New Nissan Juke to target Hyundai Kona with radical redesign

Nissan went big at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, revealing a range of concept cars that paint a strong picture of the brand’s future, hinting at upcoming model plans, too.

Among them was the Hyper Punk small SUV – a small crossover that points directly to the forthcoming Nissan Juke EV. While the Tokyo concept is a bit bigger than what will eventually see the light of day as a successor to the current petrol Juke, it has plenty of styling cues that should make production, many of which are shown here in our exclusive images.

Nissan recently announced it would go fully electric by 2030, and that it will launch only new EVs in Europe. A target of 19 fully electric cars by the end of the decade has been set, so a few of the Tokyo cars will likely make production.

Bold design has been a key attribute of the Juke since the first model launched in 2010, and this looks set to continue. The sharp, angular surfacing of the concept is still visible in our images, and the Juke’s chunky, squat stance is emphasised by darkened wheelarch extensions. The hidden rear door handle remains, and at the rear, we should see some influence from the Ariya (and Hyper Punk) with a lightbar.

The new Juke will target the same B-segment rivals as the current car, while sitting below the next Leaf (set to morph into a crossover) in the Nissan line-up. As such, it will be eyeing up the latest Jeep Avenger and Hyundai Kona, as well as the forthcoming Kia EV3.

Nissan’s partnership with Renault means the two manufacturers will share EV technology. The upcoming Renault 5 and Nissan Micra will use the same CMF-B EV platform, likely with a choice of 40kWh and 52kWh batteries for up to 249 miles of range. The Juke is also likely to sit on this architecture, but its loftier positioning, both in stature and price, may mean Nissan has to find a way to offer larger batteries for more range.

The maker plans on launching its first EV with solid-state batteries by 2028, but we expect the Juke EV to use nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) from launch. Gilles le Borgne, Renault’s Chief Technical Officer, said: “The next Leaf, the next Juke, the next Micra, the [Renault] 5 and R4 will stick to this chemistry.”

Although a single motor mounted on the front axle seems the most plausible set up for the Juke, a dual-motor variant could also be in the works. We first heard of this when the idea of an electric Juke surfaced in 2021. Nissan Europe’s general manager for product planning at the time told us the Juke could use the Ariya’s e-4ORCE electric four-wheel-drive system. The extra power afforded by another motor could even pave the way for the production of a hot Juke Nismo EV.

With the next-generation electric Micra supermini sitting below the Juke at around four metres long, and the forthcoming replacement for the Leaf already confirmed as a crossover to undercut the Ariya, it’ll be important for Nissan to keep the Juke’s footprint to around 4.2m. However, an EV platform should make it roomier inside, with seating for five and a decent boot.

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