Nissan PH quietly drops the Juke in its lineup – what gives?

In 2015, the Nissan Juke’s arrival in the Philippine market made an impression on consumers, mostly by way of confusion and amusement. The subcompact crossover’s quirky styling was even highlighted through a once-viral outdoor billboard that still occasionally manages to resurface on social media.

The Nissan Juke certainly made an impression with its quirky design 

We’re not sure if the Juke’s unconventional appearance helped with actual sales on the ground, but it did help make the vehicle recognizable. Despite its bulging proportions, the Juke even managed to spawn several performance versions in the form of the 197-hp Juke NISMO, an even more powerful 295-hp Juke NISMO RS for the American market, and a limited-production Juke-R that kicked up 545 hp.              

What could come as a shock to those who have grown to appreciate the Juke’s unusual looks is the fact that it’s no longer listed on the Nissan Philippines website. Only three models remain under the SUV category, and the Juke is not even included in Nissan’s promotional offers for the month of April.

The Juke is no longer part of Nissan's Philippine lineup

We reached out to a Nissan Philippines executive to ask why the Juke was quietly dropped. “The current Juke has already ceased production, since the second-generation model is already available in Europe and Australia,” was the reply, and it’s certainly a logical explanation. Nissan is currently on a path to streamlining its global model range, and the first-generation Juke sold here is bound to be one of the casualties.

When we pressed the question of a possible replacement, the source declined to comment for now, only committing to make future announcements known once details have been confirmed.    

The new Juke isn't as radically styled as the outgoing model

From where we stand, there could be three options that Nissan is fielding to replace the old Juke. There’s the all-new model of course, which is larger and rides on a new platform while sporting a fascia that’s more in line with Nissan’s current designs. Another consideration is the Kicks, featuring more conventional looks. There was a glimmer of hope when ASEAN NCAP listed the Philippines as among the markets that could get the Kicks, but it turned out to be an error which was later retracted.

A third contender could be the India-made Nissan Magnite. While it comes in a smaller size than the Juke, the Magnite is certainly poised to take on the Ford EcoSport, Kia Stonic and Hyundai Venue, its probable rivals size-wise in the local subcompact crossover category.     

The Magnite is currently selling like hotcakes in its home market of India

For now, the smallest SUV that Nissan is offering its Filipino customers is the third-generation X-Trail, itself about to be replaced now that the fourth-generation model has premiered globally. We’ll just have to wait and see what the next steps for Nissan Philippines would be.  

There’s nothing quiet about how we drop our automotive updates at Philkotse.com.