Nissan Motor Corporation aims for its new Juke crossover to at the very least, match the success enjoyed in Europe by its top-selling Qashqai. The Juke will premiere at the Geneva Motor Show next month and will be launched in Europe at the end of September.

Nissan Design Europe in London created the car with intent to merge the ruggedness of an SUV with the looks and lines of a sports car. Pierre Loing, Nissan Europe vice president of product planning, described the Juke to be “roomy yet compact, robust yet dynamic and practical yet playful.” Loing said that these seemingly contradictory qualities come together in the Juke. Nissan’s factories in Oppama, Japan, and in Sunderland, northeast England, will create the Juke.

The Nissan Juke raises the question: is this an SUV..? Especially since the lower part of the new model gives it the looks of an SUV, with bold shapes, large wheels and black moldings around the wheel wells and on the door sills. Its off road image is enhanced by big round head lights, that might make you think the Juke is bound for the Monte Carlo Rally.

Alfonso Albaisa, vice president of Nissan Design Europe, based in London, said: “We did not want to do something that is evident in this segment, like a copy cat. What we wanted was to create a design that is not common in this segment, bold and sporty. Something that people will like at first sight.”

So, the bottom part of the Juke was combined to a sporty upper part with a dropping roof line, broad shoulders and boomerang tail lights, that all hint to Nissan’s popular 370 Z. So in total, we can just sum it as a crossover.

Albaisa points at the upper section of the doors with their somewhat convex shape and says: “This is not only a styling cue taken from the Z, but it also provides more interior space. The interior looks fresh and the materials used for the seats are contemporary with mesh in a contrasting color on the outsides of the seats and back rests.

The new thing in is the soft cover for the luggage compartment that is attached to the hatch and moves upward when the hatch is opened. The advantage of using soft material is that it will not rattle when the trunk is completely full. Another new feature is de luggage floor: you lift it up and by moving it vertical, it slides out of the way between the back rests of the rear seats and the trunk. That way you can use the depth of the luggage space that under the floor panel is divided in smaller compartments.

The official premier of the new Juke will be at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2, while the North American debut will be at the New York Auto Show in April. The Juke will hit the European markets in September and can be expected in North America in fall. During our first test drive, we will find out if the driving experience is as exhilarating as Nissan promises.
Well, Nissan Juke might take a while to make an entry to the Indian shores if at all it’s coming.