Lowered Nissan Kicks Urban Shadow Should Take You Only to Where the Tarmac Ends

1 month, 2 weeks ago - 05. November 2024, autoevolution

The 2024 SEMA show has been ongoing for several days now over in Las Vegas, and that means we know by now pretty much all there is to know about the novelties carmakers, tuners, and suppliers brought to the floor of the city's Convention Center. There are, however, some finishing touches that need to be made for a complete picture, and the Nissan Kicks Urban Shadow falls in that category.

The Urban Shadow is one of two Kicks-based concepts that Japanese carmaker Nissan brought to SEMA. The other one is the Beach Patrol, inspired by the rescue trucks that were used in the past to patrol beaches.

The Shadow, on the other hand, is meant as a nod to the tuner culture, and unlike its sibling it was not bread to be used off tarmac, but it's more on-road oriented. And a clear indication of that is the lowered stance of the SUV.

When the 2025 Kicks was introduced back in September Nissan bragged about the SUV having the "best-in-class standard ground clearance." That's 8.4 inches (21 cm) off the ground, and in the Beach Patrol it was taken up by another two inches.

The Urban Shadow cuts that ground clearance a bit, but it's unclear exactly by how much. It is obvious though that the Nismo coilover suspension system installed on the concept brings the bodywork significantly closer to the ground.

The connection with the tarmac is made by means of Nismo LM-RS6 wheels. They are 18 inches in diameter, large enough to make the concept look mean as it should, but small enough so as to not go overboard with the aggressive look. The wheels are wrapped in Yokohama Advan Apex tires.

The list of modifications made to the base Kicks is not extensive, but it's enough to get the message across. That message would be the fact the crossover could be the perfect platform for customization, provided one has enough imagination and access to the proper parts.

On a visual level the Urban Shadow wears a special paint job and graphics. There is a rack up top capable of holding a bike as a means to show that even if the concept can't really take you off the beaten path, it can get you close enough for you to be able to deploy some other means of transportation.

The engine on the concept remains the stock one, meaning the 2.0-liter inline-four. Deployed on all variants of the Kicks, it works with the Xtronic transmission and is capable of developing 141 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque. Unlike its standard version, it rocks a Nismo street dual exhaust system, but that doesn't impact its performance levels.

Nissan made no mention on whether the Kicks Urban Shadow will turn into a production version (probably not, but one can only hope).