2018 Nissan Juke scores cosmetic upgrades, Juke Nismo around the corner

Nissan’s funky Juke crossover has come in for a light rejuvenation, with the compact high-riding hatchback receiving a number of minor cosmetic tweaks to keep it looking fresh as it enters its seventh year on sale.’

The range, now pared back to just three versions (base ST manual and high-grade Ti-S in both manual and AWD automatic) will be bolstered by the arrival of the performance-oriented Juke Nismo next week, and while there are no changes to mechanical fit-out or equipment levels for ST and Ti-S this time around, the visual update should smooth out some of the Juke’s wrinkles.

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The Juke N-Sport announced back in July has been discontinued.

All 2018 Nissan Jukes receive a dark chrome front grille and smoked lenses for the headlamps, tail lamps and indicator housings. LED foglamps also equip all models now, while the instrument cluster gets more modern-looking white backlighting rather than orange.

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Two new colours join the exterior palette, with Arctic White and Vivid Blue boosting the number of hues available to seven. On the inside, the most noticeable change – besides the ditching of old-school orange illumination for the instruments – is the adoption of new cloth upholstery for the base ST grade.

For the range-topping Juke Ti-S, three personalisation packs are now offered that bring blue, orange or gloss black trim highlights to the exterior (bumpers, wheel inserts, mirror caps) and interior (centre console, vent surrounds, door card accents).

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The changes are strictly cosmetic, with the base ST continuing to be powered by an 85kW/190Nm 1.2-litre turbo petrol with drive going to the front wheels via a six-speed manual (no automatic is offered in the ST grade). The Ti-S produces a more potent 140kW and 240Nm from a direct-injected turbocharged 1.6-litre inline four, with the manual option being front wheel drive and the CVT automatic taking power to all four wheels through an on-demand AWD system.

Key equipment doesn’t change either. In base ST form there’s Bluetooth phone and media streaming, cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED daytime running lamps, cruise control and single-zone climate control.

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Stepping up to the Ti-S adds 18-inch alloys, leather-accented upholstery, heated front seats, keyless entry and ignition, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and a 360-degree parking camera. A 5.8-inch colour touch screen display brings satellite navigation and digital radio, albeit with a screen that’s at the small end of the scale these days.

2018 Nissan Juke pricing

• Nissan Juke ST manual - $23,490
• Nissan Juke Ti-S manual - $30,140
• Nissan Juke Ti-S automatic - $33,840

Options

• Premium paint - $550
• Personalisation pack (Ti-S only) - $800