Nissan has made the Juke official. The teaser shot was very mysterious and offered a small glimpse at the final model which had some promise. With the official photos being unveiled by Nissan today, the design is weird to say the least.

Described as a "refreshing alternative for customers who are shopping in the small car segment of the market, but uninspired by the traditional offerings," it seems to be a bit difficult to see who will actually buy this car. Design-wise, Nissan says that the bottom half of the car is based on an SUV while the top is "unadulterated sports car." Yeah, we're not really seeing that. It looks more like an unadulterated Suzuki X-90 from the mid 90's, just bigger in every respect.

The interior of the car is inspired by a motorcycle and this is evident throughout the cluster gauge and the center console which was inspired by a motorcycle's gas tank. The interior is very bright and fluid with lots of rounded shapes, colored inserts on the seats, and high gloss paint on the center console (which might be a little distracting in direct sunlight).

Nissan will offer 1 diesel and 4 gas engines for the Juke. The diesel engine is a 1.5 liter with 108 hp. The gas engines are 1.6 liters with the option of a turbo. Without the turbo, the engine will produce 115 hp, with the turbo power will be boosted to 188 hp. The turbocharged engines also give the option of all wheel drive.

No word on price from the press release but the Juke will be available in Japan this summer with Europe and North America getting this weird little car in the fall.

TheCD's take: The design of the Juke is certainly refreshing. Adding another small, cheap car which will be sure to turn heads should be a good move for Nissan.

Source: Nissan