Comparing the 2025 Nissan Kicks vs Chevy Trax
What do you look for in a subcompact SUV? Do you want an SUV that adds excitement to your time in the driver’s seat without compromising efficiency? Are you ready to invest in an automotive brand that values your hard-earned money? Comparing the 2025 Nissan Kicks vs 2025 Chevy Trax will help answer those questions.
Nissan and Chevrolet are well-known automakers dedicated to building reliable models that offer plenty of value and broad appeal. The Kicks and Trax reflect as much, with these subcompact SUVs being comparably priced and packed with features. So, why are we confident that your search for the perfect SUV will end with you behind the wheel of the 2025 Kicks?
Chevrolet might have the most affordable subcompact SUV in the class, but the Trax’s lower price tag means drivers get less for their hard-earned money. Nissan refuses to make that demand, pricing the 2025 Kicks at a still-affordable $21,830 and equipping the base trim with an impressive lineup of technologies, features, and amenities. The 2025 Kicks gives you more for your money, even beyond what the eye can see, with its engaging powertrain, impressive fuel economy, and expansive cabin.
What else gives the 2025 Kicks an edge over rivals like the 2025 Trax? How does Nissan go above and beyond to exceed every expectation with its subcompact road warrior? Here’s a closer look at why the 2025 Kicks earns its place in the spotlight.
| 2025 Nissan Kicks | VS | 2025 Chevy Trax |
|---|---|---|
| $21,830 [a] | MSRP | $20,400 |
| 28/35 | MPG city/hwy | 28/32 |
| 60 cu.ft. | Cargo Space | 54.1 cu.ft. |
| 12.3 in | Screen Size | 11 in |
Trims
Two Approaches to Options
The 2025 Kicks and 2025 Trax showcase two distinct approaches to how automakers build their trim families. The 2025 Trax has a five-trim lineup with only slight differences between the trims that account for the price increases. This watered-down lineup places the Trax at a disadvantage, especially since Nissan streamlines the Kicks’ lineup to three trims with distinct styles and undeniable value.
The LS trim kickstarts the 2025 Trax lineup at $20,400 and offers only the essentials with the Chevy Safety Assist suite and wireless smartphone integration. The 1RS and 2RS are sportier and add exclusive badging, a unique grille, and red interior accents. The wheels are the most notable difference between the trims, with the 1RS sitting on 18-inch two-tone wheels and the 2RS on 19-inch wheels. From there, the LT trim adds more comforts and conveniences, like automatic climate control, an 11-inch center touchscreen, and an eight-inch Driver Information Center. The top-tier ACTIV looks the part of a rugged adventurer, but its capability is only skin-deep since the Trax ACTIV isn’t meant to venture beyond the pavement.
The Trax’s five-trim lineup is hard to distinguish, with minimal defining features between several of the trims. Fortunately, Nissan takes a more straightforward approach that offers more value for your money with the 2025 Kicks’ three-trim lineup. The SUV starts at $21,830, putting you behind the wheel of the S trim powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine with Intelligent Cruise Control and Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection.[a] Climbing the lineup to the SV adds an expansive 12.3-inch multi-touch NissanConnect display. The top-tier SR adds more value with its LED fog lights and cutting-edge driver-assist technologies like ProPILOT Assist.
Performance
Efficient Powertrains
Thanks to their subcompact footprints, the 2025 Kicks and 2025 Trax are agile and easy to maneuver. However, although the SUVs share the same classification, they offer two distinct experiences in the driver’s seat. The 2025 Trax is a front-wheel drive SUV powered by a 1.2L EcoTec turbocharged inline-three engine. Chevrolet pairs the engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, a combination that produces 137 horsepower. This output is enough to make the Trax engaging and efficient, with the SUV offering an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 28 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway.
The Trax’s output is acceptable until you consider the Kicks, which Nissan offers with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive for the first time in 2025. The difference is significant because Nissan’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system enhances the Kicks’ performance in slippery conditions, guaranteeing drivers have all-season confidence in rain, sleet, snow, or ice. Most notably, this all-wheel drive capability doesn’t dramatically diminish the Kicks’ efficiency but enhances its performance and gives you more control behind the wheel.
The Kicks, which has a class-leading ground clearance of 8.4 inches, is powered by a 2.0L inline-four engine that produces 141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque. Nissan pairs the 2.0L engine with a continuously variable transmission that balances this output with efficiency. The combination makes the 2025 Kicks more efficient than its Chevy rival. For 2025, the Kicks offers an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 28 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway on front-wheel drive models. With all-wheel drive, the Kicks’ fuel economy decreases slightly to 27 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway.
Technology
Tech-Centric SUVs
The 2025 Kicks and 2025 Trax are tech-centric SUVs that offer an exceptional blend of active and passive technologies to keep you connected, engaged, entertained, and informed. Many of these connectivity and safety technologies are standard across the industry, so considering how Chevrolet and Nissan go above the norm is essential. Looking at the size of the digital displays, safety features, and technologies paints a clearer picture of how the 2025 Kicks outshines its Chevy rival.
The 2025 Chevy Trax has a standard eight-inch center touchscreen, with Chevrolet enticing drivers to spend more on a top-tier trim to enjoy an 11-inch color touchscreen display with the Chevrolet infotainment system. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are part of the Trax’s suite of technologies, with wireless charging and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot available on certain trims. So, how does the Kicks compare?
The 2025 Kicks has a dual-screen cockpit framed by a standard seven-inch or optional 12.3-inch instrument panel with two display modes for a bespoke aesthetic. The driver display complements the Kicks’ available 12.3-inch center touchscreen that offers wireless smartphone integration and Nissan’s class-exclusive Intelligent Around View Monitor. The infotainment system works seamlessly with the Kicks’ audio system, a 10-speaker setup from Bose that delivers an immersive listening experience throughout the cabin.
The available safety and driver-assist technologies also differentiate the 2025 Kicks from the 2025 Trax. The Trax comes with the Chevy Safety Assist Suite, and the Kicks with Nissan Safety Shield 360. The suites offer comparable tools, like automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and automatic high beams. However, Nissan Safety Shield 360 is more comprehensive and adds a Blind Spot Warning and Rear Automatic Braking. Depending on the trim, you’ll also find Intelligent Cruise Control and ProPILOT Assist, which provides steering assistance and lane centering when cruising at highway speeds.
Capacity
Distinct Cabin Configurations
The 2025 Kicks and 2025 Trax are both subcompact SUVs, but just because they share the same classification doesn’t mean they have the same dimensions or capacities. Nissan and Chevrolet designed their SUVs to maximize the space to their standards, which means two distinct cabin configurations and a significant difference in passenger space and cargo capacities.
The 2025 Trax offers seating for five with a total passenger volume of 98 cubic feet. The two-row layout seems spacious until you consider the 2025 Kicks boasts a passenger volume of 125.6 cubic feet. Nissan redesigned the Kicks for 2025, adding more room across both rows to improve everyone’s comfort without compromising the SUV’s best-in-class cargo capacity. The addition of first and second-row Zero Gravity seats for the first time in the Kicks’ history certainly helps matters.
The dimensions paint a clearer picture. The 2025 Trax offers 39.6 inches of headroom in the front row and 38.1 inches in the second row, comparable to the 2025 Kicks at 39.7 inches and 38.5 inches. However, the 2025 Kicks offers more front-row legroom and second-row hip room. Legroom in the Kicks’ front row measures 42.7 inches, compared to the Trax at 41.9 inches. Likewise, the hip room in the Trax’s second row is a mere 45.8 inches, with the Kicks offering far more room at 50.1 inches.
The Kicks gains another advantage when it’s time to haul cargo. The 2025 Kicks has the widest cargo opening in the class at 40.3 inches, making accessing, loading, and unloading items in the rear easier than ever. The volume is also class-leading, with the 2025 Kicks offering 30 cubic feet behind the second row and 60 cubic feet with both rows folded. The 2025 Trax can’t compete, offering a modest 25.6 cubic feet behind the front row or a maximum of 54.1 cubic feet.
Your Nissan Dealer
Did you initially think the 2025 Chevy Trax was the perfect fit? While the Trax is often in the spotlight for its affordable price tag, the 2025 Kicks offers far more value across an impressive three-trim lineup. This subcompact road warrior showcases Nissan’s driver-centric approach to designing an SUV that answers every basic need and exceeds expectations, from its efficient and engaging powertrain to its Zero Gravity seating and well-equipped cabin.
We are proud to be your destination for the 2025 Kicks and look forward to welcoming you into our dealership. As a full-service automotive center, we’ll help you find the perfect Kicks and introduce you to a world-class dealership experience that fosters confidence and fuels your excitement. But don’t think our work ends when the sale is final. We’re here for all your needs, from our showroom floor to our service center. We make a lifetime commitment to every customer, guaranteeing you get the most from your Kicks every mile and adventure down the road.
