Head-to-head
2025 Kia EV6 vs 2025 Nissan Kicks
The Kia EV6 wins clearly, 87.4 to 67, on tech & comfort, fuel & range, space & cargo. The Nissan Kicks is ahead on price.
A
2025 Kia EV6
The 2025 Kia EV6 is sold in the U.S. as an electric compact hatchback with 5 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the EV6 Long Range RWD, is EPA…
vs
B2025 Nissan Kicks
The 2025 Nissan Kicks is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact hatchback with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Kicks Play, is EPA-rated a…
Verdict · default weights
2025 Kia EV6
Clear winThe Kia EV6 wins clearly, 87.4 to 67, on tech & comfort, fuel & range, space & cargo. The Nissan Kicks is ahead on price.
Tech & comfort 2025 Kia EV6 leads by 71.1
Fuel & range 2025 Kia EV6 leads by 69.3
Price 2025 Nissan Kicks leads by 49.1
| Category · weight | 2025 Kia EV6overall 87.4 | 2025 Nissan Kicksoverall 67 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricew 4 | 50.9 | 100 | ||||||||||||
Base MSRP of the trim (or the model's lowest trim). Lower is better. | ||||||||||||||
| Fuel & rangew 3 | 100 | 30.7 | ||||||||||||
EPA annual fuel cost and combined mpg / MPGe; EV range when both are electric. | ||||||||||||||
| Safetyw 4 | 94.3 | 84.1 | ||||||||||||
NHTSA 5-Star rating, WhichTrim Safety Signal (open recalls by severity), owner complaints, standard driver-assist features (from the press kit, or from what the manufacturer filed with NHTSA where there is none). Open park-outside / do-not-drive advisories cost 25 points. | ||||||||||||||
| Space & cargow 2 | 100 | 64.2 | ||||||||||||
Seats, cargo volume behind the 1st and 2nd rows, rear legroom. | ||||||||||||||
| Performancew 2 | 96.4 | 80.8 | ||||||||||||
Horsepower, torque and horsepower per ton. | ||||||||||||||
| Tech & comfortw 3 | 100 | 28.9 | ||||||||||||
Standard (1) and optional (0.5) infotainment, convenience, climate and interior features from the manufacturer's press kit. | ||||||||||||||
| Warrantynot compared | No data | No data | ||||||||||||
| Overall | 87.4 | 67 | ||||||||||||
Trim vs trim · 6 of 7 categories compared
Kia EV6: base trim Light RWD · Nissan Kicks: base trim S FWD. Pick a trim in the tool to compare any other trim.
Change what matters to you →Scores are 0–100 per category from the data on this page. The weights are yours to set.
Where the gap is
the biggest differences, from the scorecard's own numbersWhere the 2025 Kia EV6 wins
- It is rated 115 combined against 33 (EPA mpg or MPGe).
- It lists more comfort and tech equipment (45 points against 13 on the press-kit count, standard = 1, optional = ½).
- It costs $1,400 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($650 against $2,050).
Where the 2025 Nissan Kicks answers
- It starts $21,070 lower ($21,830 against $42,900 base MSRP).
- It has drawn fewer owner complaints (38 against 53 filed with NHTSA).
Ranked by how far apart the two score on each measure, so a price gap and a horsepower gap are compared on the same scale. Every figure is on this page.
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Specifications side by side
51 specs · manufacturer press kits| Spec | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Base MSRP (excludes destination) | $42,900 | $21,830 |
| Engine Basics | ||
| Aspiration | — | naturally aspirated |
| Cylinder count | — | 4 |
| Engine displacement | — | 1,997 cc |
| Engine type (full description) | AC Synchronous Permanent Magnet Motor | 2.0L DOHC inline-4 MR20DD |
| Valve configuration | — | 4 valves per cylinder with Continuous Variable Valve Timing Control System |
| Engine Output | ||
| Horsepower | 167 hp | 141 hp |
| Torque | 258 lb-ft | 140 lb-ft |
| Fuel Economy | ||
| MPG (city) | 128 mpg | — |
| MPG (combined) | 115 mpg | — |
| MPG (highway) | 103 mpg | — |
| Transmission | ||
| Final drive ratio | 10.65:1 | 5.341 |
| Transmission type | Gear Reduction Unit | cvt |
| Dimensions Exterior | ||
| Ground clearance | 6.1 in | 8.4 in |
| Overall height | 60.8 in | 64.2 in |
| Overall length | 185 in | 172 in |
| Overall width | 74 in | 70.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 114 in | 105 in |
| Cargo | ||
| Cargo volume behind 1st row | — | 60 cu-ft |
| Cargo volume behind 2nd row | 46.7 cu-ft | 30 cu-ft |
| Total interior volume | 103 cu-ft | 126 cu-ft |
| Seating | ||
| Passenger seating capacity | — | 5 |
| Headroom | ||
| Front headroom | 39 in | 39.7 in |
| Second-row headroom | — | 38.5 in |
| Third-row headroom | 38 in | — |
| Legroom | ||
| Front legroom | 42.4 in | 42.7 in |
| Second-row legroom | — | 34.5 in |
| Third-row legroom | 39 in | — |
| Weights | ||
| Curb weight (maximum) | — | 2,987 lbs |
| Curb weight (minimum) | 4,132 lbs | 2,987 lbs |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 5,115 lbs | 3,902 lbs |
| Payload capacity | — | 915 lbs |
| Suspension | ||
| Front suspension type | MacPherson strut with inclined strut bearing and Single Lower Arm | Independent strut with coil springs |
| Rear suspension type | 5 Multi-link | Twist beam |
| Steering | ||
| Steering type | Rack-Mounted Electric Power Steering (R-MDPS) | Electric power-assisted |
| Turning radius (curb-to-curb) | 19.1 ft | — |
| Brakes | ||
| Front brake diameter | 325 mm | 295 mm |
| Front brake type | ventilated disc | Vented disc |
| Parking brake type | epb | Electric with auto hold |
| Rear brake diameter | 325 mm | 279 mm |
| Rear brake type | solid disc | solid disc |
| Wheels | ||
| Wheel diameter | 19 in | 16 in |
| Wheel material | forged alloy | steel |
| Wheel width | 7.5 in | 6.5 in |
| Tires | ||
| Tire size | 235/55R19 | 215/60R16 |
| Fuel System | ||
| Fuel tank capacity | — | 11.9 gal |
| Minimum recommended octane | — | 87 |
| Connected Services | ||
| Connected services brand | — | NissanConnect |
| Shoulder Room | ||
| Front shoulder room | 57.8 in | 54.7 in |
| Second-row shoulder room | — | 54.7 in |
| Third-row shoulder room | 55.6 in | — |
Green marks the better value where the direction is unambiguous (more room, more power, lower price). Blank rows are specs the press kit does not publish.
Equipment, feature by feature
135 features · differences first, then sharedSafety23 differ · 39 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop and Go | std | — |
| Forward Collision-Avoidance (FCA) with Car / Pedestrian / Cyclist detection (Fusion-type with sensor) - Junction Turning | std | — |
| Lane Following Assist System (LFA) | std | — |
| Highway Driving Assist (HDA) | std | — |
| Lane Departure Warning | — | std |
| Lane Keep Assist System (LKA) | std | — |
| Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) | std | — |
| Parking Distance Warning - Front and Rear | std | — |
| Parking Distance Warning - Front and Rear | std | — |
| Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection | — | std |
| Easy-Fill Tire Alert | — | std |
| Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with auto hold | std | — |
| Front and rear 3-point seat belts | std | — |
| Front seat-belt pretensioners | std | — |
| Height-adjustable front seat-belt anchors | std | — |
| Impact sensing auto door unlock | std | — |
| Intelligent Cruise Control with steering wheel-mounted controls | — | std |
| Predictive Forward Collision Warning | — | std |
| Rear Automatic Braking | — | std |
| Rear sonar | — | std |
| Speed sensing auto door locks | std | — |
| Traction Control System | — | std |
| Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) | std | — |
| Rear Cross Traffic Alert | std | std |
| Front seat mounted side-impact supplemental air bags | std | std |
| Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt sensors and occupant classification sensor | std | std |
| RearView Monitor | std | std |
| Roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags with rollover sensor for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection | std | std |
| Driver Attention Alert | std | std |
| Rear seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags | std | std |
| Anti-lock Braking System | std | std |
| Blind Spot Warning | std | std |
| Driver and passenger knee supplemental air bags | std | std |
| High Beam Assist | std | std |
| Hill Start Assist | std | std |
| Rear Door Alert | std | std |
| Vehicle Dynamic Control | std | std |
| Tire Pressure Monitoring System (direct sensor type) | std | std |
| Vehicle Security System Immobilizer | std | std |
Infotainment12 differ · 13 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi Hotspot | std | — |
| Steering wheel-mounted audio, Bluetooth®, voice recognition and cruise controls | std | — |
| 12.3-inch navigation display unit with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, Voice Recognition, with integrated Modem (AVN 5.0 with TMU) | std | — |
| 7-inch color touchscreen display | — | std |
| AM/FM with 4 speakers, USB/aux input, Bluetooth | — | std |
| Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System | — | std |
| Front and rear door speakers (x4) | std | — |
| Front tweeter (x2) | std | — |
| Front USB ports (1x USB Type-A on S; 2x USB Type-C on SV/SR) | — | std |
| Shark fin antenna | std | — |
| Streaming audio via Bluetooth® | — | std |
| Wireless device charging pad | std | — |
| Audio and Bluetooth® switches on steering wheel | std | std |
Convenience5 differ · 6 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Floor console tray with 12V power outlet (x1), USB-A data port (x1) and USB-C charge ports (x2) | std | — |
| Second-row USB-C charge ports (x2) | std | — |
| Vehicle to load (V2L) connector | opt | — |
| Central door locks | std | — |
| Power driver's window with auto up/down and pinch protection | std | — |
| Nissan Intelligent Key® with push-button start | std | std |
Climate3 differ · 3 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Dual-zone automatic air-conditioner, front and rear vents with auto-defog | std | — |
| Front and rear air conditioning vents | std | — |
| Manual climate control | — | std |
Seating9 differ · 9 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| 10-way power driver's seat | std | — |
| Heated front seats | std | — |
| Driver's seat 6-way manual adjustable | — | std |
| 2nd row reclining | std | — |
| Cloth front seats | — | std |
| Combination recycled fabric / SynTex seat material | std | — |
| Front and rear adjustable headrests | std | — |
| Manual passenger seat with height adjuster, sliding and reclining | std | — |
| 2nd row side seats armrest with cupholder (x2) | std | — |
Interior22 differ · 24 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Electric chromic inside rear-view mirror | std | — |
| 12.3-inch color meter | std | — |
| 7-inch color meter | — | std |
| Artificial leather steering wheel | std | — |
| Cloth trim roof | std | — |
| Coat hook (x1) | std | — |
| Door courtesy reflector | std | — |
| Front and rear door map pockets with bottle holder | std | — |
| Front console arm rest with storage box and cup holders (x2) | std | — |
| Front passenger seat back pocket | std | — |
| Glove box with illumination | std | — |
| LED center room lamp | std | — |
| LED map lamp | std | — |
| LED puddle lamps | std | — |
| Matte silver metallic paint inside door handles | std | — |
| Plastic scuff plates | std | — |
| Recycled fabric crashpad | std | — |
| Driver and front passenger sliding sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirror | std | — |
| Carpeted floor mats | opt | — |
| LED rear cargo light | std | — |
| Carpet flooring | std | — |
| Rheostat (Dimmer Switch) | std | — |
| Manual tilt-telescope steering wheel | std | std |
| Drive computer with mpg, distance to empty, average speed, elapsed time, outside temp, TPMS | std | std |
Exterior19 differ · 22 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Full Projection LED headlamps | std | — |
| Power folding outside mirrors with integrated side-repeater lamps | std | — |
| 19-inch Alloy wheels | std | — |
| Acoustic film windshield | std | — |
| Auto pop-out aero flush outside door handles | std | — |
| Black-painted wheel arches | std | — |
| Body-color outside door handles | std | — |
| Heated (Defroster) tailgate | std | — |
| Heated outside mirrors | std | — |
| High-gloss black front grille (Digital Tiger Face Design) | std | — |
| High-Gloss black lower fascia bumper | std | — |
| High-gloss black outside mirrors | std | — |
| High-gloss black side sills | std | — |
| Rear (left) charge port door | std | — |
| Rear spoiler (integrated into rear taillamp) | std | — |
| Roof spoiler (located at leading edge of backlight) | std | — |
| Tire Mobility Kit (TMK) | std | — |
| Auto Light Control headlights | std | — |
| Privacy glass (rear doors, tailgate, quarter glass) | std | — |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | std | std |
| LED rear combination lights | std | std |
| Center high-mounted stop light (CHMSL), spoiler-mounted | std | std |
Powertrain10 differ · 10 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligent All-Wheel Drive | — | std |
| Front Wheel Drive (FWD) | — | std |
| 125 kW Electric Motor Output | std | — |
| 63.0 kWh Battery | std | — |
| Drive Mode Select (DMS) with Eco, Comfort, Sport and Snow modes | std | — |
| Drive Mode Selector (Normal, Eco, Sport; AWD adds Snow) | — | std |
| Idle Stop/Start | — | std |
| In-Cable Control Box (ICCB) | opt | — |
| Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) | std | — |
| Shift-by-Wire gear selector | std | — |
Chassis4 differ · 4 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Front Selective Damping Control Valve and Hydraulic Rebound Stop (HRS) shock absorber | std | — |
| McPherson Strut Single Lower Arm Type front suspension | std | — |
| Multi-link rear suspension | std | — |
| Rear Selective Damping Control Valve shock absorber | std | — |
Cargo5 differ · 5 listed
| Feature | Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo cover | opt | — |
| Cargo power outlet | std | — |
| Fixed floor with underfloor storage system (AWD) | — | std |
| Hidden storage tray in cargo area | std | — |
| Luggage board | std | — |
Highlighted rows are where the two differ. Wording is the manufacturer's own.
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Safety record
NHTSA recalls, complaints, NCAPKia EV6
Safety Signal 100 A
NHTSA overall —
Frontal / side / rollover ★★★★★ / — / ★★★★★
Recalls 0
Owner complaints 53 · 1 crashes · 0 fires
Most complained about Electrical System (39), Power Train (13), Fuel/Propulsion System (10)
Top recalls
No recalls on file.
Nissan Kicks
Safety Signal 81 B
NHTSA overall ★★★★☆
Frontal / side / rollover ★★★☆☆ / ★★★★★ / ★★★★☆
Recalls 4
Owner complaints 38 · 2 crashes · 1 fires
Most complained about Visibility/Wiper (7), Unspecified (7), Electrical System (6)
Top recalls
- high Electrical System 24V969000 · 89 vehicles
- moderate Electrical System 26V331000 · 51,598 vehicles
- moderate Back Over Prevention 25V324000 · 79,755 vehicles
- minor Equipment 25V188000 · 37,003 vehicles
Ownership
EPA, manufacturer warranty| Kia EV6Light RWD | Nissan KicksS FWD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $42,900 (base trim) | $21,830 (base trim) |
| Price range across trims | $42,900 – $63,800 8 trims | $21,830 – $27,680 6 trims |
| Powertrains | BEV | GAS |
| EPA configuration compared | EV6 Standard Range RWD | Kicks Play |
| Combined mpg / MPGe | 115 | 33 |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $650 | $2,050 |
| EV range | 237 mi | — |
| Basic warranty | — | — |
| Powertrain warranty | — | — |
| Roadside assistance | — | — |
Common questions
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich is better, the 2025 Kia EV6 or the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
The Kia EV6 wins clearly, 87.4 to 67, on tech & comfort, fuel & range, space & cargo. The Nissan Kicks is ahead on price. On WhichTrim's default weights the 2025 Kia EV6 scores 87.4 and the 2025 Nissan Kicks 67. The weights are yours to change — move what you care about and the verdict recalculates on the page.
Which is cheaper, the 2025 Kia EV6 or the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
The 2025 Nissan Kicks starts lower — $21,830 against $42,900, a gap of $21,070 at the trims compared here. Both are manufacturer MSRPs before destination, options and dealer charges.
Which has the better safety record, the 2025 Kia EV6 or the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
2025 Kia EV6: no NHTSA rating yet, grade A, 0 recalls. 2025 Nissan Kicks: 4 NHTSA stars, grade B, 4 recalls. Crash ratings come from NHTSA's own tests; the grade is WhichTrim's read of the recall record, and the two can disagree.
What are the biggest differences between the 2025 Kia EV6 and the 2025 Nissan Kicks?
Where the 2025 Kia EV6 wins: it is rated 115 combined against 33 (EPA mpg or MPGe), lists more comfort and tech equipment (45 points against 13 on the press-kit count, standard = 1, optional = ½), and costs $1,400 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($650 against $2,050). Where the 2025 Nissan Kicks answers: it starts $21,070 lower ($21,830 against $42,900 base MSRP) and has drawn fewer owner complaints (38 against 53 filed with NHTSA).