NISMO has been a renowned brand among professional racers around the world for almost 50 years, and is now producing an affordable model that the average person can experience: The 2013 Nissan Juke NISMO, which was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show last week.
The exterior of the Nissan Juke has been enhanced significantly by NISMO to improve the aerodynamics and downforce of the vehicle. The front fascia and grille have been updated to control the quality and volume of airflow to the engine, as well as give the car a more aggressive stance. Instead of the old fog lights, the NISMO model features strip LED accent lights, positioned right above the new small vents beside the grille. On the front wheel drive models, these vents are purely cosmetic, but on the all-wheel drive models, one of the vents provides airflow for the CVT oil cooler.
A red pinstripe begins at the upper edge of the lower grille and flows all the way to the front wheel wells where it continues down the flanks of the car just below the doors. The new side skirts help direct airflow around the vehicle as easily as possible, reducing drag. In addition to the body updates, the NISMO will also boast 18-inch lightweight aluminum-alloy wheels with sport summer tires.
With a strong belief that the driver should be the main focus in a car, NISMO designed the interior of the Juke to do just that. The front seats have more lateral support and are stitched in the same color as the pinstripe, sport vibrant red. Several important features in the car are red – namely the tachometer background, and the stitching of the Alcantara and leather steering wheel, which features a red marker to show “top dead center,” something common in racing vehicles. The entirety of the interior is colored Dark Smoke in order to allow the driver to focus on what’s important, essentially everything that is red.
It’s no surprise that NISMO also revised the Juke’s standard powertrain, the inline 4-cylinder 1.6-liter DOHC aluminum-alloy Direct Injection Gasoline turbocharged engine. The updated engine produces 197 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque, an increase of 9 and 7, respectively. There are two different transmissions, a manual one for the front-wheel drive, and Nissan’s Xtronic CVT with manual mode for the all-wheel drive model. Gas mileage is rated at 27 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway for the FWD, and is 2 mpg less in both categories for the AWD. The suspension has been upgraded and lowered, improving control and traction. Advanced Torque Vectoring is standard in the AWD models and it is used to distribute torque between the wheels on turns and during acceleration.
In addition to all the performance upgrades, the 2013 Nissan Juke NISMO has a range of options, including a navigation system with a 5-inch screen, an updated audio system, and a rear-view camera. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, so stay tuned for more information on the 2013 Juke NISMO.
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