Six-years late to the party.
Nissan’s local office has, at long last, confirmed the impending arrival of the tweaked Juke Nismo crossover to our shores, over half a decade since the screw-loose model made its debut in European markets.
The Juke Nismo is a lot more than just a bunch of aesthetic upgrades thrown at a very quirky crossover. Rather, the Juke Nismo is a proper performance proposition, replete with a unique engine and serious track-focused kit.
Under the bonnet you’ll find a 1.6-litre turbocharged 4-pot, which sends power to all four wheels either through a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic. With the former equipped, expect to find 160kW and 280Nm, while the more convenient automatic will knock that down to 157kW and 250Nm.
You also get things like upgraded brakes, tweaked spring & damper rates specially for the Juke Nismo, as well as unique KYB twin-tube shocks. You also get front & rear stabiliser bars, and reinforced front suspension links.
There’s plenty of look-at-me kit to go with the special edition too. In Europe, the exterior gets things like 18-inch alloys, a chrome exhaust tip, smoked lights all round, and red brake calipers. Step inside and you’ll find a unique leather/Alcantara steering wheel, Recaro bucket seats (with Nismo branding), red stitching all over the place, alloy pedals, and branded tread plates.
The new Juke Nismo is expected to carry a price tag circa-$40k when it lands, representing a significant step up from the current Juke flagship, the Ti-S. The Juke Nismo is alot more than a new variant though, as Juke sales have been floundering for some time now with buyers flocking to the more practical Qashqai. Perhaps the Juke Nismo is what the brand needs to reinvigorate sales for the quirky crossover, as we can only imagine that this left-field option would only benefit from an even-more left-field variant.
Confirmed specifications and pricing for the 2019 Nissan Juke Nismo will be dropped closer to its October launch. Be sure to stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more updates as they come.
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