Imagined Nissan X-Truck Feels Ready to Challenge the 2025 Santa Cruz and Popular Maverick

Just recently, the Japanese automaker Nissan ‘unboxed’ the all-new second-generation Mexico-born Kicks subcompact crossover SUV at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City.

The location wasn’t left to chance – it was just ahead of the opening round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and very close to the start of the 2024 New York International Auto Show, where the CUV that resembles a collectible sneaker will make its official public debut. To be produced in Mexico at the Aguascalientes plant starting later this year, the model debuts for the 2025MY in the United States with enhanced dimensions, a larger 2.0-liter 139-hp engine mated to a CVT, optional all-wheel drive, and – most importantly – with a fresh styling language.Immediately after that, Nissan also announced ‘The Arc‘ business plan, which aims to refresh the entire lineup with 30 model launches over the next three years – 16 of them are hybrids and EVs. Plus, there are regional strategies in place, and Canada plus the United States are set to receive no less than seven all-new models. Hot on the heels of the Infiniti QX80, Nissan will also unleash the 2025 Armada this year, and an all-new Murano has been confirmed as well.

Interestingly, for North America, there are no less than eleven model introductions during fiscal years 2025 and 2026, and Nissan notes that five of them are brand-new while the other six are all-new. If we interpret the language hints correctly, that means the latter are new generations of existing vehicles. At the same time, the former may be first-ever introductions that have never been seen before. Well, that’s an attractive thought, right?

The imaginative realm of digital car content creators certainly seems to think so. For example, Kleber Silva, a Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, has decided to have a CGI go at imagining a completely new vehicle based on the fresh design language initiated by the 2025 Kicks – a compact Nissan truck for America! That’s a juicy thought, for sure, especially since South America loves the unibody compact trucks (both with two and four doors), and North America recently rekindled its love for the sector with help from the ritzy Hyundai Santa Cruz and the electrified, affordable, and more rugged Ford Maverick best-seller.

According to the pixel master, this revolutionary unibody compact pickup truck would be inspired by the Nissan Kicks design and even other models from the Alliance, like the Renault Kardian. Still, it would use the CMF architecture to get joined at the hip with the upcoming adventure pickup truck based on the Renault Niagara concept. With that in mind, if sold in the United States, it would obviously go up against the upcoming refreshed 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz as well as the popular Ford Maverick. And why not? After all, Nissan produces the 2025 Kicks in Mexico, just like Ford does with the Maverick, right?