Nissan’s Smallest SUV Gets A Rugged-ish Makeover

Nissan has been hot on the heels of the soft-roader trend with its Rock Creek trim for SUVs. First launched in 2019 for the Pathfinder, Rock Creek has quickly swept its way through Nissan’s SUV lineup over the last few years. Now, the tiny Kicks crossover gets the same treatment.

Like all Rock Creek models, the Kicks receives a hefty amount of exterior upgrades. For starters, it sports a Rock Creek grille, similar to that of other models. Rock Creek badging dots the exterior, while special 17-inch shoes fill the wheel wells. There’s even a roof rack and daytime running lights.

Orange Everywhere

Inside, the Kicks gets contrast orange stitching all through the cabin, as well as Rock Creek-branded rubber floor mats. Heated seats and a heated steering wheel are also added, which is a nice bonus for a compact crossover. 

Aside from the special Rock Creek touches, the trim comes standard with the same 12.3-inch touchscreen display seen on other Kicks models, complete with CarPlay compatibility. A Bose 10-speaker audio system also comes standard with the trim. Rear automatic braking is also added as an extra safety feature.

Despite being mostly for show, the Kicks Rock Creek does have some extra off-road advantage over the regular model. Nissan added an exclusive off-road driving mode, along with Hill Descent Control to help out drivers going over tricky terrain. And naturally, the Kicks Rock Creek is available only with all-wheel drive. 

As for pricing, the Rock Creek is on the higher end of the Kicks trim levels at $30,385 with destination. The Kicks Rock Creek will be available to purchase for the 2027 model year. 

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Source: Nissan

Motor1’s Take: Tiny crossovers getting turned into psuedo-overlanding machines is not something we’ve given a ton of thought to, but we like the way the Kicks Rock Creek looks, and we’re interested to see if any other brands come out to challenge it.