In order to create room for alternative compact SUV choices like the Nissan Kicks and Nissan Rogue, the Nissan Juke was discontinued.
These vehicles, however, are less potent, sportier, and all around less enjoyable to drive. The Nissan Juke may have been too bizarre in its earlier iterations, but these days it has a fresh appearance and modernized features that let us forget about its troubled history.
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Japanese Juke
Nissan has been making the Nissan Juke, also known as the Ri Chan ziyuku or Nissan Juku in Hepburn, since 2010. It belongs to the B-segment of subcompact crossover SUVs. Positioned below the C-segment Qashqai, it had its production debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March. It was then unveiled to North America at the 2010 New York International Auto Show with plans to be offered for the 2011 model year.
In September 2019, the second-generation model—which makes use of the more recent Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform—was unveiled for the European market. It has greater proportions. The Nissan Kicks replaced the model in the majority of areas outside of Europe and Australasia during the second generation.
The word “jukebox” is also the source of the phrase “juke,” which refers to “dance or shift directions while exhibiting agility.”
currently generating
The Juke’s first generation was only available in the United States because the second generation didn’t start selling in the country until 2019. But as the Juke left the American market, the Kicks, a new subcompact crossover, was developed to take its place. The Kicks, which had a comparable size but more contemporary style, heralded a new era for compact cars. However, those seeking a distinctive small SUV can still go to the Kia Soul, which has kept its distinctive design since it first appeared.
Officially, the Nissan Juke has been discontinued in the US
The Nissan Juke first appeared in the US in 2011. The quirky-looking tiny crossover with its frog-eye front-end design and, at the time, unique proportions initially confused a lot of people. However, fast forward to 2018, and a Juke may be seen on the road almost anywhere. Nissan UK has earlier announced that it had produced its one millionth Juke and that it will keep doing so. Unlike the US, though. Nissan has reportedly removed the tiny Juke crossover from its American portfolio, according to Automotive News.
Compared to 2016, sales dropped by 48% in 2017. The completely new Nissan Kicks will take its place. The Juke was a significant vehicle for Nissan North America even if Americans haven’t embraced it as enthusiastically as Europeans did. How so? It increased awareness of the brand. According to Nissan, the Juke was designed to appeal to young, single males whose next vehicle would ideally be a 370Z rather than family crossover buyers in the US (hence part of the reason behind the Juke Nismo and Juke Nismo RS).
The Rogue was Nissan’s entry-level crossover, and it was anticipated that Rogue owners would eventually progress to a larger Pathfinder or possibly an Armada as their families grew. However, because the Juke was never as popular as it is today in Europe, those young male customers just went shopping elsewhere. The Juke’s small interior and lack of headroom are further factors contributing to its poor sales in the US. Europeans are used to less space whereas Americans enjoy more. Despite its eccentricities, Nissan’s “sports car crossover” has bid its last goodbye to the United States.
The quirky crossover we want to see back in America is the Nissan Juke.
Nissan offered a compact crossover called the Juke from 2011 until 2017. Despite the Juke’s divisive appearance, which was frequently derided, we appreciated it for its sporty driving abilities, optional Nismo variant, manual transmission, and selection of turbocharged engines. Sadly, the Juke was discontinued in the US market back in 2018 and replaced with the less costly (and less powerful) Kicks.
The Juke has returned for a second generation as a 2020 model with an entirely new engine and different gearbox options, following multiple spy images and renderings. We simply have one question for Nissan: Why can’t we buy the new Juke in the United States? The finished product looks terrific.
The 2020 Juke has been introduced in five European cities; a US debut is not in the works. A smaller, 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine with turbocharging now provides power, with 117 horsepower being sent to the front wheels as standard or all four as an option. There won’t be a continuously variable transmission like you’d find in most Nissan vehicles; instead, buyers will have an option between a six-speed manual and a new seven-speed dual-clutch.
The details just keep getting better under the skin, and this crossover is starting to take shape. Nissan has increased the length, height, and width of the new Juke while also making it lighter than the previous generation. Extra passenger space is now available inside, and the trunk has 20% more space for storage. Nissan has also improved the external aesthetic, and in our opinion, the new model has a much more appealing appearance.
Nissan has upgraded the fit and finish within the cabin with new quality materials and a variety of interior, exterior, and roof color options. Along with other safety features like Intelligent Lane Intervention, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Intervention, and Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Recognition, the Juke now has Nissan’s ProPILOT technology. A Bose Personal Plus audio system with eight speakers that is connected to an infotainment system that is compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Auto is an additional perk for drivers.
Nissan’s UK plant in Sunderland will construct the 2020 Juke, and deliveries are scheduled to start in November. Although these prices are not exactly representative of what it would cost in the US, they range from PS17,395 (about $21,000) to PS25,395 (around $30,700). Nissan has no intentions to bring the Juke back to the US, as we previously mentioned, which is unfortunate given this new model appears to be far more appealing than many of the company’s US options.
Nissan sold more than 95,000 Jukes in Europe last year, while only 10,157 were sold in the United States.
According to Automotive News, the Nissan Juke has been declared dead in the United States after failing to garner the same level of interest as it has in Europe. Though the more conventional-looking Kicks is poised to unseat the Juke in the sector in America, Nissan isn’t quite ready to abandon the thriving compact crossover market.
What Really Occurred to the Nissan Juke is Presented Here
Many auto aficionados needed some time to get used to the strange-looking, frog-eyed, and oddly shaped tiny crossover when it was first introduced in the US back in 2011. In the US, Jukes are commonplace today, just 7 years after their introduction. Nissan has reportedly formally removed the subcompact crossover from its US portfolio, according to a report from Automotive News.
Its demise was attributed to poor sales as a result of its “divisive” appearance, and Nissan sold only 10,157 of these vehicles in 2017—a staggering 48% decrease from 2016’s sales. The Nissan Juke was designed with young, hip, single guys in the market for a sporty vehicle in mind. The Juke was reportedly too hip and edgy for American tastes. Nissan undoubtedly became weary of hearing complaints and comments about its divisive appearance.
However, the Juke did rather well in Europe, where more than 95,000 vehicles were sold in that year. Just a few weeks ago, the company’s Sunderland, UK, plant celebrated the assembly of one millionth Juke.
The New Nissan Kicks, a new subcompact crossover with a less eccentric look, served as the Nissan Juke’s replacement. With an MSRP of $18,965, it is $1000 less expensive than the Juke.
The Nissan Juke is a trustworthy little SUV.