India's Nissan Kicks gets a 1.3L Mercedes-Benz engine, 158 PS/254 Nm

Nissan India has just launched the 2020 Kicks – now fitted with a new 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Codenamed HR13DDT, the new turbocharged petrol engine is the same engine found in the Mercedes-Benz A200. The 1.33-litre turbocharged petrol engine was co-developed with Mercedes-Benz and the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. 

In the Kicks, the engine is tuned to deliver 158 PS and 254 Nm, hooked up to a 6-speed manual or CVT-type automatic.

With the 1.3-litre turbo petrol under the hood, the 2020 Kicks is the most powerful in its segment, ahead of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos (both cars share a 1.4-litre turbo petrol that does 142 PS and 242 Nm).

Apart from the 1.3-litre turbocharged unit, the 2020 Kicks will also be available with a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that does 107 PS and 142 Nm. This engine is mated to a 5-speed manual.

The main reason for the introduction of these new engines on the Kicks is to allow the model to comply with India’s latest Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission regulations. The outgoing 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated engine is BS4-compliant.

Keep in mind that the Indian market Kicks is different from other markets, as the Indian Kicks is built on the Renault B0 platform (used by Renault's Dacia subsidiary), while the Kicks that is sold outside of India is built on the Nissan V platform (Almera, Note, March).

Prices start INR 9.50 lakh (~RM 54,511) for the Kicks 1.5 XL and tops out at INR 14.15 lakh (~RM 81,212) for the range-topping Kicks 1.3 XV Premium. Keep in mind that the prices you see here aren't applicable to the Malaysian market, as the tax structure varies between countries.

Closer to home, Nissan Thailand recently took the covers off the 2020 Kicks facelift, fitted with Nissan’s ePower hybrid powertrain. That said, it remains to be seen if the ePower hybrid system finds its way to the Malaysian model.