Nissan Juke NISMO RS

Last year, the Nissan Juke crossover gained a hot NISMO variant and even though the NISMO model comes with the improved performance, it still feels as hard as making Meccanos in your home even though it has 4WD on it.

2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RS

Following the launch of the facelifted Nissan Juke a few months ago, the Juke NISMO has been upgraded and it's now more capable of doing its beginner's luck than last time. See? This is the new Juke NISMO RS.

2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RS

2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RS interior

2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RS interior

At first glance, it still looks like the facelifted Juke only this time with some NISMO-themed upgrades to keep this crossover more sports-oriented in mind. Even though this car looks more refreshed than before, it still looks like a clown to the eyes of observers judging from the red side mirrors and the black, white, and silver exterior paint. Looks like this boyoyong clown still has the rounds to make kids cry during a cheap birthday party.

The former Juke NISMO has 200PS of power from its Nismo-tuned MR16DDT DIG TURBO while mated with the XTRONIC CVT-M7 but for the new NISMO RS model, that engine is now recalibrated to  214PS thanks to the ECU tuning and as for the gearbox, NISMO recalibrated it so now it can engage to 8-speed manual mode via paddle shifters. That sounds wonderful but to me, it feels like cheap old birthday parties from your neighbors with the added boyoyong clown to make it look dull. Hmmm...

Handling-wise, the Juke NISMO RS features updated driving dynamics to keep it more hot hatch-ish than the last time and this car promises the motorsport DNA Nismo deserves having spent several man-hours getting involved in motorsports, even the Super GT. To me, feels like the handling's slightly improved, and looks like the Meccano image has been shaken away and to be replaced by the image of...Bondying. What? It feels like a Bondying? Give me a break but for a bulky car with such dynamics, the Juke NISMO RS might be more than enough to give a rookie on a track day a slight smile on his or her face.

Like the previous Juke NISMO, the new RS model still comes with All-Mode 4x4-i system which not only feels milder on the track but also a good all-weather vehicle when you're taking a break.

Should you buy one? The new Juke NISMO RS starts at 3,434,400 Japanese Yen, which is more expensive than the previous model but because of its turbocharged engine and updated driving dynamics, this will be a good car for a track day. I wouldn't mind one because of that feeling that feels like a boyoyong clown is messing up your birthday party.

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.