The Nissan Juke is one of those cars that have the gift of making consumers feel extreme: you either love it or hate it. While there are cars that bet everything on unanimity, the Nissan Juke makes irreverence its calling card. In this Nismo version – acronym for Nissan Motorsport – the irreverence is even greater, as a result of the various changes that Nissan's sports department made to the Juke. So, as tradition dictates in a sporty version, the superb look is guaranteed.
The amount of prying eyes that the Nissan Juke Nismo receives as it passes indicates that the mission has been fully accomplished. The Juke Nismo makes an impact, whether because of the huge 18-inch wheels, the sportier bumpers with red accents or even the manifest pride with which the Juke bears the Nismo name all over the body.
Once installed in the driver's seat, we are treated to an interior that exudes performance. The seats are fantastic, both ergonomically – they provide excellent support – and visually thanks to the Alcantara trim, which extends to the steering wheel.
Once perfectly installed, in no time we feel that we are «home», ready to start the start-up procedures. With the promise that up front there will be 200 fiery horsepower provided by the 1.6 DIG-T Turbo engine – the same unit that equips the Renault Clio RS 200 EDC – the desire to take off and give free rein to the Juke Nismo is more than a lot. With 200hp of power and 250Nm of maximum torque our Juke fulfills 0-100km/h in just 7.8 seconds, in a race that only ends beyond 200km/h (216km/h to be precise). All this impetus comes to the front wheels through a 6-speed gearbox very well stepped and with excellent feel.
Arriving at the first corner, we are surprised by the bodywork contention in mass transfers. Although the Juke Nismo has a high center of gravity, the suspension setting proved to be correct and even capable of providing some comfort. Of course it's not as sharp as for example the Renault Clio EDC 200 RS. In more demanding corners the Juke needs wider trajectories to maintain the same speed, so it loses time. But on the other hand, it's more fun.
Catching the right moment of transition of masses from one corner to another makes it easier to practice «acrobatic» driving on the Juke Nismo than on the Renaul Clio. The driver thanks and our ego too.
Our wallet is the one who is left on the spot. At rates beyond normal it is easy to reach consumption of 13l/100km. At a carefree pace and with a few starts to the mix, the small turbocharged 1.6 block even manages to make less scandalous averages, around 8.1 l/100km. With great care, and at the risk of falling asleep at the wheel, we reached an average of 7.1 l/100km.
In short, this Nissan Juke 1.6 DIG-T NISMO offers us everything that the Juke range has already gotten us used to. , but with some more welcome extras: the vibrant power of the DIG-T engine and a dynamic behavior that incites torture and the impulsive burning of rubber at every turn. If you like the Juke design and consumption is not a problem, you have an excellent option here.
| MOTOR | 4 cylinders |
| CYLINDRAGE | 1618 cc |
| STREAMING | MANUAL, 6 Speed |
| TRACTION | Forward |
| WEIGHT | 1295 kg. |
| POWER | 200 hp / 6000 rpm |
| BINARY | 250 NM / 1750 rpm |
| 0-100 KM/H | 7.8 sec. |
| SPEED MAXIMUM | 216 km/h |
| CONSUMPTION | 7.1 lt./100 km |
| PRICE | €28,900 |