Sprightly as it is, the Nissan Juke manages to straddle the line between hatchback and crossover with aplomb. As such, it’s one of the most suitable cute-utes for tuning, and that point hasn’t lost on Nissan itself. The UK-based racing division of the Japanese automaker transformed the controversially-styled mini-CUV into the tarmac-munching Juke-R. But if that elite vehicle’s stratospheric price tag turns you on and away at the same time, another Nissan division might have the answer for you.
What we’re talking about is the new Juke Nismo. Having showcased a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show show last year, the company’s performance arm is unveiling the production-spec performance crossover this coming weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – an event with an unprecedented number of Nissan-powered vehicles on the grid, including the experimental DeltaWing prototype.
The enhancements to the Nismo model over the stock Juke include a more aggressive aero package complete with new front and rear bumpers, wider wheel arches, side skirts, a tailgate spoiler and a new grille. The flared fenders house wider 18-inch alloys, while the interior has been retrofitted with sportier control surfaces and red-stitched, suede-covered sport buckets with greater lateral support.
Just like the standard Juke, the engine is quoted as a 1.6-liter turbocharged, direct-injection four, though output figures have not been released (the North American spec Juke rings up 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque). The Nismo is enhanced, however, by a stiffer suspension, revised steering geometry and performance-tuned traction control with torque vectoring.
While the Juke Nismo will be available in Europe from the start of the new year – about six and a half months from now – Nissan has confirmed that the vehicle will be made available in its own Japanese Domestic Market and (most importantly) in the United States at an as-yet undisclosed later date.
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