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Filed under: Budget, Crossover, Nissan, First Drive

Unlikely Baby Crossover Confounds and Delights

2011 Nissan Juke – Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember the Nissan NX of the mid-’90s? The tiny, econobox-based sportster was as cute as a bug and spent its brief lifespan mixing it up with other long-gone, sporty front-wheel drive affordables like the Mazda MX-3, Honda Civic CRX, Toyota Paseo and even the Hyundai Scoupe. While there were a lot of inexpensive, racy looking coupes back then, most automakers just don’t see any money in that segment anymore. Instead, when they look to spin something off of their entry-level B-class chassis, most veer toward the white-hot crossover segment.

Consider the latest example, Nissan’s 2011 Juke. Come to think of it, this in-your-face city slicker has some startling similarities to the NX. For one, at 162.8 inches long, it’s deceptively small – just 0.4 inches longer than the ’90s coupe. Further, both the Juke and the NX1600 rely on 1.6-liter four-cylinder power. And like the Sentra-based NX, the more emotional Juke is based on the same humble underpinnings that give structure to Nissan’s workaday offerings, in this case, the Versa and Cube. And while the Juke may not be cute as a bug, there’s something downright insectian about its Predator-like mug.

Despite not being a traditional sporty car, Nissan has been talking up its controversially styled mini-ute with many of the same descriptors, so we hopped a plane to Vancouver to see if the Juke could bob and weave its way into our hearts. Follow the jump to find out how it fared.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Juke: First Drive

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First Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, SUV, Hatchback, Nissan

2011 Nissan Juke – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan has just released pricing for the 2011 Juke – the company’s new baby CUV. Buyers looking to scramble into the driver’s seat can look forward to a base MSRP of $18,960 (*plus destination) for the Juke S when equipped with a CVT and front-wheel drive. Prices for the range-topping Juke SL with a CVT and all-wheel drive hit a ceiling of $24,550 before any options are added.

All models will come from the factory with a new direct-injection turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 188 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. Nissan says that when bolted to the company’s efficient CVT, the Juke should return 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. Meanwhile, six-speed manual-equipped models start at $20,260.

Buyers wanting to take advantage of the Juke’s torque-vectoring all-wheel drive can hop into the Juke S AWD. That model, which is available only with a CVT, starts at $20,460, landing it squarely in Subaru Forester and Mini Countryman territory. With a low price, plenty of onboard tech and quirky, youth-oriented styling, we’re expecting to see plenty of these on the road in short order when it goes on sale this October. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Nissan Juke