You didn't think the crossover craze was already running at full steam, did you? Far from it, friend. There are plenty more segments and niches to fill, and Nissan is doing exactly that with its forthcoming Kicks crossover.
The Kicks is based on a concept of the same name, which was first shown to the public at the 2014 São Paolo Motor Show. The streets of Brazil inspired the car's design, and that's more than a tenuous connection as the automaker hopes to build it there. Nissan is currently investing $192 million to make that a reality.
With a size that seems to be sandwiched somewhere between the subcompact Juke and the compact Rogue, Kicks won't be limited to Brazil alone. Instead, Nissan hopes to push this car globally. The global roll-out plans appear to include the US, even though Nissan's crossover lineup is already pretty well fleshed-out.
Compact crossovers have a broad appeal that stretches beyond Brazil. With plenty of storage space and dimensions similar to a passenger car (save for ride height), they're a tough act to top. Unless you count station wagons. But apparently nobody wants a station wagon anymore.