A Bold Entrance into the Unknown

“There were jaws all over the floor. Talk about a bold entrance!” I remember those words vividly, spoken by my colleague Alfonso Albaisa, the VP of Nissan Design Europe at the time. He was recounting the moment the Nissan JUKE was unveiled to the world in 2010.

As someone who had been part of the team that conceptualized and brought this revolutionary vehicle to life, I couldn’t agree more. The JUKE was like nothing else on the market – a compact crossover that combined a sense of energy and sportiness, creating a refreshing alternative to the traditional choices for customers.

When we first started working on the JUKE, we knew we wanted to create something fundamentally different, not just a smaller version of the popular Nissan QASHQAI. Our team at Nissan Design Europe was given the freedom to explore the boundaries and develop a bold new design. We weren’t constrained by any existing references or market expectations.

To test the waters, we presented the Qazana concept car in 2009, and the reaction confirmed our instinct. People were captivated by its striking appearance. It was the start of a new car culture that we were determined to cultivate.

A Blank Canvas to Reinvent the Segment

As Emanuele Berlenghi, the Regional Product Manager for JUKE at the time, put it, “The success of the QASHQAI in Europe had given Nissan in Europe the confidence to be bold in the direction of JUKE.” We had more latitude to develop the product and reinvent the idea of a compact crossover.

The whole challenge for our team was to bring a new proposition to the market – one that would capture the attention of customers and stand out from the crowd. We couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities. “JUKE needed to be usable like a hatchback but exciting to drive like a sports car,” as Jamie Maclean, the Marketability Engineer at the time, recalled.

It was a clean slate, and we embraced the opportunity to push the boundaries of automotive design. We drew inspiration from eclectic sources, like a young man I saw on the train with a bold, personalized fashion sense. “Different is good, it stands out,” said Matthew Weaver, the Senior Exterior Designer on the JUKE project. That’s exactly the kind of attitude we wanted to channel into the design.

Crafting a Distinctive and Functional Design

Nissan has always had an appetite for exploration, and we were determined to do something radical with the JUKE. “Nissan has an appetite to explore the boundaries, so we wanted to do something radical with JUKE,” said Lesley Busby, the Colour Designer on the project.

The central console, for instance, was styled to emulate a motorcycle fuel tank, giving it a sense of sportiness and excitement. It was a confluence of worlds that we needed to explore, to get out of our comfort zone.

As Matthew Weaver elaborated, “The purpose of car design is to use the minimum number of lines possible to create the physical form. The challenge for us was to formulate a design that was functional but also engaging.” And that’s exactly what we did with the JUKE.

Every detail of the JUKE’s design had a purpose, from the single line that starts as the front corner of the car and grows to become the wheel arch, to the bold, eye-catching form that made it stand out on the road. “It’s the details like this that gave the JUKE bold form and made it inherently functional,” Weaver added.

Overcoming Challenges to Achieve the Vision

The JUKE was such a different concept for all of us, and the journey was never going to be easy. “One of the biggest challenges was trying to get the JUKE’s dynamics, handling, and ride to match the sporty styling,” recalled Jamie Maclean, the Marketability Engineer.

We spent months testing a variety of different cars, from hatchbacks to sports cars, to figure out the perfect balance of characteristics we wanted to achieve. It was a collaborative effort, with every team sharing their ideas and passions to develop a clear vision for the final product.

Alfonso Albaisa, the VP of Nissan Design Europe at the time, summed it up beautifully: “JUKE was full-on, but everyone wanted to live that. There was a real excitement and determination from across the team to make JUKE something epic.”

Despite the challenges, we were determined to push the boundaries and bring all the cool, distinctive features of the JUKE to production. It was a tough negotiation, but in the end, we succeeded in creating a vehicle that defied expectations and set a new standard in the compact crossover segment.

Pushing the Boundaries Even Further

But our journey with the JUKE didn’t end there. Several years into its lifecycle, Nissan pushed the traditional boundaries of the compact crossover formula with the introduction of the JUKE Nismo, an overtly sporty version. And then, the ultimate JUKE equipped with the 550PS powertrain from Nissan’s legendary GT-R supercar came to life, blowing people’s minds.

“We’d already changed people’s expectations with JUKE, but it was JUKE Nismo and JUKE-R that really pushed the boundaries,” said Jamie Maclean. These special versions of the JUKE were a testament to Nissan’s commitment to innovation and their willingness to take risks.

As Satoru Tai, the Vice President of Nissan Design Europe at the time, put it, “If we exceeded people’s expectations with the JUKE Nismo, they were blown away by what we did with the JUKE-R.” The incredible design challenge of combining the GT-R’s supercar performance with the JUKE’s crossover body was a true feat of engineering and creativity.

The Future is Bright for Nissan’s Pioneering Spirit

The JUKE’s legacy continues to this day, as evidenced by the introduction of the second-generation model in 2019. “Following the success of the first JUKE, we knew the second-generation JUKE needed to elevate the boldness and the customer experience even more,” said Marco Fioravanti, the Vice President of Product Planning for Nissan Automotive Europe.

The new JUKE retains the same pioneering energy but with a more grown-up and refined character. It’s just as distinctive, but it’s also more spacious, offers advanced connectivity and driver assistance technology, and has an overall high-quality feel. It’s a modern Nissan in every respect, and it’s clear that customers have embraced the second-generation JUKE with the same enthusiasm as the original.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the JUKE’s unveiling, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride and excitement for the future. “The JUKE is an automotive icon. It epitomizes the passion we have in Nissan,” said Fioravanti. And that passion for innovation, for pushing boundaries, and for creating something truly unique will continue to shape the future of the automotive industry.

So, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to visit https://nissan2022.com/ to explore the latest Nissan models and experience the pioneering spirit that has defined the brand for over 90 years. The future is bright, and Nissan is at the forefront of redefining what’s possible in the world of automotive design and innovation.