What are we looking at?
A hotter version of the already go-faster Juke Nismo. Confused? Don't be, Nismo has done what any self-respecting tuner does and added a little bit here, a little bit there and popped an RS badge on the bonnet and boot. Specifically the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine gets a boost in power to 218hp, up from the standard Juke Nismo's 200hp. Changes to the brakes allow it to stop quicker and resist fade more convincingly, there's a re-tuned exhaust note (read 'louder') and some RS badges inside and out.
What's the best thing about it?
The Juke Nismo RS might not be conventional, as a performance version of a compact SUV is not something we'd ever think people wanted, but apparently they do. And some more, evidently. The RS fulfils that need, and we can't help but be a little bit pleased that Nismo offers it with both a manual and automatic transmission. If you go for the manual it's front-wheel drive with a mechanical limited-slip differential, the automatic coming with four-wheel drive and standard torque vectoring.
We know which one we'd have, especially as that auto is a CVT design - albeit with eight stepped ratios if you choose to shift it manually. It surprises us a bit to say so, but in Nismo garb the Juke looks pretty good too.
Show stopper or filler?
We'd not go out of our way to seek it out, but if you're a Nismo fan there's a trio of vehicles for you to have a look at on the Nissan stand. The Juke Nismo RS sits alongside a Pulsar Nismo concept, as well as the GT-R Nismo, the latter of which is the real draw. If you like your pint-sized SUVs to have a bit more poke, then the Nismo RS might be just the thing.