| First Drive | Frankfurt, Germany | Nissan Juke |

Given the success of its genre-busting Qashqai, it was only a matter of time before Nissan came up with a crossover in the supermini sphere. The Juke is it, the extrovertly styled crossover mixing coupé and SUV lines in a supermini-sized package that's keenly priced, too.

In the Metal

You're unlikely to sit on the fence about the Juke. You'll either love it or hate it. We're convinced; the Juke's riotous lines and quirky lights front and rear certainly give it presence. The bold wheelarches, rakish roofline and big alloy wheels make it look like nothing else. Inside it's not quite as wild, though still attractive. Though it does feel a bit low rent in places thanks to the use of hard plastics. Standing out from the supermini norm it's not going to appeal to everyone, but then that's perhaps the point.

What you get for your Money

The entry-level model starts at a little under £13,000 and comes pretty decently specified too. The basics, including air conditioning, alloy wheels, six airbags, ABS with EBD and ESP are all included. Add a grand and you get desirable extras like larger alloy wheels, Bluetooth telephony, climate control and Nissan's Dynamic Control System - this altering steering, throttle and gearshift (if you've gone for the CVT automatic) settings to sportier or more economical preferences.

Driving it

For a relatively tall car the Nissan Juke corners with surprising eagerness; body roll is reasonably well contained and the steering is quick enough - if not the last word in feel. Three engine choices are on offer: the turbodiesel 1.5-litre making the Juke an easy, lolloping cruiser and the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol unit with 187bhp giving it decent pace - which the chassis is more than capable of coping with. The likely biggest seller, the 115bhp 1.6-litre petrol version, wasn't available to sample. It's likely to suffer due to its relative shortfall in torque compared to its more expensive siblings.

On the road, the Juke is an easy, unfussy drive, the suspension coping easily with the smooth roads on the German test route. It might feel a bit busy in the UK, especially with the larger 17-inch wheels from the Acenta model upwards. The driving position is good and the gearstick well positioned - though lacking real precision in its shift: it's rather vague across its gate. Refinement is decent though, with high speed cruising largely devoid of wind and road noise. The diesel is relatively quiet, though it's not the smoothest at times with the power delivery sometimes interrupted by a slight jerkiness.

It's around town that the Juke makes most sense though, where its high driving position and easy to place extremities make it a cinch in traffic. All in it feels much like a tall supermini, which is exactly what it is really. The single range-topping four-wheel drive models get torque vectoring, which uses engine torque distribution to the rear wheels to increase agility. Really though you'll want for little behind the wheel in the standard, front-wheel drive models, which are entertaining enough and significantly cheaper.

Worth Noting

The Juke might have some trick kit on it, but Nissan seems to have missed an opportunity to maximise its green credentials. There's no stop-start, while CO₂ emissions and economy are only in the acceptable, rather than impressive range.

The Dynamic Control System may offer some driver adjustability, but the controls are a bit fussy and positioned low in the centre console, while the display is virtually unreadable in sunlight or if you've got the lights on during the day.

Summary

The Juke does not represent a new genre for Nissan; instead the Japanese company is introducing a proven formula into a new marketplace. It's likely to be successful too, as on looks alone the Juke is certain to appeal. That it's a competent, decently specified car only adds to it chances, giving buyers a genuinely alternative choice in the supermini marketplace.