Budget-Friendly Nissan Kicks Play Won’t Return for 2026
Nissan’s decision to keep selling the first-generation Kicks alongside the second-generation model for 2025—the former using the name Kicks Play—was a pretty smart one. As we reported in early April, the old crossover outsold the new one both in the final quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
Clearly, a lot of Canadians are looking for more affordable vehicles and don’t necessarily seek more power or the latest gadgets.
- Also: Old Nissan Kicks Continues to Outsell New Kicks in Canada
- Also: Top 10 Most Affordable SUVs and Crossovers in 2025
However, all good things must come to an end: Nissan Canada has confirmed to The Car Guide that the Kicks Play will no longer be available after the 2025 model year, leaving all the attention to the new Kicks. In other words, it won't be like the old Ram 1500, which continued to sell alongside its successor for several years as the Ram 1500 Classic.
With an all-inclusive price that barely tops $25,000 in base trim, the Kicks Play remains Nissan’s second best-selling vehicle in Canada behind the Rogue even though it features a modest 122-horsepower engine and no AWD option.
The Kicks Play offers a choice of two models. The entry-level 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 just under $28,000) 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.
The new Kicks, which is manufactured at the same plant in Mexico and therefore exempt from the recent 25-percent tariff on U.S.-built vehicles, starts just shy of $30,000. In addition to a radically different exterior design, it boasts a 141-horsepower engine and optional all-wheel drive, plus impressive cargo capacity for a small crossover with 850 litres in the trunk and a total of 1,700 litres when the rear bench seat is folded.
Some equipment revisions are likely in store for the 2026 model, due to be announced in a few months' time. Stay tuned for more information.
