Standing out in a Juke Nismo

Test Report by Graham Breeze

There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground when it comes to the Nissan Juke – you’re either turned on or off.

Opinion seems to be split that cleanly, you either view the Juke as a thing of real beauty or an ugly duckling, depending on personal taste. So buying the Juke Nismo RS is not an option for the motorist who doesn’t want to stand out in the crowd.

It’s the sportiest Juke ever, standing proudly on 18” alloy wheels, sporting “frog –eyed” headlights with more performance, a sharper chasis set-up and powerful brakes.

Front and rear red brake callipers add to the overall picture of an aggressive performer along with an aero package giving front and rear bumpers and side skirts, a roof spoiler, Nismo front grille, signature red door mirrors, badging and a single exit exhaust finisher.

The Nismo RS features a 1.6-litre DIG-T engine that develops 218PS (160kW), with torque of 280Nm  in two-wheel drive/manual transmission versions.

The 2WD model on test benefitted from the addition of a mechanical Limited Slip Differential (LSD) on the driven front wheels, while four-wheel drive models feature Nissan’s advanced Torque Vectoring System as standard, along with Nissan's Xtronic transmission, 250Nm of torque and standard-fit steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts.

I’ve never been afraid to be seen on the road and sit firmly on the side of those who love this sporty looking performer which has a top speed of 137mph and charges to 62mph in seven seconds. In fact a lot of time was spent explaining the car’s pedigree to interested passers-by.

The looks are not confined to the outside because in the cabin you get Recaro sports bucket seats and a dramatic, yet extremely practical fascia with bright red dials. There’s a great thick leather steering wheel to add to the sporty feel and racing-style aluminium pedals.

On the road for a fiver under £22,000 it’s surprising to find that the touch-screen control centre Sat-Nav and reversing cameras are all included as standard as well as a DAB radio system and Bluetooth.

Safety was high on Nissan’s agenda with the Nismo so you get a gear shift indicator, tyre pressure warning, six airbags, an electric stability programme, ABS with EBD and brake assist, remote central locking, an engine immobiliser, child locks and three rear head restraints, which do obscure the rear view a little too much.

Once you get used to the Recaro seats the front is a comfortable place to be with plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment to help you find the best position. There’s also plenty of storage space and 60/40 folding rear seats.

Considering the sport nature of the Nismo there’s also a surprising amount of boot space. There’s 40% more space than in the previous 2-wheel drive Juke taking in to 354 litres and a total of 1,189litres with the seats folded down. A particularly useful addition is a false floor offering additional space to keep the shopping secure.

I haven’t driven the 4-wheel drive model but I’m sure it handles better than the version on test which tended to have a little too much power for it’s own good. That meant hitting the accelerator from a standing start often meant grappling to maintain a straight line.

And if stamping the accelerator is what you like doing you’ll be hard pressed to achieve Nissan’s claimed combined fuel figures of 39.2mpg or their urban estimate of 29.7mpg.

The test car came in an attractive white and the only other variants are black and silver so you’ll certainly see this Nissan coming. In fact since the test drive I’ve been noticing more and more on the road.

There’s a fair bit of competition in the sector for Nissan to worry about but the Juke Nismo has one thing going for it – you’ll know when you’ve seen one.