SCOOP RADICAL NEW JUKE

Nissan's third all-new EV is set to arrive in 2026 with a wild design that maintains Juke's DNA

- Jordan Katsianis

NISSAN is on the verge of revealing a new all-electric Juke, joining the Micra and Leaf in the brand's rejuvenated EV line-up for the UK and Europe.

Although it's set to share many key elements with the latest Leaf under the skin, as our exclusive images illustrate, it will retain the quirky styling that's been so popular on the petrol-powered Juke. Just like the original Juke, the fresh EV will push the boundaries of design, compromising on cabin space and practicality to achieve a dramatic, eccentric look that will make it stand out from its many rivals. It's a project that's now well into its development, and we already had an understanding of what it could look like, thanks to the Hyper Punk concept car from the 2023 Tokyo Mobility Show.

However, after speaking with some of Nissan's top brass, we now have an even clearer picture of the sort of car we're due to see next year, with prototypes from the Japanese company's European technical centres already on the road.

First and foremost, the new Juke EV will ride on the same CMF-EV platform as the Leaf and Ariya, with the same battery tech and efficiency that's impressed us in the former.

Shunsuke Shigemoto, Nissan's vice president of electromobility, told us: "In terms of the wheelbase, it won't change [compared with the Leaf] because we have to cope with the battery size. [Yet] for the rest, we have quite good flexibility.

"Externally, the height can drastically change, even if we use the same platform. So we do have a lot of flexibility in terms of [the] interior and exterior for the Juke. It's a more emotional product."