New Nissan Juke hits the spotlight at Geneva motor show

We first saw the Juke three years ago and it opened up a class of vehicles we didn’t really know existed—the frumpy compact crossover segment. Nissan unveiled its new Juke at the Genvea motor show on Tuesday, showing off its quirky and updated design to the public.

The Juke has been a strong competitor in the compact crossover market, selling 420,000 in those three years. The updated Juke is expected to do just as well with its redesigned engine and interior and exterior elements.

Europe will be the first to see the Juke’s downsized and more efficient 1.2-liter turbocharged engine, which Nissan says will offer greater performance, fuel economy and lower emissions. A 1.6-liter DIG-T engine with improved four-wheel drive and torque vectoring system will also be available on the Juke. This is probably what we’ll see here. Upgrades include more low-end torque, along with a higher combustion ratio.

Along with the refinements under the hood, the Juke will get new alloy wheels, a brand-new audio system, Nissan’s own NissanConnect system that connects the driver and the vehicle, and Nissan’s dynamic control system. If it wasn’t quirky enough for you, the Juke also has an optional opening glass roof.

The Juke undoubtedly has some interesting proportions, but the guys at Nissan have managed to update the styling even more. The upper headlamps have been completely made over to include LED daytime running lamps featuring Xenon bulbs for increased visibility. The rear bumper gets a more aggressive shape to complement the newly designed taillights. The Juke extends its color palette to include three new hues: sunlight yellow metallic, ink blue metallic and solid red.

The interior also sees some upgrades, allowing buyers to customize pretty much anything they want with Nissan’s available personalization packs.

Good news for Juke enthusiasts who like to travel: the cargo space will see a 40 percent increase in the two-wheel drive versions, and buyers will have new interior themes and personalization packages to choose from.

"New Juke builds on the qualities that made the original such a success. Its unique crossover styling is even more energetic, and the interior makes a real statement,” said Guillaume Cartier, Nissan’s senior VP of European sales.

By Natalie Sejnost