Old Nissan Kicks Continues to Outsell New Kicks in Canada
Vehicle sales results for the first quarter of 2025 are now available and a few numbers jump out. Nissan is one example—just look at its cheapest crossover.
As you know, the company has decided to keep selling the old, first-generation Kicks alongside the new, second-generation model for 2025, the former under the name Kicks Play. Nissan didn’t want to risk losing so many customers, especially among those who don’t necessarily seek more power or the latest gadgets.
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You see, the 2025 Kicks is priced just shy of $30,000 (including freight and PDI), whereas the Kicks Play manages to cost less than 25 grand.
During the final three months of 2024, the Kicks Play sold more units in Canada—4,540 vs. the Kicks’ 3,568. Guess what? It’s the same story after three months in 2025: the Kicks Play has so far sold 4,983 units across the country (up 41 percent year over year), while the Kicks stands at 4,542 units sold.
To be clear, and despite featuring a modest 122-horsepower engine and no AWD option, the Kicks Play remains Nissan’s second best-selling vehicle in Canada behind the Rogue (9,965 units during Q1 2025, down 11 percent), while the Kicks is slightly less popular than the late Qashqai it indirectly replaces. More customers are turning to the lower-priced Kicks variant.
The Kicks Play offers a choice of two models. The base S comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, as well as the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of advanced safety systems. The more generously equipped SV (at $27,228 including freight and PDI) gets 17-inch alloy wheels, rear disc brakes, intelligent cruise control, an 8-inch touchscreen along with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, remote engine start, heated front seats, heated steering wheel and automatic climate control.
How long will Nissan keep selling both generations of the Kicks (which are built in Mexico for the North American market, by the way)? The company is not saying. Consumer demand will obviously be a factor. We’d be surprised if the Kicks Play return for the 2026 model year, but you never know.
