IF you only ever thought of the Nissan Juke as a cute and cuddly car, now is the time to think again.

The Nismo – Nissan Motorsport – version with its whopping alloy wheels, sinister dark interior and 200 horsepower turbocharged engine is the bad boy of the Juke range.

To make the point crystal clear, Nissan has fitted a pair of red door mirrors – whatever body colour you choose – just so passers-by realise your car has punch, and presence. And the driver of this Sunderland-built compact crossover is certainly given rather individual treatment.

Nissan says the Nismo thinking is that everything should be focused on the driver. If that sounds a little selfish then there is no hint of an apology for the self-indulgence, with the seats, instrumentation, steering wheel, gear knob, pedals and door trim all redesigned with the driver in mind.

The front seats, with extra lateral support, are trimmed in suede, and sport vibrant red stitching. Red is the background to the rev counter and appears on the steering wheel, finished in alcantara and leather.

If you like light interiors the Nismo is not for you. The headlining of the Nissan Juke Nismo is black, and there is a gloss ‘piano black’ finish around the ventilation and audio controls.

There is also new smoked grey trim around the gear selector. Power comes from a modified version of Nissan’s 1.6-litre direct-injection, turbocharged petrol engine.

Two models are available – the front-wheel-drive with a six-speed manual transmission (driven here) and an all-wheel drive version combining a CVT transmission and seven-speed manual.

Compared to the standard Nissan Juke, the most obvious change is to the front, which is lower and more aggressive; the front wings are more muscular, and the integrated fog lights have been replaced by thin-strip LED daytime running lights.

Under the skin, suspension settings have been revised to give greater traction and improved body response and roll control, while the steering gives sportier and more direct handling.

Despite all the motorsport influences and technical tweaks, the Juke remains a superbly quiet, comfortable and practical car, with ample space for five people and a decent amount of luggage space in a twin-floor boot space.

Gadget fans will love the latest version of the Nissan Connect infotainment system, that includes Google ‘Send to Car’ navigation software, allowing routes planned at home to be transferred directly to the car.

Additional connected services include Google Points of Interest (POI), nearest fuel prices, plus flight and weather information. Satnav system tweaks include exit view and lane guidance, in addition to the Bluetooth phone link and reversing camera system.

The Juke is just the first of the Nismo range to arrive in Europe. Many more are on the way.

Auto facts Nissan Juke Nismo 1.6 DIG-T
 

  • Price: £20,395
  • Insurance group: 20 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 40.9mpg
  • Top speed: 134mph
  • Length: 416.5cm/164in
  • Width: 177cm/69.7in
  • Luggage capacity: 8.8 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 10.1 gallons/46 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 159g/km
  • Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles