Report: Nissan Kait to come to Thailand as facelifted Kicks e-POWER this March
The Nissan Kicks e-POWER was one of the first electrified vehicles to gain much popularity in our market. Since its launch in 2022, it has remained virtually unchanged, but it looks like that could change soon if a report by Autolife Thailand is anything to come by.
The Thai automotive news publication says that the subcompact crossover will soon receive a refresh, set to be introduced at the upcoming 47th Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) this coming March 23 to April 5, 2026, and will be based on the Kait which was unveiled for the Brazilian market last year.
READ: This is your first look at the Brazilian-made Nissan Kait
For the unaware, the Kait is essentially a heavily redesigned version of the P15 generation Kicks. As mentioned earlier, it arrived in our market in 2022, while it made its first-ever appearance way back in 2016, making it 10 years old this year. In fact, it still shares the same body and measures at a length of 4,304mm, a width of 1,760mm, and a height of 1,611mm, numbers very close to the Kicks’ dimensions.
If the report is true, that means we’ll be seeing a major redesign for the current generation Kicks instead of the new generation which was unveiled first for North America in 2024. In that case, the Kicks will feature a sleeker and more futuristic exterior with a split headlight design, a large front grille, and funky 17-inch “Blade” wheels, along with new horizontal taillights.
We could also see a slightly redesigned interior, featuring more soft-touch surfaces, angular lines, and restyled air vents, along with a possibly a new infotainment system and new interface for the seven-inch digital instrument cluster.
And while the Brazilian Kait comes powered by a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine, the report says that the updated Kicks in Thailand is expected to retain its e-POWER hybrid powertrain. This is composed of a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that powers a 2.06kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor. Combined system output is also expected to remain the same at 136 horsepower and 280Nm of torque.
With this development, it lowers our chances of receiving the all-new second generation Nissan Kicks as Nissan Philippines directly sources local units of the Kicks e-POWER from Thailand. Still, an update is definitely much needed for the Japanese automaker’s lone hybrid offering in our market.
Again, a reveal is said to be slated for the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show. We’ll be there to cover the event so if all is true from the report, then we’ll definitely be showing you the refreshed Nissan Kicks e-POWER soon. Watch this space.
