Nissan launches two new special editions based on the Compact Crossover - Juke.

Nissan launches two new Juke Special Versions

• Pioneering compact crossover range gets two new special versions
• Juke Tekna Pulse features upgraded sound system for improved in-car listening Exclusivity with a limited production run of only 1,500 models
• Special version Juke N-Connecta Style also joins the range
• Both versions feature exterior and interior personalisation packs included as standard

The original compact crossover, Nissan Juke now gets even more expressive with two stylish new special versions joining the range - the Juke Tekna Pulse and Juke N-Connecta Style – which are both on sale now.

Juke Tekna Pulse

Music fans take note. The Juke Tekna Pulse comes equipped with an upgraded and more powerful audio system, providing a more immersive listening experience than ever before.

The enhancement is one of a number of sophisticated features being introduced as standard on the Juke Tekna Pulse, offering customers exceptional value for money.

New speakers from respected French audio company Focal are at the heart of the upgraded Juke Tekna Pulse. Focal’s unique processing technology provides a more precise listening experience. The special 6-speaker sound system, engineered with signature polyglass, DFS and inverted dome aluminium technologies, delivers crystal-clear audio in an immersive soundscape.

Maximum power is raised from 40 watts to 120 watts in the front and rear speakers, and from 40 watts to 100 watts in the tweeters.

The Juke Tekna Pulse special version is available with a choice of two exterior colours – Metallic Black or Dark Grey – and each can be selected in either flagship Tekna or N-Connecta grade. Both feature the Juke’s black exterior personalisation pack and striking 18-inch alloy wheels with black inserts as standard.

Enhancements continue inside the cabin, with sports pedals and luxury floor mats included on all versions, further enhancing the black interior personalisation pack. Tekna models also come with premium leather seats, while N-Connecta grade examples receive new-to-Juke part-leather seats.

Prices for Juke Tekna Pulse start from £20,700 for the DIG-T 115 turbo petrol and £22,305 for the dCi 110 turbo diesel. A production run of just 1,500 cars is planned.

Juke N-Connecta Style

The Juke N-Connecta Style offers an enhanced version of the N-Connecta grade, with exterior and interior personalisation plus packs included. The Exterior Personalisation pack enhances Juke’s styling cues with colour co-ordinated bumper and headlight finishers, mirror covers, vibrant 18-inch alloy wheel inserts in Tokyo Black. The Interior Personalisation pack comprises premium sports seats with striking Tokyo Black trim to match the centre console and door strips. Xenon headlights are now also included as standard.

Juke N-Connecta Style is priced starting from £18,755 for the DIG-T 115 petrol engine, and £20,360 for the dCi 110 diesel engine.

Nissan starts the new presses with the news that 9 Million UK built cars has been achieved.

• 5,200 Tonne XL press starts production
• £37 million pound investment in Nissan Sunderland plant
• Total Nissan production in the UK passes nine million

Production has started on Nissan’s new extra-large press at its manufacturing plant in Sunderland.

The £37 million pound project has taken just over 18 months to complete, since ground was broken mid-way through 2015.

Once at full capacity, it will be capable of stamping 2.5 million panels a year with a force in excess of 5,200 tonnes.

An official ceremony was held today at the new facility, which also celebrated the milestone of nine million cars built at the plant since production began in 1986.

Nissan's Divisional Vice President, European Manufacturing, Kevin Fitzpatrick, said: “The new press is a fantastic piece of cutting edge technology which sets up the next generation of production at Nissan Sunderland Plant.

“The quality of the build and the efficiency of the installation are a real credit to the dedication, talent and sheer hard work of our team at the plant.

“Reaching nine million cars is also a tremendous achievement for the plant. The vehicles we make have come a long way from the first Nissan Bluebird to roll off the line. And it’s not just the quantity - it’s the quality of craftsmanship that goes into our innovative and exciting cars that will keep pushing us towards new production records.”

More than 10 meters in height, with foundations deeper than 6.5m, the giant facility will press body sides and other panels for vehicles built in Sunderland, including the leading crossovers Qashqai and Juke, the Nissan LEAF, the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, and the two Infiniti models, Q30 and QX30.

The new press line and panel storage area required a building extension totalling 6,780m², taking the total built up space on site above 362,000m², the equivalent of more than 50 football pitches.

The new XL press, the first of its type in the Renault-Nissan Alliance, will be the biggest at Sunderland and joins the existing seven press lines.

In addition to the company’s £3bn annual injection into the British economy through suppliers, services and wages, the new press forms part of the £650m ongoing investment in new facilities and future models in Sunderland which has taken the total capital investment by Nissan in the plant since it opened to beyond £4bn.

Nissan celebrates 30 years of UK production as they announce production figures from the UK.

• Nissan UK production above 500,000 vehicles in 30^th anniversary year
• New records for all-electric LEAF and 2^nd generation Qashqai
• New export routes launched from Sunderland to USA and China

Nissan recorded a significant 30^th anniversary in the UK in 2016, with output of more than 500,000 vehicles, cementing its position as the largest British car plant in history, and major investments pointing the way to further growth.

Production in Sunderland of 507,430 vehicles last year was the second highest total in the plant’s history. Highlights included record volumes of the all-electric LEAF and the 2^nd generation Qashqai, with the original crossover now made on both production lines for the first time.

And 2017 is set to be another big year for Nissan in Sunderland. Total volume at the plant is now approaching 9m since the first car rolled off the line in 1986. 

Other milestones on the horizon include the launch of a refreshed Qashqai, and the introduction of Autonomous Drive technology.

Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan Divisional Vice President, European Manufacturing, said: “Since the birth of our factory three decades ago, North East England has become one of the major international automotive centres. 

Britain is now home to Nissan’s best-selling and most technologically-advanced models in Europe, covering our market-leading crossover range, the world’s best-selling electric vehicle and two premium models for global export.

“This has been achieved through hard work, innovative thinking, ingenuity and strong partnerships with forward-thinking local companies. 

With future models secured and new facilities in development, congratulations to all of my colleagues in Sunderland and across the UK on another great year.”

Following the start of production of the Infiniti Q30 in late 2015, a second Infiniti model, the QX30, went into production for global markets in 2016 – which also represented the first time vehicles have been exported from Sunderland to the USA and China.

Other highlights in 2016 included the installation of 19,000 new solar panels alongside the plant’s existing 10 wind turbines, taking the contribution of renewables to 7% of the plant’s total electricity requirements.

Last year also saw the number of children to have taken part in the Nissan Skills Foundation go past 18,000, covering workshops, competitions and practical activities which use motorsports, electric vehicles and Nissan’s manufacturing prowess to inspire the engineers and manufacturers of the future.

Looking ahead, new facilities under development at the company’s Sunderland plant include a new £37m Extra Large Press line, due to start production in the coming weeks. Other investment announced in 2016 includes the £22m Qashqai capacity expansion and £26.5m in manufacturing a future generation of electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the UK.

In addition to the company’s £3bn annual injection into the British economy through suppliers, services and wages, £650m ongoing investment in new facilities and future models in Sunderland will take the total capital investment by Nissan in the plant since it opened to beyond £4bn.

Nissan’s continuing investment in the UK has been supported by several previously announced UK Government grants for innovation and energy efficiency projects, including future-generation EV batteries (£7.1m).

Employment in Nissan’s UK design studio (Paddington, London), technical centre (Cranfield Bedfordshire), manufacturing plant (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear) and sales and marketing operations (Maple Cross, Hertfordshire) now totals more than 8,000. A further 28,000 jobs in Nissan’s UK supply chain and 4,000 in its UK dealer network takes the total British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 40,000.

New models on the horizon for Sunderland include three next-generation crossover models, building on Nissan’s leadership in the segment. Not only have the future Juke and Qashqai been secured for UK production, but an additional model, the X-Trail, will in future be made in the UK for the first time.

Having played a crucial role in the development of the current models, the teams in Nissan’s European Design Centre in Paddington, London and European Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, will be instrumentally involved in the development of these new pioneering crossovers.

Nissan celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Qashqai with a list of facts and figures.

• Nissan Qashqai – the world’s first crossover – turns 10
• Customer and media events taking place across Europe to celebrate
• Nissan previews anniversary celebrations with new ’10 years of success’ video.

It is exactly 10 years since the Nissan Qashqai crossover first went on sale, and the brand is planning to celebrate in style.

Customer events and media activities will be taking place across Europe to mark the occasion.

Nissan is the first brand to reach the 10-year milestone for one simple reason – the Qashqai is the model which pioneered the crossover segment as the automotive industry and car-buying consumers know it today.

Ahead of the official start of the anniversary celebrations, Nissan has released a short video which traces the car’s decade in the spotlight

About Nissan in the UK

• Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Note and Juke and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF
• Production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles began in 2012
• Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than eight million units with 80 per cent of production exported to 100 markets worldwide
• Total investment made and announced since then is over £3.6 billion
• 476,589 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2015
• In 2015, one in three cars built in the UK was a Nissan.
• Sunderland Plant currently employs more than 6,700 people
• Nissan's European Design Centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 65 people
• Nissan's European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 1,000 people
• Nissan’s sales and marketing headquarters in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire employs around 220 people

A world Record attempt to J-Turn a Nissan Juke blindfolded has been completed.

• Compact crossover’s windows blacked out as pro-driver uses Intelligent Around View Monitor (AVM) technology in stunt manoeuvre
• World-first attempt equals ‘narrowest J-turn’ record by spinning Juke in a space just 18cm longer than the car
• Intelligent AVM provides driver with 360-degree birds’ eye view of the Juke’s surroundings

The record-breaking Nissan Juke has done it again. This time the popular compact crossover has established the world’s first ‘blind’ J-turn record with the driver using only the car’s Intelligent Around View Monitor (AVM) on-board camera technology for guidance.

Stuntman Paul Swift spun the car 180 degrees with all the windows blacked out, using only the Juke’s four exterior cameras to position himself.

Amazingly, he equalled the existing ‘sighted’ record – turning the crossover from driving backwards to driving forwards in a space just 18cm longer than its bumper-to-bumper distance.

Nissan’s Intelligent AVM system provides the driver with a 360-degree birds’ eye view of the car and its surroundings. The four camera images are digitally stitched together and displayed on the NissanConnect dashboard screen, making parking simpler and safer.

Commenting on the world-first stunt, Paul Swift said: “I don’t recommend drivers try to park using AVM and a J-turn like I did, but I can really see how using the AVM technology in everyday driving situations would be a real benefit to Nissan customers."

Nissan Intelligent AVM also includes Moving Object Detection, which alerts the driver if something – for example, an animal or pedestrian – is close to the vehicle. This gives the driver enhanced awareness of their surroundings and improved peace of mind.

Intelligent AVM is part of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision for a safer and more sustainable driving future. It’s also one of the key building blocks of Nissan’s move towards ProPilot, the brand’s autonomous driving technology. The first Nissan car in Europe to feature ProPilot will be revealed in the next financial year (2017).

Paul Swift added: “Looking at the 360-degree view on the dashboard screen – rather than over my shoulder through the rear window – was strange at first, but I quickly adjusted. The AVM cameras gave me a clear view of the track so I was confident of staying within the lines.”

The highly experienced stunt driver took on the challenge at the home of the Juke – Nissan Manufacturing UK in Sunderland – where more than 100,000 Jukes are produced every year.

The Nissan Juke is no stranger to stunts and record attempts. The compact crossover already holds the record for completing the fastest mile on two wheels.

Stewart Callegari, General Manager for Advanced Planning, Nissan Europe: “This stunt is the perfect demonstration of the Nissan brand promise – Innovation that Excites. That promise is all about developing technology to make drivers’ lives simpler and safer, and Around View Monitor does just that.”

The Nissan Juke N-Vision special edition is on sale now at Nissan retailers and features Intelligent AVM as standard. Additional in-control technologies, including Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Warning, are also fitted.

The Nissan Juke is Europe's favourite compact crossover, having sold more than any other model – almost 760,000 units since its launch in 2010.

USA - Nissan will debut the Juke Black Pearl and the 2017 Versa Note at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

• Two new 2017 Nissan models announced prior to introductions next week at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show
• 2017 Versa Note features revised front end styling, vibrant exterior colors, new wheel designs
• JUKE Black Pearl Edition offers unique black exterior and interior treatment with contrasting white accents – production limited to 1,250 units
• New Versa Note and JUKE Black Pearl Edition to be joined by two additional world debuts on November 15th and 16th in Los Angeles

Nissan today took the wraps off two new 2017 models – the revised Versa Note and limited production JUKE Black Pearl Edition – prior to each vehicle's respective debut next week at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The two models are the first of four new vehicle models that will be shown for the first time in Los Angeles. A new Nissan NISMO product will meet the media on Nov. 15th, while the "2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition" will take the stage at a press conference in the Los Angeles Convention Center on Nov. 16th. 

Details on the NISMO product and the Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition will be available following each vehicle's respective unveiling.

"The Nissan new product onslaught for the 2017 model year is so extensive, we're bringing out the new Versa Note and JUKE Black Pearl early," said Michael Bunce, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc. "The four latest additions to the lineup follow our ongoing 'Year of the Truck' campaign, which has seen the introduction of an all-new Armada, new Rogue, revised Pathfinder and new TITAN half-ton and TITAN Single Cab."

About the 2017 Nissan Versa Note

The 2017 Versa Note is highlighted by a dynamic new front end treatment, which accentuates its popular forward-looking style even more with a new front fascia and "V-Motion" grille that flows seamlessly with the swept-back halogen headlights.

“Versa Note and Versa sedan combine to be America’s best-selling nameplate in the entry level segment¹,” added Bunce. “The enhancements for the new model year give Versa Note a fresh new look, which should help keep the Versa pair in the number one position again in 2017.”

While now sharing a closer family resemblance with Nissan Sentra, Altima and Maxima, the new design retains the vibrant Versa Note personality, especially when wrapped in a new exterior color – Monarch Orange or Deep Blue Pearl. In addition, Versa Note S Plus, SV and SL grades receive the sporty rear fascia previously available only on Versa Note SR.

Other enhancements for the 2017 model year include a new wheel cover design for S Plus and SV grades and a revised 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheel design for the SL trim level. Inside, the 2017 Versa Note includes a number of customer input-driven changes, such as larger cupholders, the addition of a second 12-volt outlet for SV, SR and SL trims and the relocation of the first 12-volt outlet and USB auxiliary port to the front of the center console. 

The 2017 Versa Note is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, matched with a next-generation Nissan Xtronic transmission, helping achieve up to an EPA-estimated 39 miles per gallon highway fuel economy. The advanced Xtronic transmission features a retuned D-step Logic Control, which simulates shifts, giving a more natural acceleration feeling without holding a high rpm constant.

Versa Note is offered in four well-equipped models: S Plus, SV, SR and SL. Versa Note SR offers a number of sporty exterior and interior treatments, including fog lights, rear spoiler, body-color side sills, suede-like seats, JUKE-style sport leather wrapped steering wheel, 16-inch sport machine-finished aluminum-alloy wheels and outside rearview mirrors with integrated turn signals.

The top-of-the-line Versa Note SL features a range of special equipment, including NissanConnect^SM with Navigation and Mobile Apps, 5.8-inch color touch-screen display, Nissan Voice Recognition for navigation and audio, SiriusXM® Traffic, SiriusXM® Travel Link™ (SiriusXM® subscription required, sold separately), class-exclusive¹ Around View® Monitor², heated front seats, heated side view mirrors and 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.

About the 2017 Nissan JUKE Black Pearl Edition

Starting with a well-equipped JUKE SV (with a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive), the 2017 JUKE Black Pearl Edition provides aftermarket style personalization straight from the factory. It is the third such vehicle created by the JUKE Color Studio, following the previous "Yellow Stinger" and "Black Stinger" editions.

Just 1,250 units will be built – 1,000 to be sold in the United States and 250 in Canada. JUKE Black Pearl Edition package has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)³ of $1,190 USD. The 2017 JUKE SV is priced at $22,550 USD for the front-wheel drive model and $24,400 USD for the all-wheel drive model.

"The 'Black Pearl' name draws on Nissan heritage, reviving a name originally used on a limited edition 1978 280Z model," said Bunce. "It also embraces the spirit of every Nissan Z®, combining bold styling with dynamic performance."

The modifications to the Black Pearl Edition exterior begin up front with white bumper accents and white outside trim rings on the distinctive JUKE headlights. On the sides, white door handles and white caps for the heated outside rearview mirrors continue the theme, leading into the white rear spoiler and white accents on the rear bumper. A special Black Pearl Edition badge completes the exterior enhancements.

Exclusive Super Black-painted 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels mounted with 215/55R17 all-season tires complement the JUKE high stance and sporty driving position.

Inside, the Black Pearl Edition includes black cloth heated front seats with white inserts and stitching, white and black cloth door trim inserts and white power window switch finishers. The signature JUKE motorcycle-style center console is painted white, while the steering wheel features white stitching. Completing the high-contrast interior appearance are white air vent trim rings and white accents on the shift knob.

Like all 2017 JUKE models (non-NISMO), the Black Pearl Edition features a 1.6-liter Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG™) Turbo, 16-valve DOHC aluminum-alloy inline 4-cylinder engine rated at 188 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque – combining spirited performance and good fuel economy.

One transmission is offered – Nissan's advanced Xtronic transmission with Manual Mode and D-step Logic Control that simulates shifts, giving a natural acceleration feeling without holding a high rpm constant. Fuel economy for JUKE front-wheel drive models is rated at 28/32/29 mpg city/highway/combined. 2017 JUKE all-wheel drive models are rated at 26/30/28 mpg city/highway/combined.

Like all 2017 JUKE models, the Black Pearl Edition interior offers ample roominess and space for five adults. The combination of the fold-down 60/40-split bench seat and flat load floor provides passenger and cargo hauling flexibility. Standard features include RearView Monitor⁵, Nissan Intelligent KeyTM with Push Button Ignition, USB connection port for iPod® interface and other compatible devices, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, 5.0-inch color display, Streaming audio via Bluetooth®, Siri™ Eyes Free and Hands-free Text Messaging Assistant⁴.