The Nissan Juke: We Talk About It

[Tornado]

That's no closer to anything the Z-Car ever resembled than a crossover would be, but at least a Z-Car crossover would sell.

 

[Nessy]

That's no closer to anything the Z-Car ever resembled than a crossover would be, but at least a Z-Car crossover would sell.

I get the point of how possibly a Z-Car crossover could potentially have good sales, but I think a small 2-seater RWD sports coupe (maybe shooting brake), is far closer in resemblance to the original 240Z, than a Z-Car crossover would be.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Well to be honest, I think they should do away with the current form of Z-car, and focus on selling a smaller+cheaper 4cyl RWD. Small sports cars can sell in great numbers (as the MX-5 proves), So maybe Nissan could make something to undercut Mazda (albeit in coupe form), and take a good share of that market. If Nissan were to do that, I believe the Z moniker would be more than apt for the purpose of doing so. I think it would be the perfect opportunity.

*Ahem*

 

[Nessy]

*Ahem*

Yes, I've always liked the IDX.

Now, if only they were to make a Z-car with not too dissimilar proportions to the Freeflow (maybe slightly smaller), give it some Juke funkiness and undercut the ND on price (but match on performance), slap a Z badge on it and voila.

 

[homeforsummer]

*Ahem*

I'll always be quite disappointed that the IDx isn't being made, though it has as little in common with the Z line as a crossover would.

The IDx would be better as a reborn Bluebird, or Silvia, or perhaps even the basis of a reborn Skyline**, since the current Infiniti Q50-related Skyline is such a departure and the GT-R has gone and snagged the iconic circular rear lights. I'd love to see a four-door IDx as a Skyline sedan.



* Which I think provided some of the design inspiration
** I think there's a bit of Hakosuka in there too!

 

[FT-1]

@R1600Turbo Now the teaser for the Gripz concept is in the right thread

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'll always be quite disappointed that the IDx isn't being made, though it has as little in common with the Z line as a crossover would.

The IDx would be better as a reborn Bluebird, or Silvia, or perhaps even the basis of a reborn Skyline**, since the current Infiniti Q50-related Skyline is such a departure and the GT-R has gone and snagged the iconic circular rear lights. I'd love to see a four-door IDx as a Skyline sedan.



* Which I think provided some of the design inspiration
** I think there's a bit of Hakosuka in there too!

Maybe they could simply call it the Hakosuka?

 

[homeforsummer]

Maybe they could simply call it the Hakosuka?

I'd be okay with that, though I'm not sure a name like that wouldn't be a bit too self-consciously Japanese for a global market.

Carmakers invariably end up going either alphanumerical, or for some homogeneous title that doesn't actually mean anything in any language and is pronounced the same wherever you're from. Hakosuka sounds great if you're Japanese or in English-speaking countries, but saying it in French or Finnish or Swahili or something would change the pronunciation and probably end up sounding like something completely inappropriate.

On a more personal level, I have very little affinity with any automotive name and I'd much rather carmakers concentrated on making good cars. My objection with the Vauxhall Adam isn't that Adam is a daft name for a car, it's that the car itself isn't that great. Meanwhile the Toyota GT86 could be called anything - 86, Celica, Corolla, whatever - and it'd still be a good car.

 

[05XR8]

@R1600Turbo Now the teaser for the Gripz concept is in the right thread

Guess we have the answer on how to implement the letter z for that crossover.

 

[homeforsummer]

Full story and studio images on the Gripz here: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/92730/nissan-gripz-suv-concept-revealed-at-frankfurt-motor-show

Definitely a fan, whether it's a Juke, a Z, or neither of those things. Old-school style steering wheel is a neat touch.

Edit: Can't get pics to embed. FML.

 

[bremics]

Those rims offend me so much.

With smaller rims it would be pretty awesome.

 

[homeforsummer]

Those rims offend me so much.

With smaller rims it would be pretty awesome.

Concept car trappings. Any eventual production car would wear something a bit more sensible.

 

[Legro]

So this is what the Mazda RX-8 would have looked like if it was made 15 years later as a crossover by another Japanese car maker.

 

[YSSMAN]

Wow, that's way better than what I had been anticipating... But at the same time, a bit too crazy to get a complete idea of where they're trying to go. I really, really, really, really dig the racing style things in the interior, particularly the wheel and the entire center console. The rear window/hatch treatment is interesting, with those edges sticking up on the sides of the glass.

I guess for me, I'm seeing a lot more Juke than Z, here, and I definitely think its a good sign of things to come. If they're going to move the Juke into the sporty end of the crossover segment, it makes a lot more room for the Rogue and Pathfinder in the crossover game. At the right place, this could be a mega-cool follow up to an already mega-cool car.

 

[CodeRedR51]

It's alright, not really a fan of CUV's in the first place. I just hope this is not a full replacement for the current Z car but 'in addition to'.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Steering wheel design looks like a bike tire.

 

[CSMDuty11]

The exterior is a bit too "edgy" for my liking, don't mind the interior, though.

 

[homeforsummer]

Steering wheel design looks like a bike tire.

It's supposed to The main inspirations for this were apparently the old Safari-winning 240Zs, and racing bicycles.

The wheel also has more than a hint of the original 240Z's steering wheel too though, with maybe a hint of Nardi Classic.

The more I look at it, the more I like it. The current Juke is already one of the modern cars that probably best fits my needs from a car, particularly in Nismo spec, but something with an even sportier bodystyle would certainly be up my street. The lower height and wider track should also benefit handling. As long as the engine has a bit more character than the droning thing in the Juke Nismo, it'd be good to go.

Incidentally, it looks like it'll have a rival from Toyota, albeit a hybrid one (I know this Nissan concept is also a hybrid, but I suspect it's less likely to be once they build something similar).

 

[ProjectWHaT]

The rear is just...eurgh.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Full story and studio images on the Gripz here: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/92730/nissan-gripz-suv-concept-revealed-at-frankfurt-motor-show

Definitely a fan, whether it's a Juke, a Z, or neither of those things. Old-school style steering wheel is a neat touch.

Edit: Can't get pics to embed. FML.

I have it on good authority that the Z car is going nowhere, so this....thing is not a Z replacement.

 

[Nessy]

I think if they carry over most of that styling to the new Z car, it will look great. Especially the rear and interior.

 

[sparkytooth]

Didn't turn out as bad as I thought it'd look.

 

[TheCracker]

It's got some nice design clues that I can definitely see filtering down to future production Nissans, but those doors are like they're off some Latvian-modified Belmont posted on the Questionable Mods thread.

 

[05XR8]

Finally driven a Juke and it's mine for the weekend. After years with Mazda and Subaru, it's quite refreshing.

Feels way higher than a CX-3. I feel like it will actually go off-road Jeep style than be a softroader. The seat height adjuster is cramped between the door and seat. The middle fuel gauge gets washed out in direct sunlight. The HVAC screen is okay.

I'm digging the Sport steering wheel, seats and the coziness of the cabin. It's also cool to see the indicators over the bonnet and looking at the hips through the outboard mirrors. Just the right size. My wife prefers the yellow.

Cool car. That concept would be right.

 

[mustafur]

So you work for Nissan now?

 

[05XR8]

So you work for Nissan now?

How'd you guess? .

 

[Keef]

Wow, that's way better than what I had been anticipating... But at the same time, a bit too crazy to get a complete idea of where they're trying to go. I really, really, really, really dig the racing style things in the interior, particularly the wheel and the entire center console. The rear window/hatch treatment is interesting, with those edges sticking up on the sides of the glass.

I guess for me, I'm seeing a lot more Juke than Z, here, and I definitely think its a good sign of things to come. If they're going to move the Juke into the sporty end of the crossover segment, it makes a lot more room for the Rogue and Pathfinder in the crossover game. At the right place, this could be a mega-cool follow up to an already mega-cool car.

Something about that interior screams 90s concept car to me and it's horrid.

 

[Robin]

Overdone and not in a nice way IMO.

 

[CodeRedR51]

http://www.carscoops.com/2016/07/second-gen-nissan-juke-arriving-next.html

Take all that with a HUGE gain of salt...

 

[YSSMAN]

New platform and carryover powertrains seem pretty par for the course for Nissan. I just hope they don't make it too much bigger than the current model, I'd say it's just about perfect for what it is, today. I'm guessing that they're taking the threat of the Toyota, uh, whatever it's called, pretty seriously.