Nissan Juke Overview

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Nissan is set to change the urban landscape… for the third time. Following in the wheeltracks of the Murano large crossover and the Qashqai – the pioneering alternative to the traditional C-segment hatchback – comes their younger brother, the Nissan Juke.

Shunning conventional design in favour of more creative thinking, the ground-breaking compact is a distinctive combination of SUV toughness and sporting style conceived to inject some masculinity and dynamism into the small car market.

Beneath highly individual lines the five-door Juke combines a number of apparent contradictions to create something genuinely unique: a roomy yet compact, robust yet dynamic and practical yet playful supermini alternative.

“The design shows real optimism by combining design elements from two genres to create a striking crossover that displays a genuine confidence and style. And those are qualities we also expect to find in a Juke customer,” said Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer.

Juke was created at Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in the heart of London, and refined at Nissan’s Design Centre (NDC) in Japan.  Principle engineering took place in Japan with significant European input and Juke will be built both in Nissan’s UK plant at Sunderland and in Oppama, Japan.

From a design standpoint, the lower portion of Juke is pure SUV, with chunky wheels, wide tyres, extended ground clearance and a robust stance. But the top portion is unadulterated sports car, with a high waistline, slim visor-like side glass graphics and a coupé-style falling roofline. The coupé effect is further underlined by rear doors which have their handles hidden in the frame of the door.

Inside, the sports car theme continues with a driver-focused cabin dominated by a motorcycle fuel tank-inspired centre console design. Finished in a distinctive high gloss colour, the ‘bike’ console adds a sense of fun to the car. Practicality is assured by the rear-opening hatch and versatile luggage area with hidden storage opportunities.

Three engines, including 190PS flagship
Juke’s Innovative design and supermini-rivalling value are complemented by a comprehensive line-up selected for its broad-based appeal.

The range kicks off with a frugal 117PS 1.6-litre petrol engine. Newly developed from Nissan’s trusted HR family, it features a unique dual injection system allowing finer metering of the fuel sprays for better combustion.

It’s complemented by a fuel-sipping 110PS 1.5-litre dCi common rail diesel offering excellent driveability – thanks to its heady 240Nm of torque – with good economy and emissions – 55.4mpg combined and 134g/km CO2.

The newly-developed naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol is available with either a 5-speed manual or updated XTRONIC CVT and the 1.5-litre diesel engine is available with a 6-speed manual.

At the top of the range sits a thrilling 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol model in both two- and four-wheel drive, extending Juke’s unique appeal as a compact SUV with the genes of a sports car. The combination of direct injection with a turbocharger provides the power and responses expected from a 2.5-litre engine with the economy of a smaller unit. Despite developing 190PS and 240Nm, it is capable of 40.9mpg on the combined cycle in two-wheel drive specification;  62mph from standstill is achieved in just 8.0 seconds.

In terms of transmissions, the two-wheel drive turbo-charged 1.6-litre petrol engine is available with a six speed manual, while the all-wheel drive range-topper is mated to Nissan’s XTRONIC CVT transmission, with six-speed manual mode. It also adds lateral torque-vectoring to enhance agility and reduce understeer when cornering – a first in the small car segment and a technology that has, until now, only been found on top-of-the-range, premium vehicles.

Based on the Renault Nissan Alliance B platform, Juke has a 2530mm wheelbase. On front-wheel drive versions, suspension is by MacPherson struts at the front with a torsion beam at the rear while the four-wheel drive model has a multi-link rear suspension modelled on the system found on Qashqai.

Three well-equipped specifications
The range will consist of three core specification levels already familiar to Nissan drivers: Visia, Acenta and Tekna. The entry-level Visia comes equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, ESP, six airbags, sports seats and air conditioning, while also offering the practicality of the Juke’s funky five-door shape.

Acenta spec supplements the standard equipment list to include 17-inch alloys, climate control and Bluetooth with USB connectivity. It also features another world first for the small car segment – Nissan Dynamic Control System. A central command and display module like no other, it allows the driver to alter dynamic drive settings and easily control functions such as climate control. What’s more, the system adopts different displays, colours and functions depending on the mode selected by the driver.

Two option packs have been developed to allow buyers of Acenta grade versions to tailor their perfect Juke. The Sport Pack will be the obvious choice for anyone wanting to capitalise on the Juke’s athletic image. Including 17-inch Sport alloys, rear privacy glass and premium seat fabric, it emphasises the Juke’s bold design. If luxury is more your thing, then the Premium Pack brings Nissan Connect – the acclaimed combined satellite navigation and audio system – a reversing camera and six speakers, combined with Sport Pack’s extras.

However, the ultimate Juke will always wear a Tekna badge and the range-topping specification includes leather upholstery, Nissan Connect, a reversing camera, Intelligent Key with engine start button and much more.

Nissan’s UK managing director, Paul Wilcox comments: “For many years buyers in this sector have had a pretty conservative range to choose from. Now we have Juke crossover which offers something innovative and exciting for the same price as a bland five-door hatchback. We firmly believe the Juke is going to be another huge success for Nissan and our Sunderland plant.”

Nissan’s pioneering Crossover leadership in Europe
Juke cements Nissan’s position as the leading brand in the crossover market. With the introduction of Murano in the US in 2003, the Crossover concept was introduced to customers looking for a vehicle that combined the dynamic design and handling characteristics of a passenger car, with the added benefit of all-wheel drive traction and the improved visibility of a raised seating position, but without the boxy shape of an SUV.

In Europe, the introduction in 2007 of the Qashqai heralded the mainstream introduction of the Crossover concept for the first time, providing an alternative to the traditional C-segment offering. That customers appreciate its combination of understated, but sophisticated design, combining the lower body robustness of an SUV and the upper body profile of a passenger car, is reflected in sales of over 600,000 in Europe alone.

The Qashqai concept was followed by the introduction of the stretched wheelbase version, the Qashqai+2, offering extra interior space to allow the inclusion of a third row of folding seats to meet the needs of larger, active families.

“The Nissan Juke has been designed and developed to give customers an alternative to the traditional small hatchback in Europe. We know that there are a lot of customers who are looking for a car which combines striking design, agile handling and driving pleasure, user friendly technology, but not at the expense of practicality and convenience. These unique attributes will allow Juke to occupy a unique corner of the European market,” said Simon Thomas, Nissan’s European Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing.

“Nissan caught the mood of the European car-buying public with the Qashqai and we’ve worked hard to study the market in the same way for Juke to be sure we meet the needs of European customers. We’re confident that Juke will bring a new generation of customers to Nissan, in the same way that Qashqai did. We’re confident we’ll have another success on our hands.”

Juke will be manufactured alongside the Qashqai, Qashqai+2 and Note at Nissan’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Sunderland, Great Britain.