GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Updated Nissan JUKE bobs up
Fresh-faced city-crossover gets nip and tuck, plus Bose speakers hidden in the driver's seatOne of the first compact SUVs to arrive in Australia - and still one of the quirkiest-looking runabouts on the market - has been given a minor facelift and new features for 2018.
Shown for the first time at this week's Geneva motor show, the 2018 Nissan JUKE has a slightly new look thanks to dark chrome exterior accents on the grille and headlight bezels, plus two new colours: Vibrant blue and Chestnut Bronze.
There's also some snazzy sticker kits that match updated alloy wheel designs, of which there are three styles.
In Europe, where the updated JUKE goes on sale in May, all models will be fitted as standard with LED daytime running lights, power mirrors and windows and even a CD stereo, perhaps targeting older buyers with huge CD collections.
Top-shelf models get push-button starting, leather seat trim, lane departure and blind-spot warning systems plus a 360-degree overhead-view parking camera and Bose stereo system with two speakers mounted in the driver's seat head restraint.
Owners looking for more verve in their daily commute can also tick the option boxes for two new interior highlight colours — Power Blue and Energy Orange — for the seats, air-vents and door inserts.
There don't appear to be any changes to the Nissan JUKE's engine range, which is currently offered with three powertrains: 1.6-litre petrol (86kW/158Nm), 1.2-litre turbo-petrol (85kW/190Nm) and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol (140kW/240Nm), which is borrowed from the Renault Clio RS and detuned slightly.
In Australia, Nissan JUKE prices currently start at $23,490 for the 2WD manual and top out at $33,490 for the AWD automatic.
Nissan JUKE sales were down 45 per cent in 2017, compared to the year prior. In 2016 the JUKE found 2382 buyers, but in 2017 that dropped to just 1299. By comparison, the JUKE's main rival, Toyota's newer C-HR, found 6330 homes in 2017.
Nissan has confirmed it will continue to sell the visually striking compact SUV in Australia, where this updated version will go on sale in the second half of this year, but is yet to confirm local specs.
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