2012 Nissan Juke Nismo concept

Off the back of the frankly ridiculous Juke-R that saw a 480hp version of Nissan's GT-R supercar engine, complete with four-wheel drive system, shoehorned into a standard Juke, Nissan has decided to launch a more mildly-modified Juke.

What is it?

The Juke-R is insane. This Juke Nismo concept however, is much more realistic. The Nismo-tuned version of Nissan's crossover is aimed at a car-loving audience that want the practicality and security of a small SUV but still crave that hit of performance.

What's cool?

The Juke Nismo's steroid-fed body kit houses 19-inch alloy wheels that support a lowered and stiffened chassis to improve handling and grip, allowing the driver to deploy as much of the retuned 1.6-litre turbocharged motor's power as possible. That body kit actually works too, reducing lift without increasing drag.

What's not?

Although the Juke Nismo gets some neat chassis revisions, massively improving its handling and giving a much flatter cornering stance, that butch body kit gives the tweaked Juke a bit of swollen face - it's as if the car's got a thick lip. Still looks good though, if we're honest.

How much and when?

Nissan hasn't confirmed if the Juke Nismo will be put in to production. However, the car uses proprietary parts for its tuning as well as a more powerful version of the standard Juke's 1.6-litre turbo, so watch this space.

Anything else I should know?

Nissan is remaining coy about the exact output and subsequent performance of the Nismo-tuned car, but as the standard, most powerful 190hp Juke will hit 62mph from rest in eight seconds dead, expect 0-62mph performance more in the region of seven seconds.

• First drive review: Nissan Juke (2012 onwards)
• On Bing: see pictures of the Nissan Juke Nismo concept
• Find a used Nissan Juke on Auto Trader