Nissan’s Juke, frog eyes and all, is an interesting piece that we happen to sort of like. Its dynamics aren’t world-beating, but with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four and an available six-speed manual, it has character, something sorely lacking in most modern rides. Nissan’s luxury arm, Infiniti, apparently also saw the potential for the Juke to morph into a luxury crossover, because it has pilfered the little hatch and slapped its badge onto it for sale in China. These teaser photos are all that have been released so far, but the resemblance is clear.
The result is dubbed the “ESQ,” which, if we had to guess, is either a riff on “esquire” or a reference to its being so Juke-esque. It’s definitely one of the most direct examples of badge-engineering we’ve seen in a while, up there with Nissan pawning off its NV200 on Chevrolet, and is reminiscent of old General Motors levels of apathy
Infiniti has gussied up the car with some shiny bits, but the ESQ’s front end looks identical to the Juke’s save for the grille, which loses the Nissan’s twin grille struts in favor of giant lettering on wavy mesh. Out back, “Infiniti” is splashed across the tailgate, but it doesn’t appear much else is changed. Even the wheels are merely silver-painted Juke NISMO pieces.
When it comes to the interior, Infiniti describes not a single feature that sets the ESQ apart from the Juke. While we assume—nay, we hope—the ESQ’s cabin gets richer appointments, it also makes do with the Juke’s steering wheel, gauge cluster, and dual dashboard displays. The story is the same underneath, where the Juke’s CVT and all-wheel-drive system with rear-axle torque vectoring live. The engine bay houses the Nissan’s 1.6-liter turbo four, too.
- 2015 Nissan Juke Photos and Info: Quirkiness, Amplified
- 2014 Infiniti Q50S Tested: Rational Exuberance
- Nissan Juke Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
So why blatantly rip off a lesser Nissan? This line from Infiniti’s Chinese press release gives a clue: “Since 2010, China’s SUV market maintained an average annual growth rate of over 20 percent.” When the bear is hungry, there’s no sense in slow-roasting a meal when you can serve up a ready-made morsel.
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