Head-to-head
2026 Kia EV6 vs 2026 Nissan Kicks
The Kia EV6 wins clearly, 88.6 to 70.7, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, safety. The Nissan Kicks is ahead on price and space & cargo.
A
2026 Kia EV6
The 2026 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
B2026 Nissan Kicks
The 2026 Nissan Kicks is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact hatchback with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Kicks, is EPA-rated at 31 …
Verdict · default weights
2026 Kia EV6
Clear winThe Kia EV6 wins clearly, 88.6 to 70.7, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, safety. The Nissan Kicks is ahead on price and space & cargo.
Fuel & range 2026 Kia EV6 leads by 70.9
Tech & comfort 2026 Kia EV6 leads by 65.6
Price 2026 Nissan Kicks leads by 40
| Category · weight | 2026 Nissan Kicksoverall 70.7 | 2026 Kia EV6overall 88.6 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricew 4 | 100 | 60 | ||||||||||||
Base MSRP of the trim (or the model's lowest trim). Lower is better. | ||||||||||||||
| Fuel & rangew 3 | 29.1 | 100 | ||||||||||||
EPA annual fuel cost and combined mpg / MPGe; EV range when both are electric. | ||||||||||||||
| Safetyw 4 | 80.2 | 100 | ||||||||||||
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 | 81.3 | ||||||||||||
Seats, cargo volume behind the 1st and 2nd rows, rear legroom. | ||||||||||||||
| Performancew 2 | 80.8 | 96.5 | ||||||||||||
Horsepower, torque and horsepower per ton. | ||||||||||||||
| Tech & comfortw 3 | 34.4 | 100 | ||||||||||||
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 | 70.7 | 88.6 | ||||||||||||
Trim vs trim · 6 of 7 categories compared
Nissan Kicks: base trim S FWD · Kia EV6: base trim Light RWD. 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 2026 Kia EV6 wins
- It is rated 115 combined against 31 (EPA mpg or MPGe).
- It costs $1,500 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($650 against $2,150).
- It lists more comfort and tech equipment (45 points against 15.5 on the press-kit count, standard = 1, optional = ½).
Where the 2026 Nissan Kicks answers
- It starts $15,170 lower ($22,730 against $37,900 base MSRP).
- It holds 30 cu ft behind the second row against 24.4.
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 | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Base MSRP (excludes destination) | $22,730 | $37,900 |
| Engine Basics | ||
| Aspiration | naturally aspirated | — |
| Cylinder count | 4 | — |
| Engine displacement | 1,997 cc | — |
| Engine type (full description) | MR20DD 2.0L DOHC inline 4-cylinder | AC Synchronous Permanent Magnet Motor |
| Valve configuration | 4 valves per cylinder with Continuous Variable Valve Timing Control System | — |
| Engine Output | ||
| Horsepower | 141 hp | 167 hp |
| Torque | 140 lb-ft | 258 lb-ft |
| Fuel Economy | ||
| MPG (city) | 28 mpg | 128 mpg |
| MPG (combined) | 31 mpg | 115 mpg |
| MPG (highway) | 35 mpg | 103 mpg |
| Transmission | ||
| Final drive ratio | 5.341 | 10.65:1 |
| Transmission type | cvt | Gear Reduction Unit |
| Dimensions Exterior | ||
| Ground clearance | 8.4 in | 6.1 in |
| Overall height | 64.2 in | 60.8 in |
| Overall length | 172 in | 185 in |
| Overall width | 70.9 in | 74 in |
| Wheelbase | 105 in | 114 in |
| Cargo | ||
| Cargo volume behind 1st row | 55.7 cu-ft | — |
| Cargo volume behind 2nd row | 30 cu-ft | 24.4 cu-ft |
| Total interior volume | 95.7 cu-ft | 103 cu-ft |
| Seating | ||
| Passenger seating capacity | 5 | — |
| Headroom | ||
| Front headroom | 39.7 in | 39 in |
| Second-row headroom | 38.5 in | — |
| Third-row headroom | — | 38 in |
| Legroom | ||
| Front legroom | 42.7 in | 42.4 in |
| Second-row legroom | 34.5 in | — |
| Third-row legroom | — | 39 in |
| Weights | ||
| Curb weight (maximum) | 3,002 lbs | — |
| Curb weight (minimum) | 3,002 lbs | 4,132 lbs |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 3,902 lbs | 5,114 lbs |
| Payload capacity | 900 lbs | — |
| Suspension | ||
| Front suspension type | Independent strut with coil springs | MacPherson type suspension with inclined strut bearing and Single Lower Arm Type |
| Rear suspension type | Twist beam | 5 Multi-link |
| Steering | ||
| Steering type | Electric power-assisted | Rack-Mounted Electric Power Steering (R-MDPS) |
| Turning radius (curb-to-curb) | — | 19.1 ft |
| Brakes | ||
| Front brake diameter | 295 mm | 325 mm |
| Front brake type | Vented disc | ventilated disc |
| Parking brake type | Electric with auto hold | epb |
| Rear brake diameter | 279 mm | 325 mm |
| Rear brake type | solid disc | solid disc |
| Wheels | ||
| Wheel diameter | 16 in | 19 in |
| Wheel material | steel | forged alloy |
| Wheel width | 6.5 in | 7.5 in |
| Tires | ||
| Tire size | 215/65R16 | 235/55R19 |
| Fuel System | ||
| Fuel tank capacity | 11.9 gal | — |
| Minimum recommended octane | 87 | — |
| Connected Services | ||
| Connected services brand | NissanConnect | — |
| Shoulder Room | ||
| Front shoulder room | 54.7 in | 57.8 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
142 features · differences first, then sharedSafety27 differ · 42 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection | std | — |
| 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 |
| Predictive Forward Collision Warning | std | — |
| Highway Driving Assist (HDA) | — | std |
| Lane Departure Warning | std | — |
| Lane Keep Assist System (LKA) | — | std |
| Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control - Curve with Stop and Go (NSCC-C) | — | std |
| Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) | — | std |
| Parking Distance Warning - Front and Rear | — | std |
| Parking Distance Warning - Front and Rear | — | std |
| Blind Spot Collision Avoidance (BCA) | — | std |
| Blind Spot Warning | 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 | — |
| Nissan Safety Shield® 360 | 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 Collision Avoidance (RCCA) | std | std |
| Dual front advanced airbags | std | std |
| Dual front seat-mounted side airbags | std | std |
| Full-length side curtain airbags | std | std |
| Rear-view camera with dynamic guidelines | std | std |
| Driver Attention Warning (DAW) | std | std |
| Dual rear seat-mounted side airbags | std | std |
| Antilock Brakes System (ABS) | std | std |
| Driver's knee airbag | std | std |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | std | std |
| High Beam Assist (HBA) | std | std |
| Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) | std | std |
| Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) door-logic based | std | std |
| Immobilizer | std | std |
| Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - high line | std | std |
Infotainment14 differ · 15 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi Hotspot | opt | std |
| 12.3-inch color touchscreen display | 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 |
| Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System | std | — |
| Front and rear door speakers (x4) | — | std |
| Front tweeter (x2) | — | std |
| Front USB ports – 2, USB-C | std | — |
| NissanConnect® featuring wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android Auto™ | std | — |
| Second-row USB-C charge ports (x2) | — | std |
| Shark fin antenna | — | std |
| Siri® Eyes Free | std | — |
| SiriusXM® (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately) | std | — |
| Streaming audio via Bluetooth® | std | — |
| Wireless phone charger | — | std |
| Steering wheel-mounted audio, Bluetooth®, voice recognition and cruise controls | std | std |
Convenience4 differ · 5 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Floor console tray with 12V power outlet (x1), USB-A data port (x1) and 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 |
| Smart Key with Push-button start, burglar alarm, escort headlamp, immobilizer, panic | std | std |
Climate4 differ · 4 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Air filter | — | std |
| 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 | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| 10-way power driver's seat | — | std |
| Heated front seats (3-levels) | — | 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, sliding and reclining | — | std |
| 2nd row side seats armrest with cupholder (x2) | — | std |
Interior22 differ · 24 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Electric chromic inside rear-view mirror | — | std |
| 12.3-inch Color TFT LCD panoramic curved display cluster | — | 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 |
| Recycled fabric crashpad | — | std |
| Illuminated sunvisor vanity mirrors, extendable | — | std |
| Carpeted floor mats | — | opt |
| LED rear cargo light | — | std |
| Carpet flooring | — | std |
| Plastic scuff plates | — | std |
| Rheostat (Dimmer Switch) | — | std |
| Manual tilt and telescoping steering column | std | std |
| Trip computer | std | std |
Exterior20 differ · 23 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Power adjustable heated outside mirrors | — | 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 |
| Windshield wiper blade | — | std |
| Auto Light Control headlights | — | std |
| Privacy glass (rear doors, tailgate, quarter glass) | — | std |
| LED Daytime Running Light (DRL) | std | std |
| Rear LED combination lamps | std | std |
| LED High Mounted Stop lamp | std | std |
Powertrain10 differ · 10 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| All Wheel Drive (AWD) | std | — |
| Front Wheel Drive | std | — |
| 125 kW Electric Motor Output | — | std |
| 63.0 kWh | — | std |
| Drive Mode Select (DMS) with Eco, Comfort, Sport and Snow modes | — | std |
| Drive Mode Selector – Normal, Eco, Sport (FWD) / Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow (AWD) | std | — |
| Idle Stop/Start | std | — |
| In-Cable Control Box (ICCB) | — | std |
| Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) | — | std |
| Shift-by-Wire gear selector | — | std |
Chassis5 differ · 5 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Front Selective Damping Control Valve and Hydraulic Rebound Stop (HRS) shock absorber | — | std |
| McPherson Strut Single Lower Arm Type front suspension | — | std |
| Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) | — | std |
| Multi-link rear suspension | — | std |
| Rear Selective Damping Control Valve shock absorber | — | std |
Cargo5 differ · 5 listed
| Feature | Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo cover | — | opt |
| Cargo power outlet | — | std |
| Fixed floor with underfloor storage system | 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, NCAPNissan Kicks
Safety Signal 81 B
NHTSA overall ★★★★☆
Frontal / side / rollover ★★★☆☆ / ★★★★★ / ★★★★☆
Recalls 3
Owner complaints 7 · 0 crashes · 0 fires
Most complained about Unspecified (4), Steering (2), Electrical System (2)
Top recalls
- high Seats 26V145000 · 15 vehicles
- high Latches/Locks/Linkages 26V023000 · 26,432 vehicles
- moderate Electrical System 26V331000 · 51,598 vehicles
Kia EV6
Safety Signal 100 A
NHTSA overall ★★★★★
Frontal / side / rollover ★★★★★ / ★★★★★ / ★★★★★
Recalls 0
Owner complaints —
Top recalls
No recalls on file.
Ownership
EPA, manufacturer warranty| Nissan KicksS FWD | Kia EV6Light RWD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $22,730 (base trim) | $37,900 (base trim) |
| Price range across trims | $22,730 – $28,460 6 trims | $37,900 – $53,000 8 trims |
| Powertrains | GAS | BEV |
| EPA configuration compared | Kicks | EV6 Standard Range RWD |
| Combined mpg / MPGe | 31 | 115 |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $2,150 | $650 |
| EV range | — | 237 mi |
| Basic warranty | — | — |
| Powertrain warranty | — | — |
| Roadside assistance | — | — |
Common questions
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich is better, the 2026 Nissan Kicks or the 2026 Kia EV6?
The Kia EV6 wins clearly, 88.6 to 70.7, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, safety. The Nissan Kicks is ahead on price and space & cargo. On WhichTrim's default weights the 2026 Kia EV6 scores 88.6 and the 2026 Nissan Kicks 70.7. The weights are yours to change — move what you care about and the verdict recalculates on the page.
Which is cheaper, the 2026 Nissan Kicks or the 2026 Kia EV6?
The 2026 Nissan Kicks starts lower — $22,730 against $37,900, a gap of $15,170 at the trims compared here. Both are manufacturer MSRPs before destination, options and dealer charges.
Which has the better safety record, the 2026 Nissan Kicks or the 2026 Kia EV6?
2026 Nissan Kicks: 4 NHTSA stars, grade B, 3 recalls. 2026 Kia EV6: 5 NHTSA stars, grade A, 0 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 2026 Nissan Kicks and the 2026 Kia EV6?
Where the 2026 Kia EV6 wins: it is rated 115 combined against 31 (EPA mpg or MPGe), costs $1,500 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($650 against $2,150), and lists more comfort and tech equipment (45 points against 15.5 on the press-kit count, standard = 1, optional = ½). Where the 2026 Nissan Kicks answers: it starts $15,170 lower ($22,730 against $37,900 base MSRP) and holds 30 cu ft behind the second row against 24.4.