2021 Nissan Kicks Revealed: What's New, Design, Tech

2021 Nissan Kicks revealed: What's new, design, tech

It's only been a few short years since the Nissan Kicks was introduced, but Nissan has the tiny crossover's first update ready to rock. The 2021 Nissan Kicks gets revised styling in front and back, some thoughtful interior changes and a number of tech improvements.

You'll notice the new grille first, mostly because it's so much bigger than before. Due to its size, Nissan has changed the name to "Double V-Motion," as opposed to just "V-Motion." Groundbreaking stuff. The grille does serve its purpose of making the little Kicks look bigger and more SUV-like, though. It's complemented by redesigned LED headlights, LED foglights and a more aggressive bumper. Around back, Nissan gave it a full-width rear light with a new LED element. There's a new bumper design with some fake-looking strakes poking down from the rear finisher, too. And Nissan introduced three new colors: Electric Blue Metallic (what you're seeing in the photos, Scarlet Ember Tintcoat and Boulder Gray Pearl.

Video Tells The Design Story Behind The Nissan Z Proto

Video tells the design story behind the Nissan Z Proto

The Nissan Z Proto has excited enthusiasts with its skillful reimagining of the Z-car idea that at the same time references the best of the model's past. Nissan now has released a video giving the design backstory of the sports car concept.

The video features Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan senior vice president of global design, and Saturo Tai, executive design director. Tai says the original Datsun Z is the car that as a kid made him want to be a car designer. Once he got to Nissan Design, he was part of the team that did the 1990 300ZX. Albaisa says that he, too, was spurred to become a car designer by the original Z. Early in his career, he was involved in shaping the 350Z.

2022 Toyota Tundra Spied With Design Changes Aplenty

2022 Toyota Tundra spied with design changes aplenty

It has been over a year since we caught the next-gen Toyota Tundra pickup out testing, but that changes today. New spy shots show the full-size truck running around in a thick layer of camouflage and coverings.

Just like the first time we spotted a next-gen Tundra, this one is sporting skirts, brushes and other materials to block our view of the rear suspension. But the big news is that under the camouflage is what looks like a totally new and different truck. Both times we previously spied the Tundra, it was still the same cab and truck underneath. Toyota didn't even bother to cover up the doors. This truck looks entirely different with a new cab design, hugely different front end, massively different mirrors and new elements to pore over everywhere.

Watch: Acura Mdx Prototype Design Lead Details Old And New Mdx

Watch: Acura MDX Prototype design lead details old and new MDX

Catalin Matei, principal designer at Acura, was the exterior design lead for the original 2001 MDX and had the same job for the new MDX Prototype. That's just plain cool, and it makes him the MDX person of record when it comes to design. 

Thankfully, Acura put him in front of a camera with the original and the new Prototype to talk design. That video is at the top of this post.

2022 Nissan Rogue Sport Previews With New Design And More Tech

2022 Nissan Rogue Sport previews with new design and more tech

We concluded the new 2021 Nissan Rogue is better in every way than its predecessor, which bodes well for its smaller sibling. Known as the Qashqai globally, the Rogue Sport is preparing to return for a second generation, and cross-referencing the images of fully camouflaged prototypes released by Nissan with the changes recently made to the bigger Rogue gives us an accurate idea of what to expect from the popular crossover when it lands.

Built on a new modular platform shared with the aforementioned Rogue, the Rogue Sport remains largely a European product. It was designed in Nissan's studio in central London, and it was engineered at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe which, as the British spelling for center indicates, is also located in the United Kingdom. It's lighter than the outgoing model thanks to a number of weight-saving measures like doors, fenders, and a hood made with aluminum and a rear hatch manufactured using a composite material. It's 41% stiffer, too.

2021 Nissan Frontier Previewed In Design Sketches

2021 Nissan Frontier previewed in design sketches

Nissan is finally preparing to replace the Frontier. It's not ready to show the truck yet, but it subtly gave us an early look at it by concealing its front end in a design presentation about the updated global-market Navara.

Spotted by Motor1, the image briefly appears in a 15-minute video published on YouTube by Nissan's Mexican division. Above all, it confirms the Navara sold overseas and the Frontier sold here will not look anything alike.

Gymkhana Subaru Wrx Sti Revealed With Wild Design, Huge Power

Gymkhana Subaru WRX STI revealed with wild design, huge power

This black Subaru WRX STI is going to be the next fireball of a racecar to be featured in Hoonigan's Gymkhana video series. It's billed as the "wildest WRX STI ever" by Subaru, and we're not going to argue with that claim. Just look at it.

The raw carbon body looks like an actual cheese grater. You could throw a whole chicken at the front fender as it drives by and end up with shredded BBQ. Its hood-exit flame-spitting exhaust will even give the bird a nice char as it passes over the front of the car. And no, we can't see any flames in the photos here, but Subaru promises that it does produce fire. The wacky aero was apparently developed in a wind tunnel. And if you haven't guessed by now, this car was designed with zero restrictions for anything. It's not competing in any competition, so everything was optimized for the best possible performance.

2021 Honda Ridgeline Debuts With Big Design Change

2021 Honda Ridgeline debuts with big design change

Look at this! It's the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, and it's fixing exactly what so many folks have complained about since this truck launched for the 2017 model year. Honda has finally made its truck look more like a truck, which (and you'd have never guessed this) is what truck buyers seem to want.

Now, we have had our own misgivings about the Ridgeline's design, but its excellence in categories outside of design have made us more forgiving of its soft, Pilot-like face. Every other midsize truck has a rough-and-tough character about it, and now the Ridgeline can say the same.

Nissan Z Proto | Our 5 Favorite Retro Design Elements

Nissan Z Proto | Our 5 favorite retro design elements

The Nissan Z Proto is chock full of retro design elements, so let's take a tour through our five favorite (plus one bonus) retro touches. If you want a full breakdown of the Z Proto, check out our reveal post here. We go over the powertrain, tech and many other aspects of the Z Proto that make it tick. With that, we'll dive into the list.

2022 Acura Mdx Spy Photos Reveal Tlx-inspired Design

2022 Acura MDX spy photos reveal TLX-inspired design

Acura's first in-house crossover/SUV is finally ready for another full redesign, and these latest spy photos give us our best look yet. This 2022 Acura MDX was caught by one of our spy photographers with bare minimum vinyl wrap camouflage. As such, we can tell that the new model will be quite a bit more athletic and share many styling cues with the recently revealed TLX sedan.

Starting from the front, the MDX features the pentagonal grille from the TLX. While the outgoing version has a similar grille, this one is wider and flatter. It also has headlights that fit with the grille better, adopting a more angular, slimmer shape compared to the old MDX. The grille and headlights sit higher in the front fascia, too. Combined with what looks like a longer nose, the new MDX has a more proud, upright look versus the slumped, slightly minivan-esque design of the current model.

Subaru Levorg Revealed With Engine Specs, Previews Wrx Design

Subaru Levorg revealed with engine specs, previews WRX design

Last year, Subaru gave us our first look at the new Levorg station wagon in "prototype" form, which over the past few years has shared most of its body and interior with the Subaru WRX. Now we finally get to see the production version, and it looks basically identical to the regular and STI Sport concepts. That's not a bad thing. It builds on the old Levorg and WRX with sharper, crisper lines. There's more visual detail in the headlights and angled wheel arches. And it retains classic cues such as the big hood scoop. It can be made more aggressive looking with a variety of front and rear spoilers, diffusers and side skirts, too.

While the exterior isn't huge news thanks to past concepts, the interior and engine specs are. The interior in particular gives us our first look at what we'll probably see in the next WRX. Not surprisingly, the focal point is the huge vertical touchscreen that looks lifted straight out of the Legacy and Outback. In fact, the whole dash is very similar to that of the bigger Subarus, though the height of the dash is a bit shorter and the air vents a bit thinner. The Levorg also has a fancy screen for its instrument panel, and it will be interesting to see if that carries over to a future WRX.

Infiniti Planning Reboot With New Models, Better Tech, Fresh Design

Infiniti planning reboot with new models, better tech, fresh design

Infiniti raised more than a few eyebrows when it announced plans to follow a strategy it described as Nissan-Plus. Although this term suggests the brand's image will be dangerously watered down, its chief executive stressed its flag will remain firmly planted in the luxury car segment as he outlined what to expect in the coming years.

The executive team led by Infiniti boss Peyman Kargar will reboot the company with a focus on profitability. "Premium brands should bring more money to the company, so that's the objective. We are not at the level we want to be," he told Automotive News. Several new products are on their way, including a crossover with a fastback-like roofline named QX55, and Kargar clarified many future models will ride on an architecture shared with parent company Nissan. It will be compatible with gasoline-powered, hybrid and electric drivetrains.

2021 Nissan Rogue Revealed With New Design, More Features

2021 Nissan Rogue revealed with new design, more features

The 2021 Nissan Rogue is finally here, replacing the version that has been around since the 2015 model with minor updates. The new model is completely redesigned inside and out, and it boasts a large array of standard safety features.

From the outside, the Rogue looks like a blocky, more conservative version of the new Juke that's offered overseas. At the front is Nissan's big chrome "V" grille sitting very upright. It blends into upper daytime running lights, and below those are large LED headlights. The sides are very smooth except for pumped-up sheetmetal above the wheel arches reminiscent of some new Audis. The roof is available in a contrasting color fitting the design trend of the day. The back is fairly plain, and it's beefed up with a rear bumper covered in black plastic and a faux skid plate. Nissan has increased use of high-strength steel and even added aluminum doors, fenders and a hood, all of which helps the new Rogue weight about 100 pounds less than the last one.