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Nissan Juke Nismo review

2013 - 2018 (change model)
Parkers overall rating: 3.5 out of 53.5

At a glance

Price new £20,320 - £27,400
Used prices £2,315 - £11,812
Road tax cost £190 - £305
Insurance group 20 - 26
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Fuel economy Not tested to latest standards
Range 395 - 418 miles
View full specs for a specific version

Available fuel types

Petrol

Pros & cons

PROS
  • More engaging to drive than the standard Juke
  • Lots of equipment for the price
  • Excellent sports seats
CONS
  • Looks may polarise opinion
  • Not as much fun as a proper hot hatch
  • Will be surpassed by a faster version soon

Written by James Taylor Published: 6 June 2019

Overview

The Nissan Juke has been a surprise hit in the UK – its nonconformist styling and competitive pricing has proven a winning combination. Nissan now aims to capitalise on that success with a hot version offering sharper handling and racier styling – step forward the Nissan Juke Nismo.

Nismo – which is a contraction of ‘Nissan Motorsport’ – is Nissan’s motorsport and tuning division. The brand has a strong following in Japan but is less well-known in Europe, except among computer games fans through its appearance in popular racing games.

First performance version of the Nissan Juke

The Nissan Juke Nismo is particularly significant because it’s the first Nismo-badged production car to be sold officially in Europe, kicking off a range of Nismo performance cars including the Nissan 370Z Nismo sports car.

Tying in with its PlayStation-generation brand identity, the Juke Nismo has been kitted out with a go-faster bodykit. This includes sporty front and rear bumpers, wider wheel arches and a rear spoiler. Nissan says the styling is not just for show as the additions have substance, reducing aerodynamic lift at speed.

The cabin has also had a mild makeover to give it a more sporting character, including suede-trimmed sports seats with enhanced sides and Alcantara trim for the steering wheel.

Increased power

Underneath the bulkier bodywork the Nismo is based on the Nissan Juke 1.6 DiG-T Tekna, which is the highest-specification version of the ‘normal’ Juke. The 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine has been given a modest 8bhp hike in power for the Nismo, enabling a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 134mph for the front-wheel drive manual version.

There’s also a four-wheel drive automatic Juke Nismo available with marginally slower performance figures, which is expected to sell in smaller numbers than its two-wheel drive stablemate.