After making its world premiere at the recent Geneva Motor Show, the outrageously styled Nissan Juke was unveiled for U.S. buyers earlier this month at the New York International Auto Show. The diminutive crossover—it’s just 163 inches long, about the size of a Honda Fit—is now set to bring some nifty new technology and a radical approach to design to one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments.
In terms of nuts and bolts, Nissan has bolted its new 1.6-liter direct-injection, turbocharged four-cylinder engine into the Juke, where it will make more than 180 hp and over 170 lb-ft of torque. That’s plenty of power for a vehicle of this size—the Fit makes do with 117 hp/106 lb-ft of torque—but according to Tacoma Nissan dealers, the Juke should yield good fuel efficiency too, thanks to an available continuously variable transmission.
As expected in a crossover, the Juke also will offer all-wheel-drive, in this case an advanced torque-vectoring system than can split power both between the front and rear wheels and across the wheels on the same axle. All-wheel drive has gone from obscurity to a feature shoppers look for, Seattle Nissan says.
But even with these features, along with an extremely versatile interior and a full suite of safety technology, what will really set the Juke apart from the competition is its design language. The vehicle’s exterior starts with cues from the already distinctive Nissan Murano and Rogue, but then pulls the headlights up onto the hood, where they set between the hood proper and some outsized front-wheel arches. Large, round fog lamps then are mounted at grille level, giving the vehicle a face that’s best termed “unique.”
In profile, those wheel arches, and a matched pair at the back, give the lower half of the Juke a solid, imposing foundation on which perches a small, sporty greenhouse. Nissan has described the vehicle as sort of a sports car/crossover mashup, and CT Nissan dealers say that’s a very accurate description of the result.
The same stylized approach was taken on the Juke’s interior, which offers a center console that draws its appearance—per Nissan—from a motorcycle’s fuel tank. A short-throw gearshift is then mounted on the console itself. The company’s Integrated Control (I-CON) system makes its first appearance in the Juke’s interior as well. The I-CON setup can function to control the vehicle’s automatic climate system or, depending on its setting, to allow owners to choose between three different driving modes. When regular maintenance is needed, car repair North Haven is ready.
The Juke is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. later this fall with a base sticker price that starts under $20,000.
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