nissan, it is difficult to recommend the 2025 Kicks Play to drivers unless you can pick one up at a deep discount. Otherwise, spend the extra $300 and upgrade to the redesigned 2025 Kicks.
