Nissan is gearing up to reveal the new Juke compact crossover to the public. The official unveiling will take place in early September, but to whet our appetites, the Japanese car maker has just shown us some photos of the new car, in relatively light disguise, testing at the Millbrook proving ground in the UK.
Design sticks with Juke template
So what can we see so far? Covered in a world map wrap, the new Juke clearly doesn't deviate too far from the sometimes-controversial styling of the highly successful current model. Peer beneath the vinyl and you can see narrow, slitty main-beam lights backed up by round indents in the front fascia for dipped beam units. An earlier, blacked-out teaser photo showed that those lights now get Y-shaped LED bulb units, rather than the simple circular lamp of the current model.
Down the sides we can see that there is still a big accent line dividing the top half 'turret' roof from the lower body. Up top there's a 'double-bubble' roof to give it a bit more sportiness, while around the back - once again - there's clear fealty to the existing Juke (why change a best-seller too much, eh?) the overall shape is a little taller and more squared-off. The new Juke rides on wheels up to 19 inches in diameter.
Plug-in hybrid on the way
Underneath, there's the platform from the new Renault Captur, which means that this Juke will also get that car's incoming plug-in hybrid technology, while Nissan has hinted at the potential for a fully-electric Juke to take on the likes of the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia eSoul.
The only other engine we know about for sure is a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol unit. Using the new Captur's platform also means that the Juke will be significantly bigger inside than the outgoing version, which should improve on one of the biggest bugbears of the model - cabin space.
Still fun to drive?
Nissan is also boosting the Juke's tech content, saying that it will get some elements of the company's ProPilot automated driving aids (which includes lane keeping steering, radar cruise control, automated parking, and emergency autonomous braking) as well as a new infotainment system that will include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Interestingly, given all the supposed excitement over automated driving systems, Nissan is still claiming that the new Juke will be the crossover of choice for the keen driver. "Rest assured: while Juke has grown up in many respects, it will ultimately remain fun to drive" said a Nissan spokesperson.
Nissan will need the car to be, once again, a big hit. The company has seen its profits all but wiped out in recent months, and is currently on a global cost-cutting drive, which includes making some 12,500 employees redundant. Nissan Ireland has said that it will not be affected by these cutbacks.