I was smirked at and laughed at, stared at and glared at – all in the face of the bug-eyed 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo.
A frog poised to jump into a pond is an apt description of the Juke’s appearance.
Style aside, the Juke Nismo is fun to drive and you don’t have to leave it home on snowy days; it’s got all-wheel drive.
The little 1.6-liter engine gets a turbo boost to 197 horsepower from the standard 188 (yeh, that’s 9 more horses), a continuously variable transmission, sport-tuned suspension and rear spoiler. Quick steering helps make it a good handler, the ride is somewhat choppy.
A red leather stripe at top dead center highlights an alcantra/leather steering wheel, and the tachometer is of red background. The front sport seats are well-bolstered, with lots of headroom in the cabin. Legroom is tight in the back seat and cargo space at the rear is very limited.
A tiny 5-inch navigation screen also serves the rearview camera.
The 3,200-pounder sits tall on a wheelbase of just under 100 inches and rides on 18-inch wheels. Red side-mirror caps contrast the sapphire black exterior finish.
The all-wheel-drive system, which Nissan refers to as torque vectoring, can split the power from normal front-drive mode to 50/50 from front to rear and is also able to transfer torque from one side to the other as needed.
My average of 26.2 miles per gallon with the Juke fell in the lower end of its 25/30 EPA estimate.
Handles for the rear doors are often overlooked; they’re positioned vertically, flat with the C pillar door frame, a longtime Nissan trick.
The Juke’s $27,710 sticker price includes a Rockford Fosgate audio system, power windows/locks/mirrors, push-button start and front/side/curtain airbags.
Bud Wells can be reached via e-mail at bwells@denverpost.com.
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