Nissan has named its new crossover the Juke. Its full debut is due on February 10th, before a public unveil at the
Geneva motor show in March, so for now all we have is the name and the picture you see above.
Based on the Qazana concept we've seen a few times now, the funky Juke box is a small MPV that Nissan reckons will 'inject some much needed dynamism into the small car segment, offering European car buyers an alternative to the traditional uninspiring small hatchback.' Hmm.
MINI,
Fiat 500,
Alfa MiTo,
Suzuki Swift and
Kia Soul buyers might disagree with that sentiment, but hey, Nissan's confidence means it's probably ace.
In fairness, we think Nissan is actually referring to small MPVs rather than all small hatchbacks, in which case it's right - there aren't too many of those about that you'd want to use for a first date. The Juke could, hopefully, shake up that segment in the same way the Qashqai did the family hatch one.
Without telling us much about the car at all, Nissan claims it has taken the lessons learned by the Qashqai - which has now sold over 500,000 worldwide - and applied them to this. In its own words, the Juke will combine 'striking design, agile handling and driving pleasure and user friendly technology, but not at the expense of practicality and convenience.'
So far, so PR. Based on what we've seen of the Qazana, we expect the Juke will look and feel bigger than a typical mini MPV because of chunky, faux-SUV proportions, but will seat five adults comfortably. Power should come from 1.5- and 2.0-litre dCi diesel units, which in the Qashqai develop 105- and 148bhp respectively.
Nissan's 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrol engines could appear too, and because the Juke is a 'crossover' (and despite that word now meaning any car with an upright grille or some plastic cladding) it should be available in both two- and four-wheel drive forms.
Mark Nichol - 7 Jan 2010