The Nissan Kicks has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
The Kicks SR offers an optional front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.
Both the Kicks and the Escape FHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:
|
Kicks |
Escape FHEV |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
124 |
197 |
Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
.9 inches |
Abdominal Force |
126 lbs. |
191 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
669 lbs. |
816 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
11 inches |
11 inches |
HIC |
303 |
344 |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Kicks is much safer than the Escape FHEV:
|
Kicks |
Escape FHEV |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Structure |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
158 |
391 |
Head Peak Forces |
no contact |
93 G’s |
Neck Tension |
268 lbs. |
379 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.02 in |
1.1 in |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.26 in |
1.77 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
6 MPH |
8 MPH |
Pelvis |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Pelvis Force |
915 lbs. |
1160 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Neck Tension |
112 lbs. |
201 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.5 in |
1.54 in |
Shoulder Force |
268 lbs. |
379 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.34 in |
1.5 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Pelvis Force |
669 lbs. |
1093 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |