Beauty is objective. Great minds from Plato to Kant had it right. Need proof? The Nissan Juke. It is not, in any sense of the word, beautiful. In fact, one can definitively say it is the opposite.
FAST FACTS
1. The Juke is powered by a turbocharged 1.6L direct-injection 4-cylinder that makes 188-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.
2. The Juke sits below the Rogue in Nissan’s crossover lineup.
3. With a 7.0 second 0-60 mph time, it also gets as much as 27/32-mpg.
If there’s a philosopher out there with an objective theory of fun, well, that’s where the Juke fits in. It is, without a doubt, a thoroughly enjoyable driving machine. Many, many crossovers promise car-like driving dynamics. The Juke delivers and then some. In fact, it might be the first instance where the crossover version has less body roll than the sedan it’s based on – with the Juke sharing its underpinnings with the wallowy Versa.
Now do your best to ignore you ever read the word ‘Versa’ because even the remotest of comparisons between that oversized sub-compact and the Juke will create preconceived notions in your head about this SportCross that should not be there.
With a thoroughly solid chassis, a 3,000-lb curb weight, some big 17-inch wheels and 188-hp of turbocharged goodness, the Juke will have you tackling on-amps with serious speed and not even a hint of tippyness. Sure there’s understeer, but that’s pretty much unavoidable in modern cars – especially our front-drive tester.
