Nissan Juke Nismo

While it’s not the most engaging performance hatch around, the Juke Nismo has enough of a sporting edge – in terms of looks and performance – to justify the famous badge. The boot is small and the firm, unsettled ride might be too much for some, but there’s plenty of kit and running costs are reasonable.

The name Nismo will be familiar to any motor racing fan. It’s an abbreviation of Nissan Motorsport, which has been behind the car maker’s Le Mans 24 Hours campaigns, as well as developing the Skyline GT-R into a hugely competitive racer.

Nismo has sold tuning parts, styling kits and even complete cars in Japan for some years, but now Nissan wants to establish the name as its performance brand in the UK, much like BMW has done with its M division.

The Juke Nismo is the first car to get the treatment, and it’s a taste of things to come. The standard Juke looks pretty radical anyway, and the Nismo boasts a sportier edge.

It has LED running lights, sill and bumper extensions in dark metallic grey with a red pinstripe, red mirror housings, a smoked chrome grille trim and a large exhaust. Discreet Nismo badges are added, while exclusive 18-inch alloys finish the updates. The extras are well judged, and the Nissan doesn’t look as fussy as the overstyled Hyundai.

But it’s on the inside where the Juke really stands out. As well as red stitching, Nismo badging and a red-backed rev counter, the car gets Alcantara seat and steering wheel trim to add to the sporty feel. The seats are figure-hugging, comfortable and set low, so the Juke has a racier driving position than the Veloster.

Yet considering that this is essentially a five-door hatch, there isn’t as much room as in the Hyundai. The small windows, black trim and drooping roof line make the back feel claustrophobic, and legroom is limited.

Boot space is equally tight, and a 251-litre capacity with the seats up is miserly. There is a large space under the false floor, though, and the standard storage tray that sits where the spare wheel would normally be is very useful.

So the Juke has the show, but does it have the go to back up its sporty looks? The 1.6-litre petrol turbo sounds fruitier than its rival’s engine, especially near the 6,500rpm red line, but it delivered mixed performance figures on test.

Through the gears and from 0-60mph the Nismo was quicker than the Veloster, yet it trailed in terms of in-gear response. The Juke benefits from Nissan’s D-Mode set-up that adjusts steering weight and throttle response, and in the Sport setting the car is extremely responsive, with the merest twitch of your right foot sending it forward.

The short-throw gearlever has a crisper shift than the Veloster’s, too, while the steering is more positive, with a sharp turn-in. However, the Nismo’s handling is undone by the high centre of gravity.

There’s plenty of grip, but body roll is quite pronounced, despite the lowered and stiffened suspension, and the car is biased to understeer in corners, rather than having a neutral balance.

That stiffer suspension upsets ride comfort, too, as the Juke picks up every surface bump. Although the damping absorbs shocks more readily than the Hyundai’s, this can become tiring on motorways, and it doesn’t help that the engine holds on to high revs at 70mph.

But while the Nismo is a mixed bag on the road, its financial performance is more positive. It costs £1,725 less than the Veloster Turbo, at £20,395, even though the kit count is similar and running costs are closely matched.

Residuals have yet to be calculated, but judging by the rest of the Juke range they are likely to better the Hyundai’s. It’s not all good news, however, as a smaller fuel tank means you’ll be stopping to fill up more often. Plus, you get only a three-year warranty, and Nissan doesn’t offer a fixed-price servicing scheme.

Do these sums make a strong enough case for the Juke Nismo to take victory?