Nismo – the tuning and motorsport arm of the Nissan motor company – have set ther spanners spinning on the popular Juke crossover and come up with this, the fastest and sharpest Juke to hit the streets. The Juke Nismo – after getting a warm reception at Paris Motor Show in September – has happily been put into production with the order books opening in January and the first deliveries following in March. Developed by Nismo in Japan, it will be the first Nismo-badged road car for the European market.

The Juke Nismo’s not unimpressive power comes from an uprated version of Nissan’s 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine, now with just under 200bhp on tap at 6,000rpm, and 250Nm of torque between 2,400rpm and 4,800rpm. In front-wheel drive set up with a six-speed manual gearbox, the Juke Nismo is is said to hit 62mph in 7.8 seconds and push on to a top speed of 134mph. Respectable stats for a happy shopper indeed.

Backing up the extra go-go is an uprated chassis to the tune of 10 per cent stiffer springs, revised suspension settings for enhanced traction and more direct-feeling steering. Bigger 18-inch Nismo alloy wheels wrapped in 225/45 R18 tyres also greatly assist in the grip of things.

Nismo tuning touches to the Juke’s exterior include front and rear Nismo badging, signature red door mirrors with a matching lower red pinstripe, as well as an angular bodykit. The new aerodynamic bodykit, which features lower front and rear bumpers add ons, wheel arch extensions and deeper side skirts, as well as a modified front grille and tailgate spoiler, is designed to reduce front and rear lift but without increasing drag. Indeed, the Juke Nismo is said to match the combined fuel economy (40.9mpg and 159g/km CO2 emissions) of the Juke DIG-T on which it is based, despite enjoying an extra 10bhp.

Inside we see suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching and deeper side bolsters, as well as some Alcantara and leather trim for the steering wheel and a suede trim for the door cards, plus some other sporty-looking highlights.

The jazzy new Nissan Juke Nismo will be sold in three colours; this Storm White, Pearl Black and Blade Silver. And, on top of the popular two-wheel drive six-speed manual transmission powertrain, the Juke Nismo can also be had with four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox.

By Daniel Anslow

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