Nissan Juke facelift spied during testing

Mon, 03 Feb 2014

The Nissan Juke boldly reinvented the subcompact crossover for the modern age a decade after the niche's progenitors – the first-generation Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V – grew well beyond their original, diminutive sizes. Since being introduced in 2010 as a 2011 model, the Juke has proven to be a huge sales success for Nissan in Europe and quite a success here, too. A modest refresh is planned for the 2015 model year of Nissan's tiniest crossover, and our spy shooters have caught an early glimpse.

The exact changes are not easy to spot, but you can bet that anywhere you see camouflage, a modestly new look is hidden underneath. The biggest change up front is the narrower grille that appears to no longer extend over the headlights. Assuming this isn't just a clever disguise, the change gives the impression that the Juke actually has distinct headlights, instead of massive fog lights. The more angular front air dam also appears to extend slightly lower than before, and the intakes appear to be revised as well.

The changes to the rear are even more minor. You can still see the outlines of the boomerang-shaped headlights, and any alterations to the rear bumper are impossible to spot behind the camouflage tape. It's also unclear at this point whether the interior will receive any refinements or new options.

Will there be any changes underneath? It's hard to say – the standard 188-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder is already a hoot and not exactly down on power, and Nissan only recently revealed the 197-hp Juke Nismo and range-topping 215-hp Nismo RS. However, we'd love to see some improved fuel economy figures, so perhaps changes like the updated front fascia will enhance the love/hate design's miles per gallon.

By Chris Bruce