Nissan Kicks Play Outsells Second-Generation Nissan Kicks in Q1 2025

Nissan Canada’s first quarter sales report is full of interesting details, but one is more revelatory than the rest: the first-generation Kicks (which is now being sold as the Kicks Play) is outselling the next-generation model that replaced it.

Nissan sold 4,983 examples of the Kicks Play in the first quarter, an increase of about 40% from Q1 2024. Meanwhile, Nissan sold just 4,542 examples of the second-generation Kicks. The figures (first noticed by Guide Auto Web) are less an indictment of the new Kicks' performance than they are a reflection of current market trends.

Nissan kept the older Kicks Play as an option for budget-conscious buyers. The MSRP for Kicks Play starts at around $25,000 while the new Kicks starts at around $30,000. This is a significant price difference, especially when looking at budget-friendly options. The sales difference could be spurred by consumer demand for more affordable vehicles, and the Kicks Play meets the role, being one of the cheapest new cars available for purchase.

As for the rest of Nissan's lineup, the quarterly report reveals a slight increase in overall sales compared to Q1 2024. Budget models like the Sentra, Kicks Play, and Altima seeing the largest sales spikes.

Meanwhile, electric vehicles continue to sell poorly, with the Leaf sales seeing a massive decline compared to the same period in 2024. On the other hand, the Ariya saw a large percentage increase in sales, despite that the overall number of units sold remains relatively low.

The Infiniti brand also saw about a ten per cent decline in sales across its entire model range, with the exception of the recently updated QX80. Total sales for the brand are 1,203 for the first quarter.