The Juke->ke3600 NISMO is a hilarious riot to drive. If you take one thing away from this full review, that should be it.
Highway fast lanes clear rapidly when any hint of GT-R or NISMO is coming up from behind.
As the second NISMO-tuned effort after the incredibly transformed 370Z Nismo, the Juke->ke3600 is the perfect combination of economy-car basics, but with the highest-tech racing components outside, inside and under the hood.
A similar upgrade in a past Nissan->ke62 phase would have been the Nissan Sentra SE-R. Nismo is the new hotness.
There are amazing details all over the Juke->ke3600 Nismo, especially with its very fun and entertaining persona on the roads. This car loves to be floored in AWD V-spec and Sport modes, slamming through seven virtual - and seriously sporty -- upshifts at the red-line. In a CVT!
It is true. A huge part of the NISMO magic in the Juke->ke3600 is the reprogrammed ECU that makes sport mode a mandatory button push - right after lighting up the push-button ignition.
TopSpeed's Juke Nismo press loaner is the $25,000 AWD automatic with the navigation system upgrade, but all the joy and fun cornering stance is also on offer in the manual-transmission, front-drive Juke Nismo from just $22,990.
The Nissan->ke62 Juke->ke3600 NISMO is an incredible machine for sports-car fans and hooning boy-racers alike.
Click past the jump to hear all the reasons why this might be the smartest Fiesta ST alternative on the market.
2014 Nissan Juke NISMO - Driven
- Make: Array
- Model: 2014 Nissan Juke NISMO - Driven
- Engine/Motor: inline-4
- Horsepower: 197 @ 6000
- Torque: 184 @ 2000
- Transmission: 6-Speed Manual (Auto Opt)
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Exterior
The Juke NISMO makes every road into a gorgeous playground.
The smoked front headlights tone down the Juke's original styling ... brashness. In black, the dark round lights really disappear and let the Juke NISMO's hood-mounted blinkers and lower GT-R LEDs make a very cool statement.
2014 Nissan->ke62 Juke NISMO - Profile Styling Detail
Relatively skinny summer tires are worn by the standard 18-inch wheels, which seems odd at first for an AWD crossover.
2014 Nissan->ke62 Juke NISMO - Tail Styling Detail
The Juke NISMO is a real stunner from behind. The combination of standard tinted glass, a huge rear wing, totally unique rear bumper, and NISMO red diffuser really slam home that this is no pretender edition.
The central rear fog light is a delightful element, but we could not quite figure out how to turn it on in the American-market car we drove. Perhaps a button on the UK cars, where a rear fog is a legal requirement.
Visible mostly from the back, the not-so-wide rubber has an ace in the hole.
It lets the Juke NISMO move around more under heavy throttle. A little more slip brings huge fun and lets the Juke NISMO become a bit more playful - even in AWD-V mode on a dry day.
LED Detail
Exterior Features
- NISMO smoked front combination lamps (Halogen headlights)
- LED accent lights
- Turn signals integrated into upper front fenders
- Center High Mount Stop Light
- NISMO Rear center fog lamp
- NISMO front grille
- NISMO front and rear fascias with red stripe
- NISMO side sills
- Red power outside door mirrors
- Rear liftgate with fixed glass
- NISMO rear spoiler, NISMO badge
- 18-inch NISMO aluminum-alloy wheels
Video Walk-around
The exterior video walk-around from last month's first-drive article is actually pretty decent.
It highlights a number of good styling details of the Juke->ke3600 NISMO, as well as offering a sample of this little slugger's exhaust gurgle when idling.
Interior
The Juke->ke3600 NISMO wears dozens of special hypersuede surfaces and red leather accents all over the cabin.
The best highlights are:
- The driving position - which can be set quite low for track-day center of gravity fanatics.
- NISMO-embroided grey suede of wheel and seats is so nice. Never too hot, or too slippery like leather; but clearly only for a sports special and not a mainstream car.
- Dark headliner is a really cool NISMO-exclusive as well
2014 Nissan->ke62 Juke NISMO - Interior Features
- NISMO sport synthetic suede seats
- NISMO spec bucket front seats
- NISMO logos embroidery
- Additional bolstering
- Driver's side 6-way manual
- Passenger side 4-way manual
- 2nd Row Rear seats
- Unique rear seats with red stitching
- NISMO spec shift knob
- Center console with NISMO logo
- NISMO spec door trim, unique painted door switch panels
- NISMO dark headliner color
2014 Nissan->ke62 Juke NISMO - Audio and Navigation Features
- AM/FM/CD with 6 speakers
- MP3/WMA CD playback capability
- Auxiliary audio input jack
- iPod connectivity
- Radio Data System (RDS)
- Speed-sensitive volume control
- Steering wheel-mounted audio controls
- SiriusXM Satellite Radio (SiriusXM subscription required, sold separately)
- Fixed rod antenna
- Black color satellite radio antenna
Navigation Package ($1,170)
- RearView Monitor, Six upgraded speakers, NavTraffic, Rockford Fosgate ecoPUNCH audio system with 8-inch subwoofer and amplifier, USB port for IPOD
Interior Room Stats
Seating capacity |
5 |
EPA Interior passenger volume without moonroof (cubic-feet) |
86.7 |
Cargo volume with rear seats up (cubic-feet) |
10.5 |
Cargo volume with rear seats down (cubic-feet) |
35.9 |
Fuel Tank (gals.) – FWD |
13.2 |
Fuel Tank (gals.) – AWD |
11.8 |
Performance Feel Assessment
The Juke->ke3600 NISMO in sport mode really comes alive. It is always on-power and ready for more pace.
Braking and handling is also very well-done, with firm settings that are fine in daily use and stiff enough to keep it from wobbling on a track.
Acceleration feels great at full throttle in Sport mode, where the CVT changes its whole strategy and mimic's a very aggressive torque-converter automatic in how it upshits.
There is none of the 'mooing' and surging sense that even joins the plush Pathfinder when the gas pedal is floored.
2014 Nissan->ke62 Juke NISMO - Mechanical Features
- NISMO-tuned MR16DDT – 1.6-liter Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) DOHC 16-valve turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
- Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) on intake and exhaust valves
- Nissan Direct Ignition System
- Double-tipped iridium spark plugs
- Electronic drive-by-wire throttle
- NISMO-tuned vehicle-speed-sensitive electric power steering
- NISMO-tuned suspension with increased spring and dampening rates
2014 Nissan->ke62 Juke NISMO - Mechanical Details
Engine |
1.6-liter Turbocharged 16-valve I-4 With DI and CVVT |
Fuel |
Gasoline |
Transmission |
6-Speed Manual (FWD), Nismo-tuned CVT Auto (AWD) |
Powertrain Layout |
Front-engine, Front-drive (AWD Opt) |
Power (Horsepower) |
197 @ 6,000 rpm |
Torque (Torque) |
184 @ 2,000 rpm |
0-60 mph (Seconds) |
6.8, est |
Top Speed (MPH) |
130, est |
EPA Fuel Economy (City/Highway/Combined) |
25/31/NA (FWD), 25/30/NA (AWD) |
Pricing and Availability
The Juke->ke3600 NISMO has a different model year schedule than other models, and 2014 pricing is not yet available. The 2013 car is exactly the same, and available now with even a few rebate offers.
Safety
- Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant-classification sensors
- Driver and front-passenger seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags
- Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags for front and rear-seat outboard occupants head protection
- Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS)
- 3-point ALR/ELR passenger seat belt system (ELR for driver)
- Front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters
- Front-seat Active Head Restraints
- LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
- Energy-absorbing steering column
- High-strength steel side-door guard beams
- Zone Body construction with front and rear crumple zones
- Hood buckling creases
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with individual tire pressure display
Conclusion
Aside from all the amazing driving traits, handling balance, exterior upgrades and interior overhaul: is there anything left to rave about in this awesome Nissan?
Turbocharged. GT-R LED lighting in front. Red mirrors and rear central fog light in back like a race car.
Manual or automatic, front or AWD. That must be it, surely?
There is one more tiny detail worth repeating: the incredibly affordable $24,000 base pricing.
The fact that this turbocharged rocket is only a few thousand above a regular Juke->ke3600 only sweetens the deal.