After what seemed like a never-ending hiatus, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) is back launching new cars again. And it is not just introducing facelifts, it is shaking the market with a model we have never seen in Malaysia before – the Nissan Kicks.

Small yet spacious, refined yet fun, the Kicks is a gentle reminder of how cars used to be. In this day and age of massive infotainment screens that swivel unnecessarily, the Kicks is humble yet advanced at the same time.

The Nissan Kicks is a B-Segment contender, that means it goes up against competition like the Honda HR-V and the Proton X50, among others.

Malaysians are only just getting the Kicks, which is quite surprising since rumours were abound that we would be getting it as far back as 2018. But ETCM is eager to put that past behind them and look forward to introducing the Kicks to Malaysian homes.

We are also getting the first-generation model, which some netizens have chastised because the second-generation model has already been introduced since early 2024. But the second-generation model is not yet available in right hand drive model.

Why is it a big deal?

While a number of Malaysians including governmental policies are looking at electric vehicles, the Kicks is a hybrid SUV. This is not at all surprising because Japanese car makers have maintained that they will continue to offer cars with an internal combustion engine alongside electrified models.

The Kicks uses a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine that acts as a generator that helps to charge a battery which in turn powers a motor which then turns the wheels. In our minds, that would make the Kicks a hybrid car. Except that it is not, at least that is what Nissan wants us to believe.

A hybrid car usually has a powertrain that includes an engine and a battery, both of which can power the wheels independently or work concurrently to turn the wheels.

The Kicks is very different in that sense. Though it may have an engine, it does not in any way turn the wheels. In fact, the engine’s sole function is to recharge the battery, even on the fly.

The battery, which has a capacity of 2.06kWh, then powers the motor. The motor is the only thing that does the heavy lifting and moves the car.

So, because it is only the motor that does the work, the hybrid term does not apply to the Kicks. According to Nissan at least.

But that aside, the Kicks is also a big deal because it drives fantastically well. The suspension and connection between man and machine that it offers is something that Chinese car makers are still struggling to match.

But that should not come as a surprise since Nissan has been making cars for the past 90 years and have brought the world such legends as the GT-R, the Z series, the Fairlady and plenty of other goliaths.

The powertrain is the real star of the show

Based on what we just described above, those in the know may think that the powertrain of the Nissan Kicks works in a similar fashion to Honda’s e:HEV series of hybrids. But the difference between the two is that the Honda’s engine can also power the wheels and recharge the battery at the same time. As what we have explained, Nissan’s engine does not do that.

So this means that the Nissan Kick works on electric power all of the time, except that it does not need to be recharged in the normal sense.

And this is where it stands out amongst the herds of hybrids. Where its competitors create cars that still rely on the internal combustion engine for propulsion, the Kicks does not. It only needs the engine for recharging purposes.

You may ask then if it defeats the purpose of driving an electric vehicle since one of the main objectives of an EV is to be environmentally friendly. Besides the fact that mining lithium needed to create batteries is harming the environment itself, the Kicks just needs very little petrol to recharge the battery.

The official fuel consumption figure for the Kicks stands at 21.7km per litre, or 4.61 litres per 100km. That is outstanding by itself already. And this has very minimal impact to the environment.

But how does it fare in the real world?

It is quite an impressive car. Despite its size, it is spacious inside, good enough for four tall adults to get comfortable, or a young family. Even the booth size is impressive, at 423 litres, it is just below on the Honda HRV’s 440 litres. Just to put it into perspective, two regular size golf bags can be fitted into the Nissan Kicks, plus some luggage.

The interior may seem simplistic, especially to the newer generation. This is particularly so when compared to the competitors from China with their massive infotainment screens, futuristic designs and features.

But for this writer, the interior of the Kicks is a refreshing departure from everything we are getting from China. It reminds me of cars of yesteryear with its physical buttons and dials for all of the essentials. There is even soft touch panels around the cabin and double-stitching for a premium touch.

The one part about the interior that I truly like are the seats. During a recent media drive to Melaka and back, I was paired by an elderly gentleman who drove for all of 30 minutes and deemed that good enough for his review. So, I had to take on the Captain’s seat for two days, which was plenty of time to get properly acquainted with the seat.

Nissan is the company that introduced the zero gravity seats, and the Kicks offers them as well. This concept was inspired by the fatigue reduction and comfort enhancing, Nasa-measured “neutral posture”.

In a weightless scenario, human posture is said to be weakened and the burden on the body is at its least. According to Nissan, posture does not collapse even over long period and you are less likely to become tired. So by applying this neutral posture to a car seat, fatigue from long periods of time is minimized. And as I experienced, the seats in the Kicks really are good. Perhaps not as good as the ones in the Navara, but still good.

Is the powertrain as good as Nissan says?

Fuel efficiency is what the powertrain has been designed to do and that is what it does best. However, I did not see the claimed consumption of 21.7km per litre, the best I saw was 18.2km per litre, but perhaps that is because we spent a lot of time corner carving around the back roads from Port Dickson to Melaka.

ETCM wanted us to experience the suspension setting of the car, and hence why that route was chosen. And the suspension is nearly perfect for a car of this segment, comfortable when you need it to be, and stiff when you hit the corners, so much so that you don’t really need to lift much for sweeping corners, which lets you adopt a smooth driving style, which thus improves efficiency.

Power delivery though is just decent. With 129PS and 280Nm of torque, the delivery is better lower down the rev band, at low speed. In traffic, the initial surge in power makes the Kicks feel like an EV, but it dissipates quickly as you keep your foot floored. Acceleration time is rated at 9.5 seconds to 100km/h, which says a lot about what the car is meant to do.

ETCM says that the natural habitat for the Kicks is in traffic, and we believe them. Because that is where the car felt its best. Along the narrow streets of traffic-light laden Melaka, it was easy to close the gap in between cars with just a little tap of the accelerator. The beauty of EV’s in traffic is the torque that is accessible from zero rpm, and that is what you get with the Kicks as well.

So, should you buy one?

It is difficult to answer this one without knowing the price of the car. But should it be priced in between RM120,000 to RM130,000, the Kicks would be in some very choppy waters.

There is no denying that brands from China have been shaking up the local market. The Haval H6 Hybrid is priced at just under RM140,000, and that is a car that is bigger, roomier, and is quite efficient as well.

But the Nissan has proper pedigree in its side. A well-established network of service centres and 70 years of experience operating in the domestic market means ETCM is a company that is far ahead of the competition in terms of after sales service.

And then there is the way the car drives and handles, which I can rave about but is something you need to experience to believe.

The Kicks may appeal to the traditionalists, and rightfully so as it is a delightful car to drive. Now it all comes down to the price. ETCM, the ball is in your court.

Specifications
Engine: 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, petrol
Battery: 2.06kWh
Power: 129PS
Torque: 280Nm
Suspension: MacPherson Struts (Front) / Torsion Beam (Rear)
Price (As Tested): TBA

We like: Handling, Refinement, Efficiency
We don’t like: Interior might be too simplistic for some

The Chinese car and battery maker has been making waves around the world for everything from its battery technology to the cars that it builds. There is little doubt that BYD is currently the best at the game.

But before BYD or any other company started making waves in the EV industry, there was the Nissan Leaf. It is widely regarded as the granddaddy of the industry and credited for laying the groundwork for others to follow, in Malaysia at least.

The Leaf was one of the first mass distributed electric vehicles that Malaysians could buy. The first-generation model was introduced in Malaysia by Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) at the 2013 Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow. Back then it was priced at RM168,800.

The Nissan Leaf was also the world’s best-selling electric car up until 2020 when Tesla snatched the crown which it then subsequently lost to BYD in 2023.

The first-generation Leaf (above) was more of a novelty car, a toy even. With a range of just 195km, it did not go very far, but it found love in a number of homes, enough to convince ETCM to introduce the second-generation model.

The second-generation Nissan Leaf was introduced to Malaysians about four years ago, and since then it has been constantly overshadowed by stiff competition from China.

While the Leaf may have chartered the path for the other brands to eventually make inroads to the Malaysian market, it has ultimately been beaten at its own game. Or has it? Let’s first look into the numbers.

The Leaf costs RM168,888 without insurance and comes with a three-year or 100,000km warranty on the vehicle as well as an eight-year of 160,000km warranty on the battery.

For that money, you get an EV that has a 311km range on the NEDC cycle, but we saw a range of about 230km with the battery at 98% state of charge.

The sole electric motor that the Leaf is powered by is rated at 150PS and 320Nm of torque that drives the front wheels. The sprint to 100km/h is done in 7.9 seconds while top speed is rated at 155km/h.

Charging the Leaf can be done in about seven hours with a 6.6kW AC charger, or an hour using a 50kW DC charger. However, the Leaf will also happily charge up using your home’s 3.6kW three-pin-plug, and that will take you 12 hours.

Now for comparison’s sake, lets dive into the numbers of what is arguably Malaysia’s most popular EV for the moment – the BYD Atto 3.

BYD’s SUV comes in two variants, the standard range, which is priced at RM149,800 and the extended range, which has a price tag of RM167,800. There are some discounts that are currently being offered which drops the price of the Atto 3 by a further RM20,000, but for the sake of this article, we will ignore that just to make it a level playing field for the Leaf (though it really isn’t).

Since the extended range (ER) is more closely priced to the Leaf than the standard, we shall use that for comparison. The ER has a 60.48kWh battery that offers a 420km range. It sends 204PS and 310Nm of torque to the front wheels while the sprint to 100km/h is done in just 7.3 seconds.

The Atto 3 is built on a 400-volt platform and that allows it to support 7kW of AC charging and up to 80kW of DC charging. The latter will let you juice up from zero to 80% in just 45 minutes.

The Atto 3 also has vehicle to load capability, which lets you power up appliances such as a small coffee machine or a kettle, making the car ideal for picnics or camping by the beach.

But that is not all, the Atto 3 also utilises a BYD’s proprietary Blade Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, which is widely regarded as the safest battery in the industry.

The Atto 3 also has a better interior with a rotating infotainment screen, a full-sized panoramic sunroof, wireless Apple CarPlay and can even be locked or unlocked using a NFC key card.

The BYD Atto 3 is obviously the clear winner in the battle of the spec sheets. But anyone who buys the Atto 3 or any other EV in the country, is taking a step into the unknown.

Because the EV industry is still in its infancy, the market does not have a clue about how used EV’s are going to be accepted. In the UK for example, used car dealers are shunning used EV’s because they argue that the batteries of the used EV’s cannot hold as much charge as when they were new. This impacts range, which is an inconvenience, and replacing the batteries is very expensive, and buyers are aware of that and steer clear of used EV’s.

And then there is the issue of battery replacement. Should an EV owner wish to hold on to the car longer than the eight-year warranty that most manufacturers provide for their cars, there is a good chance they will have to take on the cost of battery replacement, or deal with battery degradation.

This is where the Nissan Leaf provides an ideal solution. ETCM has come up with a plan where you don’t buy the Leaf in the traditional sense, but rather you lease the car from the company, or subscribe to it, which is just a play on words that means the same thing. This might sound weird to some of the traditionalists, but it makes perfect sense, especially when it comes to an EV.

Called the Leaf Subscription Plan, the plan requires no down payment, and the monthly payments are just RM1,800 for a three-year contract. At the end of the contract, you can simply return the car.

This makes perfect sense for several reasons. For starters, you don’t have to deal with depreciation of the car, which is one of the main hole burners in your pocket. And then you don’t have to worry about disposing the car in the event you want to upgrade to a bigger car.

And most importantly and perhaps the biggest relief is not having to worry about the cost of the battery in the event it needed replacing. Sure, you would have paid RM64,800 at the end of the contract, but that is still much better than having to deal with depreciation or any unplanned maintenance issues.

This alone makes the Nissan Leaf a viable choice as your first EV or perhaps a second car. If your lifestyle revolves around the city and you don’t usually travel more than 30 to 50km per day, then the Leaf would be ideal. You don’t even have to worry about installing a wallbox since the Leaf can be charged with a domestic socket. And if you live in a high-rise building, then being able to charge up using an AC or DC charger is convenient as well.

For the purpose of daily use, the Leaf offers Apple CarPlay, Android auto and arguably some of the most comfortable seats in its segment. In fact, the Leaf is ideal for life in the urban jungle. Even its size makes it easy to live with, offering enough space for luggage and for five average sized adults to get comfortable in.

If safety is of concern, the Leaf has you covered as well, offering six airbags, and Nissan Intelligent Mobility systems, which is basically Nissan’s way of saying the car comes with advanced driver aid systems (ADAS).

So, if the EV bug has been gnawing at you but you have been hesitant to take the leap, then perhaps dipping your toes into the segment with a leased EV would make better sense than simply leaping blindfolded into the unknown. And though the Leaf may be outgunned and outpowered by the competition, but it is the only EV in the market you can lease now. So no, it has not been beaten at its own game, the Leaf simply changed the game, and won.

Specifications:
Motor: 110kW AC Synchronous Electric Motor
Power: 150PS
Torque: 320Nm
Range: 311km (NEDC)
Charging: 1 hour (50kW DC) 7 hours (6.6kW AC) 12 hours (3.6kW AC)
Price (As tested): RM168,888 (RM1,800 per month on subscription)

We like: You don’t have to buy it, can charge anywhere
We don’t like: Range, feels basic

Konsep Runcit Nissan bertujuan untuk menginovasikan pengedar Nissan dan menyampaikan standard perkhidmatan bertaraf dunia kepada pelanggan Nissan di seluruh dunia. Ia bertumpu pada mempamerkan nilai jenama Nissan sepanjang masa pelanggan berada di pusat flagship ini, sama ada untuk memandu uji model terkini atau menghantar kereta untuk servis biasa. Setiap titik sentuh kemudahan runcit yang mematuhi konsep NRC atau NRC-NEXT telah pun direka bentuk dan diperhalusi semula untuk menyampaikan keseronokan dan kepuasan kepada pelanggan.

Selaras dengan dedikasinya untuk berada di hadapan, ETCM menganugerahkan perkongsian peniagaan kepada Evo Mobility Sdn. Bhd. (EVO) di Cyberjaya untuk memenuhi keperluan komuniti berdekatannya pada akhir tahun 2023. EVO mempunyai pengalaman perniagaan dalam pengedaran bahan api yang kukuh dan teguh di kawasan selatan lebih daripada dua dekad, dan kini ia ingin berkembang dan menerokai ruang automotif. 

Terletak di bandar Autoville Cyberjaya yang berkembang pesat, satu-satunya hab khusus yang dibenarkan untuk menjalani perniagaan automotif dan perkhidmatan pembaikan kereta di Cyberjaya, Pusat 3S Nissan bernilai RM1.5 juta baharu ini telah mula beroperasi pada awal Januari 2024. Ia mengisi jurang penting dalam pasaran kerana dapat memenuhi keperluan pelanggan baharu yang berpotensi dari Cyberjaya, Sepang dan Putrajaya dengan strategik.

Cawangan yang baharu dibuka dengan saiz keluasan keseluruhan 7,300 kaki persegi itu mampu mempamerkan sehingga lima model Nissan, serta menyediakan rangkaian kenderaan pandu uji yang menawarkan pengalaman langsung kepada pelanggan, dan ruang penghantaran kenderaan baharu yang tersedia dengan ruang istirehat pelanggan yang selesa. Kedua-dua ruang servis itu mampu menampung sehingga 200 servis setiap bulan, justeru memastikan kerja penyelengaraan dan pembaikan yang cekap dan tepat pada masa.

Sebagai tambahan kepada pembukaan yang menarik ini, ETCM akan terus menaik taraf bilik pamerannya yang sedia ada di seluruh negara untuk memenuhi jangkaan pelanggan yang semakin berkembang dan meningkatkan tahap kepuasan di semua titik sentuh dengan jenama Nissan, yang sudah pasti akan mengukuhkan lagi kedudukan ETCM sebagai peneraju pengalaman pelanggan dalam peruncitan automotif.

The NRC-NEXT concept aims to revolutionise Nissan dealerships and uphold world-class service standards for Nissan customers worldwide. It focuses on showcasing Nissan’s brand values throughout the entire customer journey at the dealership touchpoint, whether it involves test driving the latest models or scheduling regular service appointments. Every aspect of a NRC- or NRC-NEXT-compliant retail facility is reimagined and refined to deliver excitement and satisfaction to customers.

In line with its commitment to innovation, ETCM awarded a dealer partnership to Evo Mobility Sdn. Bhd. (EVO) in Cyberjaya in late 2023. EVO, with over two decades of experience in fuel distribution across the southern region, is expanding into the automotive space. The new RM1.5 million Nissan 3S Centre in Cyberjaya, situated in Autoville Cyberjaya, commenced operations in early January 2024. This strategically located outlet serves potential customers within Cyberjaya, Sepang, and Putrajaya.

The newly opened outlet boasts a total built-up area of 7,300 square feet, showcasing up to five Nissan models and offering a fleet of test drive vehicles for customers to experience firsthand. It also features a dedicated new vehicle delivery area and a comfortable customer lounge. With two service bays capable of accommodating up to 200 service throughput per month, efficient and timely maintenance and repairs are ensured.

In addition to these new openings, ETCM remains committed to upgrading its existing showrooms nationwide to meet evolving customer expectations and elevate satisfaction levels across all touchpoints with the Nissan brand. These initiatives solidify ETCM’s position as a leader in customer experience within the automotive retail journey.