The funky Nissan Juke, which found a mostly friendly audience in the United States until it was discontinued six years ago, will be reborn as an electric vehicle for the European market by the end of this decade.
According to Nissan, the electric Juke, along with the Qashqai crossover and a replacement for the current Leaf, will be inspired by three recent concept cars and will be built at Nissan’s new $2.2 billion factory in Sunderland, England.
No details for the reworked EVs were available. In September the Japanese manufacturer announced plans for an all-EV lineup for Europe by 2030. Nissan confirmed last week that it will build the Leaf, now made in the U.S., in the U.K.
Nissan said it’ll use three recent concepts as models for the upcoming EVs: the Hyper Urban and Hyper Punk that debuted at the 2023 Tokyo auto show, and the Chill-Out unveiled in 2021. The three new models will roughly correspond to the three existing models, albeit with more futuristic designs and no internal combustion engine versions. The Qashqai was the U.K.’s bestselling car of 2022 (with multiple previous generations being similarly popular), and represents one in five of all cars built in the U.K.
The rather odd-shaped Juke was deleted from the U.S. market after only one generation in 2017; it was first on sale here in 2010. In most markets, the Juke arrived with a base 1.5-liter inline-four engine that generated 99 horsepower; there were optional motors, including a turbocharged 1.6-liter four with 188 horsepower that came standard in the United States. A second-generation Juke that featured a similar body shape with toned down quirkiness debuted elsewhere for 2020.
Only last month, Car Dealer Magazine in Britain named the venerable Juke “Used Small Car of the Year” as part of its 2023 Used Car Awards. Juke won praise for its “eye-catching, individual styling, levels of technology and its generous cargo space and roomy interior.” Judges also highlighted its versatility, comfort and safety, making it a go-to option for thousands of used car dealers and buyers across the UK.
