Image Credit: Nissan.
Many years ago I saw a man in Glasgow try to eat a deep-fried candy bar while riding a unicycle during a storm. It was messy but very impressive, and of course - 100% unnecessary. But this? This is the new 2027 Nissan Juke EV, and it makes that unicycle-riding snack enthusiast look like a person of sound mind and stable judgment. Nissan has officially lost its collective marbles... And I'm here to enjoy the show. They've taken their most polarizing SUV and decided that what it really needed was more electricity and a face that looks like it was designed by someone allergic to curves.
The Juke has always been the "love it or leave it on the side of a cliff" car of the crossover world. It was the first "subcompact SUV" that actually dared to look like a bug-eyed monster. For the third generation, Nissan is going fully electric. They've ditched the gas-guzzling bits and built this neon-green wedge on the CMF-EV platform. That's the same "AmpR Medium" skeleton you'll find under the Renault Scenic E-Tech and that bright blue Alpine A390. It's a weird family tree, but at least the bones are solid.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Now, let's carefully approach the way it looks, because you literally can't ignore it. It's finished in a shade of green so bright it could probably be seen from the International Space Station without the aid of a telescope. The body is covered in sharp, jagged lines that make it look like a piece of high-tech origami that's been sat on by a giant. Nissan says it looks like a concept car - what they actually mean is "we didn't think we'd actually have to build this." The front has a massive blacked-out grille and some truly "intriguing" headlights - that's a polite journalist's way of saying they're nuts.
Even though it's gone all futuristic, some of the classic Juke weirdness remains. The rear door handles are still tucked away on the C-pillars, ready to trick your passengers into thinking they're getting into a coupe. The black, angular wheel arches look sturdy enough to survive a minor off-road detour. Out back, you get funky LED taillights and a tailgate so distinctive it'll be impossible to lose in a busy supermarket parking lot. Unless, of course, everyone else starts buying cars that look like neon-green geometric puzzles.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Underneath all that "Hyper Punk" madness, the Juke EV is actually quite sensible. Nissan is borrowing the battery tech from the latest Leaf, meaning we're looking at 52 kWh and 75 kWh packs. They haven't spilled the beans on the exact horsepower yet, but I bet it'll have enough "get-up-and-go" to beat a lawnmower in a drag race. They've also confirmed it will support vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. So, when the power goes out during a winter storm, you can literally run your toaster and your TV off your car. It's a $32,000 backup generator that also happens to look like a spaceship.
Speaking of money, I expect the base price to hover around that $30,000 to $35,000 mark when it finally hits the pavement in early 2027 - not bad for a car that looks like it belongs in the year 2099. Confusingly, Nissan isn't quite ready to kill off the past. In a purely baffling approach, they're going to keep selling the second-gen hybrid Juke alongside this new electric one. They're even going to update the old one's face to match the new EV. With the new Juke, you're keeping your old dog but making him wear a robotic mask so he doesn't feel left out when the neighbor's Tesla comes over to play.
Image Credit: Nissan.
The whole thing is going to be built at Nissan's Sunderland plant in the UK, alongside the new Leaf. Sunderland is a lovely place if you enjoy horizontal rain and the sound of industrial machinery, but they've been churning out Nissans there for decades. It's a British version of Detroit, only with more tea and fewer people named "Chuck." It's heartening to see a Japanese car with a French heart being built by a bunch of folks in Northern England. It's a global effort to make the world's most eccentric SUV even more eccentric.
Verdict? Is the 2027 Nissan Juke EV a stroke of genius or a cry for help? Honestly, with every electric SUV looking like a melted bar of soap, I'm glad the Juke is still out here being a complete weirdo. It won't be for everyone, but for the unicorns among us who want their daily commute to feel like a trip to the neon-drenched future, the Juke is perfect. The king of the "What on Earth is That?" category is back, weirder than ever.
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