New Nissan Juke to get wild design as it goes all-electric

Nissan is on the verge of revealing a new all-electric Juke, joining the Micra and Leaf in the brand’s rejuvenated EV line-up for the UK and Europe. Although it’s set to share many key elements with the latest Leaf under the skin, as our exclusive images illustrate, it will retain the quirky styling that’s been so popular on the petrol-powered Juke.

Just like the original Nissan Juke, the fresh EV will push the boundaries of design, compromising on cabin space and practicality to achieve a dramatic, eccentric look that will make it stand out from its many rivals. It’s a project that’s now well into its development, and we already had an understanding of what it could look like, thanks to the Hyper Punk concept car from the 2023 Tokyo Mobility Show.

However, after speaking with some of Nissan’s top brass, we now have an even clearer picture of the sort of car we’re due to see next year, with prototypes from the Japanese company’s European technical centres already on the road.

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What will the new Nissan Juke look like?

First and foremost, the new Juke EV will ride on the same CMF-EV platform as the Leaf and Ariya, with the same battery tech and efficiency that’s impressed us in the former.

Shunsuke Shigemoto, Nissan’s vice president of electromobility, told us: “In terms of the wheelbase, it won’t change [compared with the Leaf] because we have to cope with the battery size. [Yet] for the rest, we have quite good flexibility.

“Externally, the height can drastically change, even if we use the same platform. So we do have a lot of flexibility in terms of [the] interior and exterior for the Juke. It’s a more emotional product.”

This will have significant consequences for the look of the car. As our exclusive images show, while the underpinnings might be shared with the Leaf, more extreme bodywork and new dimensions will lead to a dramatically different design. The wheels will be bigger, the tracks wider and the roof lower, giving the new Juke similar proportions to the Hyper Punk concept.

The sheet metal itself will be equally wild, with a structure of connected flat shapes. Shigemoto explained: “The design theme is polygons, like you would see in [the popular video game] Fortnite, and all these kinds of things. It’s more [geared] towards standing out, unique design, as the Juke has always been. “We’re just trying to carry on the DNA of the Juke,” he added.

This is reflected in a number of aspects that take direct inspiration from the two generations of ICE Jukes that precede it. Key design elements such as the squared-off headlights and secondary daytime running lights will define the face.

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However, without the need to worry about traditional air intakes, Nissan will take the front-end graphics even further and integrate an illuminated badge. These ideas are confirmed by the prototype Juke  EV spied previously, with only small intakes mounted low down on the car’s front bumper.

The rear end will be more defined by aerodynamic concerns than before, with a defined ‘kamm’ tail, or sharp edge to the bootlid that helps clean the airflow as it goes over the body. This is similar to the Leaf, but in place of that car’s rear lights – which are almost retro in design – the electric Juke will instead take inspiration from the Hyper Punk concept with quirky, three-dimensional tessellations, or repeating patterns, across the rear lights and lower bumper.

The Juke’s comparatively large wheels will grow for its all-electric variant, with wheel sizes possibly increasing to as much as 20 inches for that concept car-like look. A wide variety of bright colours and contrasting panels will also be offered, again giving the upcoming Juke a more distinctive package than the sleek new Leaf.

What will the Nissan Juke look like inside?

Inside, we’re expecting even more in the way of unconventional eccentricity. Shigemoto candidly told us how much he loved the original Juke’s wild interior, with its motorbike-inspired centre console and how it was designed to be expressive, and not just spacious.

One area where the Juke and Leaf will be closely linked is the digital interface. Most Leaf models feature a pair of sharp, high-resolution 14.3-inch displays that run an excellent Google-based operating system. In addition to being easy to navigate, the Leaf’s soft palette of colours and background themes match the relaxed driving experience.

The more extrovert Juke, though, is expected to go sharply in the other direction. Expect bright colours, futuristic shapes and bold ambient lighting to create the effect of something that would feel at home in the futuristic movie franchise Tron. This much was previewed, once again, by the Hyper Punk concept.

New Nissan Juke power, battery and range

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Styling differences aside, as Shigemoto confirmed, the two cars will share their basic underpinnings, including the electric motors and batteries which, like the Juke itself, will be built in the UK. This will include both the 52kWh and 75kWh battery packs seen in the Leaf, powering a single front-mounted e-motor that will produce either 174bhp or 213bhp.

It’s still far too early to know about range figures for the new Juke, but these powertrains deliver impressive results in the Leaf, with up to 386 miles on a charge possible from the 75kWh battery. This isn’t likely to be matched by the Juke, which will compromise on aerodynamic efficiency for the sake of style. The larger wheels will have a detrimental effect on efficiency, too.

However, a very usable range is expected, and if the Juke is priced on par with its B-segment SUV rivals, Nissan’s newcomer could pose a significant challenge to its key competitors – cars such as the Volvo EX30 and forthcoming Skoda Epiq.

Thankfully, we shouldn’t have to wait too long to see the new Juke in full, with a reveal due in mid-2026, and the first cars expected to reach customers early the following year.

After production of the new Juke starts, Nissan will turn its attention to the next-generation electric Qashqai. But don’t fear, the company won’t be turning its back on ICE cars. It has plans to continue offering petrol versions of its existing Juke and Qashqai models long into the future.

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