2010 New York Auto Show Coverage
The Juke is a new crossover priced right around $20,000. It's based on Nissan-Renault's global B-segment platform architecture, and it's a practical vehicle suitable for carrying beagles and particle-board bookshelves. But there's also an edgier side to the 2011 Nissan Juke. It has a turbocharged, direct-injected 1.6-liter inline-4 that's rated at an estimated 180 horsepower, and the result is some surprising pop off the line.
In another time, an engine this good would be flipped around and installed in an affordable rear-wheel-drive coupe. Unfortunately, we're living in a world where people feel like they can't afford to have that much fun, so Nissan has put its turbo four in this more sensible wrapper instead. Juke sales started last week in Japan; the car will then be rolled out in Europe this August and will appear in the United States this October.
Nissan thinks it can sell 25,000 to 30,000 Jukes annually in the U.S. That's about double last year's sales of the Nissan 370Z.
Of course, you're never going to have the same feelings for the 2011 Nissan Juke that you would for a Z-car, but the Juke is now the most interesting drive in Nissan's small-car lineup by a wide margin.
