Nissan has announced the arrival of the Nismo brand in Ireland with the arrival of the Juke Nismo to Irish dealerships, writes Trish Whelan.
The Juke compact crossover Nismo means enhanced styling, improved performance and even sportier handling.
Juke Nismo is powered by a 200hp 1.6 direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine and is available in 2WD and All Mode 4WD variants. With C02 emissions of 159g/km and 169g/km respectively, the car is in Band D for annual road tax.
The 2WD version is priced from €29,675 while the 4x4i is priced from €33,375.
The new model features lower front and rear bumpers and side skirts, plus a modified grille and tailgate spoiler to better control airflow. New 18-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres offer improved grip.
Nismo has a well established reputation for motorsport innovation in Japan and the USA, but is probably better known in Europe amongst the online gaming community through the presence of iconic Nismo products in popular computer games series like Sony's Gran Turismo.
Nismo is being launched in Europe as the brand name for Nissan's performance road car line-up and Nismo products are planned for almost all Nissan's future products.