New Nissan Kicks Design Inspired By Sneakers and Football Helmets

When car designers, like Nissan Senior Designer Ken Lee, start working on the styling of a new vehicle, they can’t always go back to what has been done in the past and take that as inspiration. With new generations comes a fresh design attitude and language, and designers often look toward pop culture to help guide what the buying public will find attractive and fun in a car. 

A Design Team Finds Inspiration

The design team for the all-new 2025 Nissan Kicks used an inspiration board to compile ideas for the language and message they wanted to connect to the vehicle. On that board were sneakers and a football player: "When you look at sneaker culture, there's a lot of vibrancy, energy and new ideas," Lee said. "Many designers – myself included – find it fascinating.”

Sneaker Culture And Football Became Key Inspirations

While Ken Lee found sneaker culture to be a powerful inspiration for his design work, Marcus Quach, Senior Design Manager at Nissan Design America in San Diego, created the final exterior design that will be on the streets soon. Quach took influence from football players, saying, "Our inspiration board had an American football player with a round helmet resting on top of strong shoulder pads. You can see that in the front view of Kicks, which features big, strong fenders with the rounder cabin resting on top." The black grille leading up to the daytime running lights is directly taken from how players wear eye black.  

Engine And Trim Levels

The all-new 2025 Kicks is available in three trim levels, including S, SV, and SR. It is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that produces 141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque and is combined with an Xtronic CVT. While front-wheel drive is standard, the Kicks can also be optioned with all-wheel drive. 

A Massive Amount of Standard And Available Safety

With Nissan Safety Shield 360 standard on all models, the Kicks comes with a wonderful array of safety features that includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Automatic Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and High Beam Assist. S and SV models also come with Intelligent Cruise Control. The SR adds ProPILOT Assist, which works with the Intelligent Cruise Control to give steering assistance to keep the vehicle centered in the lane. These trims also feature Intelligent Around View Monitor, a class-exclusive, that offers a full 360-degree view around the car when parking. Easy-Fill Tire Alert alerts you with a honk when you have filled a tire with the correct amount of air so you don’t overfill, is also standard, as is Rear Door Alert and Intelligent Driver Alertness. 

Premium Technology

No matter which trim level buyers choose, there will be plenty of technology to go around. All models have the ability to charge multiple devices at once via USB ports. The SR comes with USB-C ports, and both the SV and SR models offer a wireless charging pad, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The 2025 Kicks SR with Premium Package also adds a 10-speaker Bose Personal Plus audio system for clear and crisp audio that makes all occupants feel as though they are at their own personal show or concert. 

At Dick Smith Nissan of St. Andrews, we value our customers and offer some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.