If you are trying to install seat covers, clean the upholstery, or create additional cargo space in a new Nissan Kicks, you may find that the rear seats do not come out in the same straightforward way you expected.

The important distinction is that the Nissan Kicks has 60/40-split folding rear seats, but the Nissan owner information describes how to fold the rear seatbacks, not how to completely remove the rear seat assembly. 

That means you shouldn’t assume you can simply pull the rear seats up or unbolt them using instructions for an older Kicks. If your goal is only to increase cargo space or install covers, folding the seats may be all you need.

Can You Remove the Rear Seats on a 2026 Nissan Kicks?

The Nissan Kicks has a 60/40-split folding rear seat, allowing the rear seatbacks to fold forward. Nissan Canada lists this configuration as standard equipment across the Kicks lineup. 

However, the available owner information does not provide a normal owner procedure for completely removing the rear seat cushion and seatbacks. Instead, the documented operation is to fold the rear seatbacks.

This distinction matters because there is a difference between:

• Folding the rear seats for additional cargo room
• Removing the rear seat assembly from the vehicle

The first is an intended user operation. The second is a physical removal procedure that is not described as a normal owner operation in the available manual information.

How Do You Fold the Rear Seats?

If your goal is simply to create more cargo space, you don’t need to remove the rear seats. The Nissan Kicks uses a 60/40 split-fold arrangement so that the rear seatbacks can be folded independently. This lets you keep one side available for a passenger while folding the other for cargo. 

The basic procedure is:

1. Make sure the rear seat area is clear.
2. Locate the rear seatback release mechanism.
3. Release the appropriate section.
4. Fold the seatback forward.
5. Repeat on the other side if you need the full available rear cargo area.
6. Before carrying passengers again, return the seatback to its normal position and make sure it latches properly.

The owner’s manual specifically emphasizes making sure the folded seatbacks are securely latched before driving with passengers. 

What If You Want the Seats Completely Out?

This is where the answer becomes less straightforward. The Nissan Kicks is described as having fixed rear seats with a fold-forward seatback, rather than rear seats classified as removable. That does not mean a technician cannot physically remove the components. Vehicle seats can be removed for service, repair or replacement. It means Nissan does not present complete rear-seat removal as a normal owner-use feature in the available documentation.

Consequently, there is no reliable basis for giving a simple sequence such as “pull here, remove these two bolts and lift the seat out” without verifying the factory service procedure for the specific Kicks. This matters because the Kicks is a newer generation, and procedures from earlier Kicks models may not apply.

Why Are Older Kicks Instructions Not Necessarily Useful?

Online discussions show owners of earlier Nissan Kicks removing rear cushions and seatbacks, but you shouldn’t assume the design matches the latest model.

The Kicks is a redesigned model sold in Canada with a different interior and seating configuration. Nissan Canada describes it as the all-new Kicks, with available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive and a new cabin design. Therefore, a video or forum post showing how to remove the rear seats from an older Kicks may not provide the correct procedure for a new model.

This is especially relevant if you’re removing the seats to install seat covers. The fact that an older Kicks has removable components does not establish that the same procedure applies to the Kicks.

What If You Are Installing Rear Seat Covers?

If you are removing the rear seats to install seat covers, first determine whether complete removal is necessary.

The Kicks has three rear head restraints, and the rear seatbacks fold forward. 

Depending on the design of the seat covers, you may be able to install them by:

1. Folding the appropriate seatback forward.
2. Removing the rear head restraints if the cover requires it.
3. Working the cover around the seatback and cushion.
4. Repositioning the seatback.
5. Checking that the seat belts and buckles remain correctly accessible.
6. Confirming that the seatback locks properly after installation.

The exact requirements depend on the particular seat-cover design.

The key point is that you may not need to remove the entire rear seat just to install covers.

What About Removing the Rear Headrests?

Removing a rear head restraint is different from removing the entire seat. The Nissan Kicks documentation for the folding rear seat includes instructions for removing the rear head restraints when creating a flatter cargo configuration. The Nissan 2025 Canadian Kicks manual, for example, specifies removing the two outer rear head restraints before folding the seatbacks completely flat. 

Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual supplied with the vehicle rather than assuming the 2025 procedure is identical. If you only need to install a seat cover or fold the seat, check whether the particular task actually requires head-restraint removal.

What Should You Check Before Attempting Removal?

Before trying to force a rear seat cushion upward or remove fasteners, check the following:

Check the owner’s manual

Nissan Canada provides model-year owner’s manuals and guides through its official owner-support section. The Kicks owner’s information describes the rear seats primarily in terms of their folding operation.

Identify the exact component

Determine whether you are trying to remove:

• The rear seat cushion
• One section of the rear seatback
• Both seatbacks
• A rear head restraint
• The complete rear seat assembly

These are different procedures.

Check for seat-belt components

Do not remove or relocate seat-belt hardware simply to make a seat cover fit. Seat belts must remain correctly positioned and functional.

Avoid using force

If a component does not release using the documented adjustment or folding mechanism, do not assume that pulling harder is the correct procedure. A concealed fastener or service procedure may be involved.

Does Folding the Seats Give You a Flat Cargo Area?

The Nissan Kicks is designed to increase cargo flexibility by folding the rear seatbacks. Nissan Canada lists the 60/40-split folding rear seats as standard equipment.  However, folding the seats and physically removing them are not necessarily equivalent.

Folded seatbacks still occupy some vertical space and may not create the same flat floor as removing the entire seating assembly. If you need a completely open cargo area for a specific purpose, such as carrying a large platform or creating a custom interior setup, that may require a service-level removal procedure rather than the normal folding function.

When Should a Dealer or Technician Handle the Removal?

If you need the entire rear seat removed and there is no documented owner procedure for your specific Kicks, a Nissan technician can determine how the components are secured and whether any additional precautions apply.

This is particularly appropriate if the work involves:

• Seat-belt anchors
• Seat-mounted wiring
• Airbag-related components
• Structural seat mounts
• Components beneath the rear seat

The goal isn’t just to get the seat out. You also need to reinstall everything correctly without affecting the vehicle’s restraint systems.

2026 Nissan Kicks: The Bottom Line

If you are asking how to remove the rear seats in a Nissan Kicks, the key point is that Nissan documents the rear seats as 60/40-split folding seats, not as a user-removable seat assembly. 

For additional cargo space, the intended solution is to fold the rear seatbacks forward. If you need to remove the seat cushion and seatbacks completely, the available owner information does not provide a verified step-by-step removal procedure.

Because the Kicks is a newer generation, instructions found for older Kicks models should not automatically apply. If you need complete removal, the safest approach is to obtain the factory service procedure or have a qualified Nissan technician identify the correct mounting and removal method.

In other words, you can fold the rear seats as part of normal use, but complete rear-seat removal is a different job and should not be attempted based on an unverified procedure for another Kicks model year.

Disclaimer: Content contained in this post is for informational purposes only and may include features and options from US or internacional models. Please contact the dealership for more information or to confirm vehicle, feature availability.