A Decade Of Juke
The Nissan JUKE is truly one of a kind. Bursting onto the scene in 2010, the JUKE's unique design and confident personality established the compact crossover segment, with over 1.5 million customers now having joined JUKE on its 10-year journey.
During this time, the JUKE has continued to evolve to meet modern customer demands, but its restless energy has always remained constant - paving the way for several fun and one-of-a-kind activations that are irreverently, unmistakably JUKE. These are showcased here, alongside key milestones from JUKE's first decade.
The Nissan Qazana concept cause a splash in the automotive world on its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Defined by a pure desire to have fun behind the wheel, the Qazana approached small car design from a completely new angle: to invigorate, stimulate and rejuvenate the traditional town-car.
Inspired by the Qazana concept, the Nissan JUKE was unveiled in March 2010 and challenged conventions with its SUV toughness and sporty style. It was the first compact car to have torque-vectoring technology, enhancing on-road agility and its sense of dynamism, while helping to democratise premium vehicle technology. After just one year, over 136,000 examples were already criss-crossing the roads of Europe.
September 2012: JUKE-R shown at the Paris Motor Show
Although still a relative newcomer, JUKE took a thrilling turn in 2012 with the launch of JUKE-R – the world's first super-crossover. Dialling up the excitement with spectacular styling, JUKE-R pushed the boundaries of performance. Its 485bhp, 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine derived from the legendary Nissan GT-R made it capable of 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds!
This special edition JUKE set out to make some noise. A lot of noise. In collaboration with London's iconic Ministry Of Sound, this retrofitted model featured a 150 decibel, 18,900W sound system – which is louder than a Jet-engine taking off! This all came together with the amped-up artistry of Martin Audio, who designed the sound system in Ministry of Sound's main room at its London home, for the ultimate club experience.
JUKE cemented its sporting credentials a year later with JUKE Nismo, taking after the radical design of JUKE-R. JUKE Nismo's sports coupé lines and SUV styling were crafted by Nismo's expert motorsport engineers. Equipped with a tuned 1.6-litre, 200hp turbocharged engine, it attained 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 7.8 seconds with a top speed of 215km/h (134mph).
August 2013: JUKE personalisation introduced
Of course, the JUKE's unique personality reflects those who want to drive it. This led to the launch of the JUKE's flagship personalisation programme, whereby new and existing JUKE owners could finesse their car to truly match their individual tastes. Alloy wheels, mirror caps, fog lamp rings, side sills, trunk handle, roof spoiler – up to 11 different exterior design elements were customisable with eight colours, opening up a world of possibilities.
As JUKE reached 500,000 sales globally, its iconic design was enhanced with fresh stylistic cues, retaining the much-loved sporty and tough DNA. With an all-new engine line-up, the latest NissanConnect infotainment system, 40% more luggage space and bringing a huge expansion Nissan Design Studio personalisation scheme.
June 2015: New two-wheeled record for Nissan Juke NISMO RS
Did you know JUKE is also a record breaker? In 2015, stuntman Terry Grant smashed the then-world record for the fastest mile travelled on two wheels in a four-wheeled vehicle, driving a JUKE Nismo RS. Despite being allowed six attempts to successfully perform his stunt, Grant broke the record on the first go, achieving a time of just 2m10s!
September 2015: Nissan Gripz Concept
Continuing with the extreme theme, a few months later Nissan pulled the wraps off the Nissan Gripz concept: a daring and symbolic design statement on the future of the compact crossover segment. Inspired by style cues from JUKE and sports-car aesthetics, the Gripz concept featured an aggressive silhouette and “emotional geometry”, giving this relatively small model a very big character.
Celebrating five years of JUKE success, Nissan teamed up with a British artist to create a JUKE from 2,000 pieces of folded paper, using the traditional Japanese art of Origami. Taking over 200 hours to complete, the stunning life-sized model was a testament to the passion and creativity of Nissan's teams – which compelled over 700,000 customers to become a part of JUKE's story by November 2015.
Making audible waves again, this bespoke special version infused style with premium audio for the first time. JUKE Premium featured an upgraded, powerful audio system as standard, offering a rich listening experience for 1,500 lucky customers.
September 2019: New JUKE unveiled
Approaching its 10th year, perhaps it was time for the original and somewhat cheeky JUKE to grow up…but only a little. Losing none of its fun spirit, the new JUKE brings in a more premium feel with the latest NissanConnect infotainment system and Bose Personal Plus immersive audio…perfect for listening those favourite in-car classics.
Like with iconic albums, t's often said that the follow-up act after the first smash hit is always the toughest. But if anything, JUKE has proven over the past decade it can evolve with the times. That's the hallmark of a true superstar.