Nissan is charging a bit more for its entry-level SUV, but at least you get more for the money.
We’ve effectively left the new $20K car behind as the affordable benchmark, to the point where $25K-30K is more or less what you can expect. Enter the 2026 Nissan Kicks, that does still manage to sit near the low end of that range (if only just). It’s getting a $600 price hike for the new year over its 2025 redesign, but the base S model also throws in some standard equipment that ought to make it a more viable option for budget-conscious buyers.
Speaking of pinching pennies, the Nissan Kicks Play — the old Kicks that the automaker kept going despite the redesign — will not be available for the 2026 model year. So, if you want Nissan’s small SUV at all, the latest $23,925 price point (including $1,495 destination) is your least expensive option. The destination fee is partially responsible for the uptick, as that’s also gone up by $105 from last year.
At the starting end of the trim walk, the 2026 Nissan Kicks S now gets the same 12.3-inch infotainment screen as the SV and SR. That means you no longer have to upgrade to those higher models to get an upgrade over the old 7-inch unit, while you also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto right off the bat. Along with the infotainment upgrade, you also get two USB-C ports for charging rather than the old-style USB Type A ports.
While the rest of the range doesn’t fundamentally change, the $25,665 SV and $28,155 SR grades aren’t bereft of new options. Nissan has added in a Cold Weather package for those trims, bundling in heated front seats, heated mirrors and rear floor heater ducts to make backseat passengers a bit more comfortable in the cooler seasons.
Otherwise, the 2026 Nissan Kicks still gets a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine kicking out 141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque. Front-wheel drive is still the default, but the 2025 redesign finally added an all-wheel drive option for Nissan’s competitor to the Toyota Corolla Cross, Honda HR-V and Chevy Trailblazer, and that isn’t changing here. Nissan claims fuel economy up to 34 mpg with the AWD setup.
If you’re interested, the 2026 Nissan Kicks is already hitting dealerships.
