New Nissan Juke Hybrid opens for order at £27,250

Prices for the new hybrid variant of the Nissan Juke start at £27,250, with deliveries to begin at the end of July.

The range opens with the N-Connecta trim and is topped by the £30,150 Tekna +. The hybrid model starts at £1730 more than the automatic ICE variant (£25,520).

The standard manual Juke, however, is priced from £20,420 in Visia form.

The first 750 examples to roll off the production line in Sunderland will be specified in exclusive Premiere Edition trim and priced from £28,250.

Nissan expects the new Juke Hybrid, which receives several internal and external design changes, to be a “key addition'' to its range and promises more responsive performance and lower emissions. 

It pairs a 92bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 48bhp electric motor for a total of 140bhp. Nissan claims an economy figure of 54mpg, while CO2 emissions are capped at 118g/km. 

The hybrid powertrain is a result of Nissan's alliance with Renault, which itself has produced the closely-related Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid. The Japanese firm supplies the engine and motor, while Renault provides the gearbox, high-voltage 15kW starter-generator and 1.2kWh water-cooled battery. It's capable of fully electric start-up by default.

The bodywork below the bumper has been made more aerodynamic, with improved airflow and reduced drag, while the rear spoiler has been “reprofiled”. 

Hybrid badges appear on the front doors and the tailgate, while the front grille features the new Nissan logo and black-gloss material, as seen on the larger Nissan Qashqai. 

The Juke Hybrid offers new two-tone 17in alloy wheels and a 19in design inspired by those fitted to the upcoming Nissan Ariya electric SUV. 

Inside, it gains a new set of dials behind the steering wheel, accommodating a power gauge, a needle to denote regenerative charge and an indicator for the battery charge level.

Boot space is reduced by 68 litres from the 1.0-litre turbo petrol Juke, down to 354 litres to accommodate the 1.2kWh battery pack. However, Nissan claims it's still class-leading when the rear seats are folded down, at 1237 litres. 

The Juke Hybrid also gains a driving-mode selection button that can be used to switch it into 100% EV mode, and power usage can be displayed on the central 7.0in infotainment touchscreen.

“We're in the middle of an electrified product offensive that places equal emphasis on eco efficiency and driving pleasure,” said Arnaud Charpentier, regional vice-president for product strategy at Nissan.

“Like all of our electrified products, the Juke Hybrid rewrites the rules in its segment, thanks to the bold innovation that delivers more performance and more efficiency.”

The Juke Hybrid forms part of Nissan’s plans to electrify its entire model range by 2023.

“Nissan’s electrified product strategy is gaining momentum, and the Juke Hybrid will represent another milestone on our strategic ambition to have fully electrified range by 2023,” said Guillaume Cartier, Nissan's chairman in Europe.