The market for compact electric SUVs is starting to get very crowded. On top of the existing Renault 4, Fiat 600e, Peugeot E-2008, and Jeep Avenger, the Kia EV2 has just arrived, and we’re just weeks away from the launch of the trio of small VW electric SUVs - the Cupra Raval, Skoda Epiq, and VW ID. Cross.
Now, here comes the potential king of this hill. Nissan’s Juke has found 1.5 million buyers worldwide since the first version - with its jumbled-up styling - was released back in 2010. Coincidentally, that was also the year that Nissan launched the first mass-market electric passenger car, the original Leaf, and now the Juke is following in the Leaf’s footsteps by going all-electric.
That said, the existing hybrid-engined Juke will remain on sale in updated form alongside this dramatic-looking new electric version, which should hit dealerships in 2027.
The new EV Juke uses the same CMF-EV platform as the impressive latest generation of the Leaf, and that means it’s expected to have the same mix of 57kWh and 75kWh battery packs, giving the Juke a potential range of as much as 600km on one charge if you go for the big battery.
RM Block
With the two models so closely technically aligned, Nissan has said the Juke will get a specific chassis and steering setup to separate it from the Leaf in feel. Given the Leaf is quite comfort-oriented, we’d expect that to mean that the Juke will be considerably more sporty.
Certainly, the arresting style would suggest so, with the Juke gaining an almost diamond-faceted look, which could have sprung from the set of Project: Hail Mary. One thing is certain; you’ll not lose it in a car park.
Nissan hasn’t revealed the new Juke’s interior yet, but it should be considerably more roomy than the slightly cramped hybrid model, and it will use the Leaf’s impressive Google-based infotainment system.
Helping its eco-credentials in the European market, the new Juke will be built at Nissan’s vast factory in Sunderland, in the north-east of England, so it won’t have to cross oceans to reach Irish dealerships. Just the Irish Sea.
It’s part of a broader plan by Nissan to try and shrug off recent financial woes and return to profitability.
Announcing the new Juke, Nissan also revealed a next-generation X-Trail SUV with an upgraded ePower hybrid engine (don’t expect that to come to Ireland until at least 2028, though) and hinted at a new Xterra, a rugged SUV designed exclusively for the North American marketplace.
There was also a big hint at Nissan’s sporting future, with a heavily-cropped image of some distinctive round red brake lights, alongside a ‘Skyline’ badge. This could be hugely significant, even though Nissan has already said the car in the image will be a Japan-only model for now.
[caption id=“attachment_1886621″ align=“alignnone” width=“1120″]Nissan Skyline[/caption]
Skyline is a name that has serious resonance in the Nissan fan community. Originally a brand of the little-known Prince car company, which was bought out by Nissan in the 1960s, the Skyline went on to become Nissan’s sporty saloon, eventually gaining the GT-R badge, then dropping the Skyline name and just becoming the supercar-slaying GT-R.
There’s no confirmation yet, but the existence of a new Skyline suggests Nissan is serious about a halo performance model.
That new GT-R will quite likely be a hybrid, as Nissan seeks to try and balance the need for electrification with continuing reluctance in some corners of the world when it comes to actually buying and owning EVs.
As part of that strategy, even as Nissan plans to trim its global model lineup from 56 to 45, it will roll out more hybrids, concentrating on its ePower hybrid system in which an electric motor drives the wheels, while a small on-board petrol engine provides generator power for a compact battery, with no plugging-in necessary.
