The Nissan Juke Nismo Defies Categorization

In a market that’s excited about crossovers, it can be a solid strategy to paint outside the lines. The Nissan Juke Nismo shows us the advantage of defying categorization.
Written by Alex Reale
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
The
Nissan
Juke Nismo is proof that there’s no accounting for taste. Squishy and amorphous, it doesn’t have the gravitas of a serious sedan or SUV, nor does it lean all the way into the Kia Soul rapping hamster silliness. 
But in refusing to adhere to a category, perhaps it appeals to a broader audience.
Jerry
, the
car ownership super app
, looks at how the Nissan Juke Nismo’s unlikely combination of traits made it a recent surprise hit, and what might be coming next.

Re-Nissan-ce

In a recent review of Nissan’s 2023 Z,
Car and Driver
came away impressed, marveling at the latest installment in a tumultuous half century of history for the sports car. The Z had seen some strange times, even disappearing entirely for awhile, but Nissan found a way to bring the little sports car roaring back, and now it’s turning heads once more.  
This might be Nissan’s superpower—the Japanese firm knows when to lean into the weird and when to take its foot off the gas. The Z’s quirky cousin, the Juke Nismo, is further proof that sometimes you have to tell your audience what it wants. 
The upshot:
Motor Finance Online
reports that the best-selling used car in Europe during the pandemic was the Nissan Juke Nismo. The question is, why?
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The Nissan Juke Nismo Won’t fit in a box

Motor Finance Online notes that fuel economy and safety were top two in many purchasers’ decision-making checklists. Achieving fuel economy is pretty straightforward: just be less expensive to fill up—or better yet, be electric—but safety can be a bit more nebulous. Increasingly, consumers are indicating that, to them, safer means bigger.
Enter the Nissan Juke Nismo.
Consumer Reports
, in a video review, says “the hardest part about doing a review on it is figuring out what it is.” They call it “part subcompact, part sports car, part SUV.” The key phrase is “part SUV.” As we continue the crossover renaissance, even Europe, a bastion of small car enthusiasts, appears to be getting on board the medium-to-big car revolution. 
The Nismo appears to fulfill the requirements for fuel economy and safety. It gets decent miles to the gallon (Motor Finance Online claims that it’s up to 47.9, but a more reasonable estimate is in the high 20s or low 30s), is reasonably roomy, and sports a 0 to 60 of 6.7 seconds. 
The confounding factors: if you called it an SUV you might be unimpressed with the interior comfort, but if you called it a sedan you might sniff at its speed. And yet Nissan’s refusal to name their monster may have tricked us all.
MORE: The Russia/Ukraine War Puts Pressure On An Already Tentative Alliance Between Nissan and Renault

Looking ahead

Whatever you want to call it, it’s undeniable that the Nissan Juke Nismo, at least in its used form, found an appreciative audience. 
In the spring of 2021, rumors of a revamp began to surface, but it looks like we won’t be seeing any more Nismos. Nissan has since moved on to the Kicks, so if you’re desperate for a Nismo connection, you’ll have to look there. Unfortunately, the Kicks is very obviously a subcompact crossover. All good, weird things do come to an end.
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