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

Specifications
  • 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
Pros
Cons

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.