Nissan Juke review: Nismo RS hot-hatch tested

What's this, then?

It's the Nissan Juke Nismo RS. A replacement for the Juke Nismo, it's a harder-cored version of a hot SUV-hatch that has sold in relatively high numbers since its 2012 arrival, trading on its left-of-field positioning rather than aiming straight for the Ford Fiesta ST's jugular.

Is that still the case?

Well, the Juke Nismo remains a fairly unique proposition in its class. Its facelift is a relatively light one, with a few tweaked lights and air intakes, the Juke's love-it-or-loathe-it crossover shape completely intact.

What Nismo purports to have managed, though, is to turn the Juke into a proper hot hatch contender. The 1.6-litre turbo engine has had a tickle and now produces a Golf GTI-like 215bhp, while there's a mechanical limited-slip differential acting on the driven front axle to ensure none of those horses are produced in vain.

A four-wheel-drive Nismo Juke is still available, with torque vectoring in place of the diff, but it only comes with a CVT ‘gearbox', and therefore talks itself straight off the shopping lists of keen drivers. It will be bought by the minority.

So it's more powerful than a Fiesta ST?

Yep, but with 1315kg to carry and a visibly higher centre of gravity, that doesn't immediately land the ball in Nissan's court. The Juke's 7.0-second 0-62mph time and 137mph top speed are the tiniest of slivers off average in the small hot hatch class.

How does the rest of the Juke fare?

First impressions are good. Interest is immediately piqued by the Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, and the chunky gearchange, which allows you to satisfyingly punch through relatively short ratios.

Less immediately endearing is the driving position. The seats themselves - whether you go for the £1300 leather Recaros, pictured, or stay standard - are supportive, but the Juke's sub-SUV silhouette ensures the driver feels high and perched rather than low and slung.

There are upsides, though. The Juke's elevated view yields a very smooth flow on British back roads, those extra inches buffering your view a corner or two ahead, giving you the confidence to neaten your lines and maintain momentum. Making progress is satisfying, and the Nismo RS feels at home shy of its limits.

Does the diff livens things up?

To really feel its tugging effects, you need to up the ante. With peak torque not arriving until north of 3500rpm, the revs need to be singing, which at first feels rather uncouth, not least because the engine lacks real joy.

The Juke's pace, however, is surprising. Once you lean on the diff and realise just how much grip there is and how strong the body control, you can travel along at proper hot hatch speeds, free from understeer and enjoying the composed suspension. That means not having to make allowances for Britain's frustratingly craggy roads, as you occasionally might in the far stiffer-sprung Fiesta.

When the Fiesta and new 30th Anniversary Peugeot 208 GTI are so welcoming to hooligan behaviour, the Juke could be seen as suffering a slight sense of humour shortage. But it's talented in its own way, brimming with B-road giant-killing potential, and carries its own distinctive swagger.

How much is it?

Prices start at £21,650 for a front-drive manual Nismo RS, which looks pricey when a Fiesta ST is nearly £4500 less and Peugeot's GTI birthday special is £300 pricier but limited in number.

But then the Juke comes stuffed to the gunwales, with a touchscreen satnav and reversing camera standard. Three body colours, a suite of active safety tech and those Recaros are the only contents of the options list.

The Nismo Juke remains a hot hatch that stands out for peculiarity among its peers, but it can now stand up to comparison with them in more driver-focused areas, too.