The Nissan Juke is Dead

Yes, that's right; the Nissan Juke is dead. The uniquely-shaped, polarizing subcompact crossover that has been in the market since 2011 is finally laid to rest--and will be replaced by the Nissan Kicks starting this year.

Now, before you mourn its demise and regret what might have been, note that this is only for North America. The Nissan Juke will still continue in Asia and Europe, so you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Still, North American fans--a handful of them, at least--have a reason to be sad. There won't be a second-generation Juke anymore; no protruding, strange toad eyes on the front end design to make it quirky-looking and unusual.

The irony of it all is that whimsical design that greatly contributed to its demise. It's too "out there" for American taste. The car is marketed as "not for everybody," which went overboard to the point of not having enough sales in the U.S.

A case in point: in 2014, its yearly volume was at around 38,000 units, but then dropped to around 20,000 within two years. In 2017, the numbers dwindled to around 11,000 sales (with 48-percent decline), and the numbers have fallen yet again--to a staggering 91 percent in the first six months of 2018.

Aside from its design, another important reason for the Juke’s slower U.S. sales is its lack of headroom and overall cramped interior. The car designers, in their effort to make the exterior look unusual, compromised in the interior space. Now, this is significant; Americans love space--the bigger it is, the better. Offering a car that only has its unique design to hang on to wasn't a good selling point in the U.S.

Now that the Juke is discontinued, expect the Nissan Kicks to fill in the void. While both Juke and Kicks are almost close in price and size, one vital thing that gives Kicks an edge over the Juke is that it's more conventional-looking. There is less whimsy, here, and more down-to-earth practicality fit for the mainstream market. Indeed, the Nissan Juke has grown up now--and has evolved in a more mature, less attention-seeking new car model in the form of Nissan Kicks.