The Nissan Kicks had a lot to live up to when it replaced the quirky Nissan Juke in the US back in 2017, but its bland looks and slower powertrain ultimately let it down. Thankfully, Nissan has addressed these issues because the 2021 Nissan Kicks facelift has arrived in Thailand with a fresh new design. The US version hasn't been unveiled yet, but we're hoping these styling changes will carry over because it's a huge improvement.

As we saw in teaser images released by Nissan last week, the 2021 Nissan Kicks has been updated with a larger, redesigned V-Motion grille flanked by slimmer LED headlights, a redesigned front bumper, and a more exaggerated floating roof.

At the back, the rear bumper is now painted in the body color and the overall design is wider and longer. These changes help make the Nissan Kicks a much more attractive crossover than its predecessor. Six exterior colors are available for the 2021 Nissan Kicks, including Black Star, Storm White, Radiant Red, Gun Metallic, Brilliant Silver and Monarch Orange. An optional two-tone color scheme also gives the Kicks a more upscale appearance.

The changes continue inside, as the 2021 Nissan Kicks has been updated with a new eight-inch Nissan Connect infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, a centrally mounted seven-inch digital instrument cluster, leather seats and a redesigned steering wheel for a more premium look. A two-tone black and orange interior color theme is exclusively available on the VL model.

Also debuting in the 2021 Nissan Kicks is the automaker's e-Power technology that combines a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, a 1.57 kWh battery, and an electric motor. Unlike most hybrids, the 1.2-liter engine acts as a generator for the battery, delivering a driving experience similar to an EV. Combined, this setup generates 127 horsepower. We're not expecting the e-Power tech to carry over to the US model, however. In the US, the Nissan Kicks is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 122 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque.

Like the Nissan Leaf, the 2021 Kicks features one-pedal technology allowing the driver to launch, accelerate, decelerate, or stop the vehicle by using only the accelerator pedal to make judging the distance between cars, decelerating, and stopping when going downhill or stopping for traffic lights easier.

In terms of safety tech, the 2021 Nissan Kicks comes with six airbags (front, side and curtain), vehicle dynamic control, hill start assist and isofix child seat anchors.

As part of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility package, standard driver assists include cruise control, forward collision warning, emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, around view monitor with moving object detection and a digital rear view mirror. Time will tell if the 2021 Nissan Kicks facelift is offered to US customers.