Nissan Juke: Three Generations of Nissan's Bold Small Crossover

The Nissan Juke is a subcompact crossover that Nissan has built since 2010, first shown at the Geneva Motor Show that March. Its bold styling set it apart from rivals, and the car sold well enough to become a fixture of Nissan's European range. Three generations later it has moved from a petrol-powered original to a battery-electric model.

What is the Juke, and where did the idea come from?

The Juke is a B-segment crossover SUV, built by Nissan from 2010. It was introduced as the smallest crossover in the Nissan line-up, a position it held until the Magnite arrived in 2020. The name means to dance or change direction with agility, and it also echoes the word jukebox.

The idea began with the Nissan Qazana concept, which appeared at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. On 11 February 2009 Nissan confirmed that the production car would be built at its Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom during 2010, following that concept's debut.

Nissan Design Europe in London produced the original design, which was then refined at the company's Design Centre in Japan. The car was built on the Nissan B platform, and the Sunderland plant supplied the European market, Australia and New Zealand.

A crossover whose bold lines became its calling card, and whose third generation trades the petrol engine for batteries.

How did the first-generation Juke look?

The car's profile is dominated by prominent wheel arches and a high waistline. These contrast with slim side windows, a modern reading of the coke-bottle styling popular in the 1960s and 1970s. The glasshouse resembles a racing helmet visor, which reinforced the car's sporting image.

Rear door handles sit inside the window frame, a Nissan tradition that began with the 1985 Pathfinder. Running lamps and indicators are mounted atop the front wings, with their lenses visible from inside the cabin to help with manoeuvring. Below them, a wide curved grille frames the main headlamps.

Inside, the sporting theme continues. The red or grey centre console is styled like a motorcycle fuel tank, and the instrument cluster includes a small display for real-time fuel efficiency and trip data. A relatively deep glovebox on the passenger side housed an iPod connector where fitted.

What engines did the first-generation Juke offer?

In the United States the Juke launched with a 1.6-litre turbocharged MR16DDT petrol engine The US turbo unit produced 188 hp (140 kW) at 5,600 rpm, and its peak torque of 177 lb-ft (240 N-m) arrived by 2,000 rpm. Three trims were offered at launch: S, SV and SL. The base S was available only with a CVT and lacked the I-CON display.

All-wheel drive with torque vectoring was optional on every US trim, but it could not be paired with the manual transmission. The SV added the I-CON control unit, the option of a six-speed manual and a moonroof, while the SL added leather seats and a rear-view camera.

Europe had different engines, including the 1.6-litre HR16DE petrol, a 1.5-litre K9K diesel and the 1.6-litre MR16DDT. Five trims were offered there, from Visia up to the Nismo RS, and in 2012 Nissan introduced the Juke Shiro with white accents throughout the interior.

How hot did the Juke Nismo get?

The NISMO version arrived for 2013 with styling changes to the bumpers and side skirts, modified suspension and steering, 18-inch wheels and engine tuning. Power came to 197 hp (147 kW) at 6,000 rpm, while 184 lb-ft (249 N-m) arrived by 2,000 rpm.

The Nismo RS added Recaro front seats and carbon fibre trim, and its engine rose to 215 hp (160 kW) at 6,300 rpm, with 210 lb-ft (285 N-m) available by 3,600 rpm.

What was the Juke-R?

The Juke-R was a limited-production car that borrowed its drivetrain, chassis and 3.8-litre VR unit from the GT-R. The engine produced 545 hp (406 kW), and a group of Nissan engineers built it in their own time, working with the motorsport firm RML Group.

Severn Valley Motorsport handled production. Nissan had planned 17 or 23 units, but only two Juke-Rs were built, one right-hand drive and one left-hand drive. That small run makes the car one of the rarest versions of the Juke.

How well did the Juke sell?

Japan launched the car on 9 June 2010, and orders totalled 10,943 units in its first month, which was well above Nissan's monthly goal of 1,300. Japanese sales reached 20,000 by early October 2010, while Europe had taken orders for 30,000 cars and the United States for 17,500.

US sales reached about 38,000 units in each of 2013 and 2014, and they slowed before the car was discontinued in the United States and Canada after the 2017 model year. In Europe the Juke was Nissan's second best-selling car, behind the Qashqai, which made it a major seller in the region.

Production also moved around the world. The Purwakarta plant in Indonesia assembled the Juke with 40 percent local content, and it exported cars to Thailand between 2014 and 2017. Production in Indonesia ceased in September 2018.

What changed in the second generation?

Nissan revealed the second generation on 3 September 2019 with launch events in five European cities, and production began in October 2019 at Sunderland. It rode on the CMF-B platform, shared with the Renault Captur and the Renault Clio, and it was larger than its predecessor while also being lighter by around 23 kg (51 lb).

Rear-seat knee room grew by 58 mm (2.3 in), rear headroom by 11 mm (0.4 in), and the luggage capacity rose to 422 L (14.9 cu ft). The cabin adopted a floating central display and a reduced number of centre console buttons, with a new multifunction steering wheel.

The initial engine was a 1.0-litre three-cylinder DIG-T turbo producing 117 PS (115 hp; 86 kW) and 180 N-m. In March 2022 a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid from the Renault Captur joined the range. Outside Europe and Australasia the second generation was never introduced, because the Kicks replaced the Juke in markets such as North America. In Australia the second generation went on sale in May 2020 with four trim levels, and Taiwan followed in November 2020 alongside the locally assembled Kicks.

What is the third-generation Juke?

The third-generation Juke was unveiled alongside the next-generation Rogue and X-Trail on 14 April 2026, and it became a battery-electric model. The car follows the Hyper Punk concept, which was shown on 19 October 2023 to preview the design.

The move to electric power marks the biggest change in the car's history, since every earlier model had a petrol or diesel engine.

How did critics and buyers react to the Juke?

The styling proved polarising. The Grand Tour awarded the Juke its 2017 Nissan Juke Award for worst car of the year. Customers were mainly young buyers and the elderly, which gave the car an average buyer age in the late 40s.

Not every reaction was negative. Stunt driver Terry Grant took a Juke around the Goodwood Hill Course on two wheels, a run lasting 2 minutes and 55 seconds that earned a Guinness World Record. In 2011 the first-generation car also earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick.

How did the Juke change for the 2015 model year?

For the 2015 model year Nissan revised the Juke, with the update shown at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. The updates touched the lighting, with L-shaped LED clusters for the running lamps and indicators, along with reworked front and rear bumpers and extra paint choices. The revised car went on sale in the summer of 2014.

Standard equipment gained a rear-view camera, keyless entry and a Bluetooth hands-free phone system. The lighting change was the most visible update, since the L-shaped clusters replaced the earlier arrangement at the front wings.

Which trims did the Juke offer in Europe?

European buyers could choose from five trim levels at launch: Visia, Acenta, Tekna, Nismo and Nismo RS. Acenta was also available with Sport and Premium packs. Engine choices are covered in the earlier section on the first generation.

Limited editions added variety. Nissan replaced the Juke Kuro with the Juke Shiro in 2012, a model whose interior carried white detailing, from the stitching on the leather upholstery to the shifter and wheel. The Juke's European story began in the United Kingdom, where the car launched on 24 September 2010 and was also built.

Where was the Juke built and sold in Asia?

In Indonesia the Juke was assembled locally by Nissan Motor Indonesia with two trims, RX and Red, and a 1.5-litre HR15DE inline-four. Both were offered only with a CVT. The Purwakarta plant also supplied Thailand between 2014 and 2017.

The Red model was available only in Indonesia and added a roof spoiler, a different grille colour and a bigger audio screen. On 12 February 2015 Nissan Motor Indonesia added a Revolt trim and introduced a facelift for the local car. Production there ceased in September 2018.

The Kicks e-Power later replaced the Juke in Japan and several Southeast Asian markets, which marked the end of the nameplate in those places.

What was the Nissan Gripz concept?

The Nissan Gripz concept was shown on 15 September 2015 and previewed the second-generation Juke. It appeared well before the production car was revealed in September 2019, and it set out the look that the next generation would build on.

Nissan later showed a separate Hyper Punk concept on 19 October 2023, which previewed the third generation in the same way that the Gripz had previewed the second.

How was the Juke advertised?

In August 2013 Nissan launched a Juke commercial featuring Stormtroopers from the Star Wars franchise. The light-hearted approach set the car apart from the more conventional advertising typical of small crossovers at the time.

Nissan Juke specifications at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Was the Juke ever sold with a manual gearbox in the United States?

Yes, on the SV trim, but all-wheel drive could not be combined with the manual. Buyers who wanted AWD had to take an automatic, and the base S trim was available only with a CVT.

What did the Juke replace in North America?

The Kicks arrived in North America in 2017 for the 2018 model year and directly replaced the Juke. The second-generation Juke never reached those markets.

How many Juke-Rs were made?

Two. One was right-hand drive and one was left-hand drive, from a plan that had called for 17 or 23 units.

Is the Juke still petrol-powered?

No. The third-generation car is battery electric, while earlier models used petrol and diesel engines and, from March 2022, a petrol hybrid.