It's no exaggeration to say it's been a huge success story for the Japanese auto giant, but the supermini-SUV segment has moved on, and the competition has upped its game. It's therefore time for an all-new Nissan Juke, and it sounds as though one will be with us later this year.
Sources say the next-generation Juke is imminent and will probably appear this year with an entirely new platform, more environmentally friendly engines, a hybrid version, and significantly upgraded technology. This should allow the Juke to compete seriously with the slew of new subcompact crossovers that have been arriving in the market since the original Juke was launched. These include the likes of the Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur, Jeep Renegade and Kia Soul, and even premium models such as the Audi Q2.
It remains to be seen how far the designers go with the exterior, but what's been done in the US to models such as the Murano and the Rogue suggest a more conservative approach to the styling isn't out of the question, even for a vehicle as renowned for its unique looks as the Juke.
Nissan's chief creative office, Shiro Nakamura, has been quoted as saying the next generation will still be "edgy and less mainstream," but still be recognisable as a Juke.
A new Juke will make the switch to the Renault-Nissan Alliance's Common Module Family CMF-B platform, which the all-new Nissan Micra also uses now. The change to the new platform is a big deal because the current platform is now regarded as slow and expensive to produce, especially compared with the modern standards of its rivals.
The new platform will also open up a new range of engine possibilities, including 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrols that are now so popular. But a 1.5-litre diesel will still be offered for the time being, alongside a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that's likely to be the top-of-the-range powerplant with around 190bhp.
As mentioned earlier, a hybrid variant is plausible, perhaps using a range-extender powertrain that has already appeared under the hood of the sporty Gripz concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2016.
