Bunch of RS?
Nismo's heated up its unlikely Juke proposition even further, adding a pair of iconic letters to the name to signal more power and an even more focused specification. It might upset Nismo purists, but there's obviously a market for a go-faster version of an already faster jumped-up, overly styled supermini and the RS addresses that.
So, are we convinced?
It's easy to criticise, but the Juke Nismo's seemingly doing good business for Nissan, so the RS doesn't come as a surprise. Power from the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine increases by 18- to 218hp, which is sent to either the front or all four wheels. Opt for the front-driver and it comes with a mechanical limited slip differential, while the four-wheel drive models come exclusively with Nissan's Xtronic CVT automatic, with eight stepped ratios in manual, paddle-shifted mode. Those four-wheel drive models also gain torque vectoring as standard.
Any other changes?
There's a louder exhaust as standard, while the brakes gain a 34mm increase in diameter up front. The rears are now ventilated and there's some additional body strengthening for increased torsional rigidity too. Those bigger, ventilated brakes are grabbed by red callipers, and a further hint that this isn't a mere Nismo Juke is the RS badging inside and out. There are more options, including Recaro seats, while all Jukes now benefit (in two-wheel drive form) from a significant 40 per cent increase in boot capacity thanks to what Nissan describes as 'subtle reshaping' - 40 per cent sounds a bit more comprehensive than subtle to us, mind.
Kyle Fortune - 4 Oct 2014