As if the cube wasn’t odd enough, Nissan is about to launch yet another unusual small vehicle. Called the JUKE , this little five-passenger runabout should be a closer rival to the Kia Soul and Scion xB than the cube is.
Under the mini-Murano skin lies an interesting powerplant, one that isn’t shared with any other North American Nissan product, at least for now: a direct-injected, turbocharged 1.6-litre inline-4 said to develop over 180 horsepower and more than 170 pound-feet of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission will be standard, while a CVT automatic with a sport mode will also be offered.
All-wheel drive will also figure among available options when equipped with the Xtronic CVT, and with it comes an independent rear suspension instead of the torsion beam that’s found in base models as well as under the Versa and the cube. A driver-selectable controller called I-CON allows choosing between three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Econ. So with a curb weight of about 3,200 pounds, the JUKE AWD should end up being a sporty little number, and that’s what we’re most intrigued about.
Inside, silver-trimmed instrument pods house the tach and speedo, with a trip computer display sandwiched between. Higher-end models get colour-keyed interior trim on the door panels and on the centre console, and the dashboard has a quality look and finish (as for feel, we’ll have to wait until we actually sit inside). Two-tone seat patterns mix cloth and a suede-like texture.
On the outside, the JUKE flaunts dramatically-styled wheel arches, short overhangs and an overall muscular look. The rear doors have concealed handles and admittedly small windows. The front end has driving lights and turn signals on the fendertops, bumper-mounted circular headlights and optional fog lamps integrated in the lower lip.
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| Photo: Nissan |
Under the mini-Murano skin lies an interesting powerplant, one that isn’t shared with any other North American Nissan product, at least for now: a direct-injected, turbocharged 1.6-litre inline-4 said to develop over 180 horsepower and more than 170 pound-feet of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission will be standard, while a CVT automatic with a sport mode will also be offered.
All-wheel drive will also figure among available options when equipped with the Xtronic CVT, and with it comes an independent rear suspension instead of the torsion beam that’s found in base models as well as under the Versa and the cube. A driver-selectable controller called I-CON allows choosing between three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Econ. So with a curb weight of about 3,200 pounds, the JUKE AWD should end up being a sporty little number, and that’s what we’re most intrigued about.
Inside, silver-trimmed instrument pods house the tach and speedo, with a trip computer display sandwiched between. Higher-end models get colour-keyed interior trim on the door panels and on the centre console, and the dashboard has a quality look and finish (as for feel, we’ll have to wait until we actually sit inside). Two-tone seat patterns mix cloth and a suede-like texture.
On the outside, the JUKE flaunts dramatically-styled wheel arches, short overhangs and an overall muscular look. The rear doors have concealed handles and admittedly small windows. The front end has driving lights and turn signals on the fendertops, bumper-mounted circular headlights and optional fog lamps integrated in the lower lip.
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| Photo: Nissan |