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Despite Juke's overall compact dimensions, the interior offers segment competitive roominess and space for five adults. In the rear, a fold-down 60/40-split bench seat and flat load floor provide passenger and cargo hauling flexibility.

Among the long list of standard Juke interior features are a 6-way manual driver's seat and 4-way manual front passenger seat, dual front and rear beverage holders, speed-sensitive automatic door locks, AM/FM/CD audio system with steering wheel controls, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, Interface System for iPod and storage under the rear cargo floor (FWD models only).

Available interior features include available premium cloth fabrics, leather-appointed seats, heated front seats, RearView Monitor, Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, XM Satellite Radio (XM subscription required, sold separately), upgraded speakers with Rockford Fosgate powered subwoofer, USB connector for iPod and other devices, power sliding moonroof and privacy glass. Also available is the Nissan Navigation System 5.0-inch screen and XM NavTraffic with Real-Time Traffic Information (XM subscription required, sold separately). Three interior colors are offered: Black, Gray and Black/Red.

An Advanced Drivetrain

Powering the all-new Juke is a standard 1.6-liter Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) turbo, 16-valve DOHC aluminum-alloy inline 4-cylinder engine rated at 188 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. The engine, the first application in North America, combines the best of both worlds - spirited performance and good fuel economy. Direct injection helps improve combustion, enhancing power, torque, economy and emissions. The use of the turbocharger and intercooler also help boost power, while the variable timing control for both intake and exhaust cycles improves low-end engine response.

Two transmissions are offered - Nissan's advanced Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with S-Mode and a 6-speed manual transmission (SV FWD and SL FWD models only).

Fuel economy is rated at 27 mpg City and 32 Highway for Juke FWD models equipped with the CVT and 24 mpg City and 31 Highway for Juke FWD 6-speed manual transmission equipped models. Juke AWD CVT models are rated at 25 mpg City and 30 mpg Highway.

"The combination of 188 horsepower and 32 mpg fuel economy is another unbeatable feature of the new Juke," said Castignetti. "It's a win-win combination."

Juke's new torque vectoring AWD system not only splits torque up to 50:50 between the front and rear wheels, it also can split torque from side-to-side across the rear axle. By monitoring vehicle speed, wheel speed, gear position, steering angle, lateral G forces and vehicle yaw rate, torque can be increased to the outside rear wheel in corners to help reduce understeer and enhance the car's cornering feel. In total, up to 50% of the total available engine torque can be sent to either rear wheel.

Juke features a standard independent MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension, while Juke AWD models offer a multi-link rear suspension design. A cradle-type front subframe enhances lateral stiffness of the assembly. Front and rear stabilizer bars are standard on all models.

Also standard is vehicle-speed-sensing electric power-assisted steering. Braking is supplied by power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). Juke rides on 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 215/55 R17 all-season tires.

Safety Features

Every 2011 Juke comes equipped with the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage, dual-threshold front air bags and seat belt and occupant classification sensors, roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags for front and rear outboard occupant head protection, seat-mounted driver and front passenger side-impact supplemental air bags and front-seat Active Head Restraints.

Other standard equipment includes LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system, Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer System, Vehicle Security System (VSS), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and Traction Control System (TCS).

Eight Models

The 2011 Nissan Juke sport cross is offered in eight well-equipped models: Juke S CVT FWD, Juke S CVT AWD, Juke SV CVT FWD, Juke SV M/T FWD, Juke SV CVT AWD, Juke SL CVT FWD, Juke SL M/T FWD and Juke SL CVT AWD.

Only one option package is offered - the Navigation Package, which includes a Secure Digital (SD) Card-based Nissan Navigation System with 5-inch color touch screen display and XM NavTraffic capability (XM subscription required, sold separately), upgraded speakers and Rockford Fosgate-powered subwoofer and USB connectivity (iPod compatible).

Nissan Juke: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications