The Nissan Juke Midnight Edition is a limited edition Nissan Juke that what was especially designed for the South African market according to Nissan South Africa. Well perhaps not, a quick search on the internet reveals that this may be a bit of a misnomer, the Nissan Juke Midnight Edition Package is offered on Nissan Juke Models in the United States as an optional add on. As such the main difference locally is that the Nissan Juke Midnight Edition will be sold as is with the kit already fitted and will not be available across the local Nissan Juke Offering.
The Nissan Juke Midnight Edition based on the already sporty 140kW Nissan Juke 1.6 DIG-T, features a number of styling upgrade to enhance the sportiness of the crossover.
Overseas Nissan has introduced a number of special edition models more especially the Nissan Juke R which was well received by fans and it stands to reason the acceptance of such models has caught the attention of Nissan South Africa.
Styling upgrades include; sporty black 17-inch allow wheels, red or black spoilers and door mirrors to compliment the body colour, a front styling plate and tinted anti-smash-and-grab across all windows.
Only 100 units will be sold to the South African market, with the retail price starting from R 272 500 (or R278 500 with leather).
Nissan South Africa has already stated that they will be increasing the supply of Nissan Juke’s to South Africa leading up to the Christmas season and the availability of the Nissan Juke Midnight Edition may just help to further boost their sales this December.
The demand for the Nissan Juke has far outstripped supply since it was launched almost over a year ago. Owing to this Nissan South Africa has managed to secure extra stock for the local market to improve Juke’s availability and boost local sales.
According to Nissan SA “The innovative and unconventional Juke – which has created its own genre in the market – has proven to be an instant success the world over, including in South Africa.”
Nancy Reddy, Product Manager for Juke at Nissan SA, stated: “We have seen phenomenal local popularity for Juke since launching last year and have unfortunately not been able to match demand with supply. We are now happy to announce the increase in availability and look forward to more Juke models on South African roads, especially the normally-aspirated models which suffered the largest shortfall in previous months.”
With increased supply for the last quarter of 2012 and into 2013, Nissan SA expects Juke sales to increase significantly.
The production version of the Nissan Juke Nismo made its debut at the Le Mans this past weekend, alongside the Nissan Juke R and the Nissan DeltaWing. The Nissan Juke Nismo concept was unveiled at the Tokyo and Geneva Motor Show in 2011.
The choice for launching the Nissan Juke Nismo performance crossover was most likely helped by the good reception of the Nissan Juke-R which has been put into production due to demand although originally envisioned as a once-off concept.
The Juke Nismo is powered by a tuned-up version of its 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged petrol engine, inspired by the engine fitted on the Nissan DeltaWing.
Costmetic changes include a new aerodynamics kit, which features lower front and rear bumpers, wider wings and sill side skirts, and a modified grille and tailgate spoiler which control airflow. Stylish new 18-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres offer improved grip, and further boost the Juke’s on-road presence.
The Nismo treatment continues inside the cabin, where the steering wheel, pedals, gauges, gear knob and door trims have been redesigned to boost the sporty feeling when driving. To enhance the performance personality of the car, special suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching have been added for increased holding while cornering.
From a ride and handling perspective the Nissan Juke Nismo features stiffened suspension settings and new steering modifications for sportier direct handling and improved traction control, the new model will also be available with torque vectoring, a technology offering better grip and cornering capacity.
Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President Global Product Planning, says “The introduction of Juke Nismo further cements our dedication to provide innovation and excitement for everyone. The Juke, with its radical design and pioneering attitude, is the natural choice to be one of the first Nissan models to receive the mythical performance and distinctive design treatment from our Nismo specialists.”
If you have some time to spare watch the video below where Jerry Hardcastle, Global Chief Marketability Engineer, explains the techs and specs of some of the cars Nissan show cased at the Le Mans , from the Juke Nismo to the Nissan DeltaWing.