Launched in 2011, the Nissan Juke has always been a very divisive car due to its bold and eye-popping styling. With this in mind, Nissan is apparently working on toning down the design of the next-generation Juke by basing it around the Gripz concept introduced back in September at Frankfurt.
The second-gen Nissan Juke is expected to be revealed sometime next year before arriving in dealerships in 2017. As with the existing model as well as the Gripz concept, the 2017 Juke will include similar arrow-shaped LED headlights and a familiar V-shaped front grille. However, Motoring reports that the side profile will be much more conservative than the current model.
Beyond its refined and cleaner design, the mechanicals of the new Nissan Juke will be radically improved. For starters, it will be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, incorporating the electric motor of the Nissan LEAF with a small petrol engine acting as a generator to charge the batteries. In the Juke, this powerplant should output just over 100 hp and 254 Nm of torque.
Elsewhere, a selection of four-cylinder petrol engines will be offered across the 2017 Juke range and topped out by a 1.6-litre turbo delivering 217hp and 260 Nm of torque. Interestingly, that engine as well as its six-speed dual-clutch transmission will be borrowed straight from the exciting Renault Clip RS 220.
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