Nissan Juke Shiro

The range-topping Nissan Juke Shiro replaces the limited-edition Juke Kuru. Shiro means ‘white’ in Japanese, although our test car’s deep metallic Nightshade paint was anything but. The Shiro aspect is more obvious inside, where Nissan has added what it calls ‘a selection of tasteful white detailing’.

It’s debatable if ‘tasteful’ is the right word, but if you’re attracted to the Juke’s extroverted looks in the first place, then you’ll probably like the white finish on the motorbike fuel tank-inspired centre console and white stitching on the leather seats, gearshift gaiter and steering wheel.

The Juke Shiro also gets illuminated chrome-plated sill protectors, as well as white floor mats, door panels and switch surrounds. Outside, it sports 17-inch alloy wheels, a silver finish on the the door handles and mirror caps, plus gloss black B-pillar trim.

You can have any of the Juke’s engine range in Shiro specification. We tested the 108bhp 1.5 dCi turbodiesel mated to a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. It drives no differently to the regular car. The suspension is firm, which helps resist body roll, but the ride is fidgety and the steering lacks weight and feel.

The six-speed gearbox is pleasingly accurate, however, and the 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine responds well at low revs. Refinement suffers if you push it hard, but the decent low-down torque means you rarely have to.

Glitzy Shiro add-ons aside, the interior is pretty ordinary. The fussy driving computer, with its Economy, Sport and Normal driving modes, only distracts you and gets in the way of the climate control switches.

The Nissan Juke Shiro is a bit gimmicky, then, but so is any Juke, and the model has been a big sales success. The Shiro is on sale now – and it’s also available in white…