Road test: Nisan Juke Nismo

A car to make your pulse race! And then some ... so fasten your seatbelt and be prepared for a whole lotta fun, writes Trish Whelan.

We're talking about Nissan's Juke Nismo with its blistering 200bhp 1.6T direct injection turbo petrol engine that blasts the car from 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds and has a top speed of 215km/h. Torque has been improved from 240Nm to 250Nm.

But with C02 emissions of 159g/km, the car is in Band D of €570 a year for annual road tax.

It is available in 2WD (the review car) and All Mode 4WD versions.

The Nismo name comes from Nissan Motorsports and the Juke is the first of their vehicles to get this special motorsport DNA treatment. It certainly delivers driving excitement in bucket loads. The Nismo name is probably better know in Europe by those who play online computer games like Sony's Gran Turismo.

The downside is that it's a quite a heavy drinker so be prepared to have to refuel quite a lot more often than with your standard Juke.

The Juke itself is easily identifiable with its distinctive blend of sports coupe lines and SUV styling. That muscular look as if it's on steroids.

Transforming the Juke into a Nismo model wasn't just about adding a body kit and sporty cabin styling. Everything that has been modified has been changed for a reason, with inspiration from the company's history of competitive racing - from the race track to the road, making a performance car more accessible to the 'ordinary' buyer. It was proven at the highest levels including Japan's domestic Super GT, and Le Mans series in Europe and the USA, and offers the buzz of the track for every driver.

The result is an even more dynamic looking car with lower front and rear bumpers and side skirts, along with a modified grille and tailgate spoiler to better control airflow. These upgrades reduce front and rear lift and so enhance the car's performance.

Juke Nismo sits on new 18-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres for better grip and to boost the car's on-road presence. Eye-catching red door mirrors and a pinstripe running around the base of the car mark it out as something special - a Nismo machine. Other features are a more stiffened suspension from the 'ordinary' Juke (but you could live with it for everyday use), sportier direct handling as well as improved traction control.

Inside, the interior is dark with lots of curves. The steering wheel, pedals, instruments, gear knob and door trims have all been redesigned to boost that sporty feeling. Special suede-trimmed sports seats with red stitching add to the look and help hold you in when cornering. A small crib was that my fingers rubbed up against the near side of the passenger seat whenever I used the hand brake.

The D-Mode button on the dash shows the three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Eco as on the standard Juke. Sport mode changes the accelerator settings for sportier driving.
You see which mode you are currently using on a lower screen on the centre dash but it's of little benefit to the driver being too far down on the central console and way out of eyesight. More a gimmicky graphic gadget to keep the front passenger amused.

Deeply indented dials feature the speedometer on the right with white numbers on black and 120km/h on the top while the red rev counter has white numbers. Large side mirrors help with visibility.

Open the boot and you'll find a very useful storage space below the floor that also carries the jack and tools. Below that again is a skinny spare.

Be warned though. You could drive yourself into trouble very easily in this one, so use the cruise control to keep out of penalty points.

Juke Nismo is up against the Fiesta ST which I'll be driving in the not too distant future.