Kia Teases New Urban Concept Car

While it's unknown whether Kia's new "urban concept car" will ever make an appearance in the U.S., a statement from the Korean automaker this week teased its appearance at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March. Kia's brief release on the concept car used titillating terms like "provocative and racy" to describe it, though the announcement was otherwise cryptic.

"With the company's signature tiger-nose morphing into a mischievous yet friendly grille and headlight arrangement, coupled with strong styling lines that exude speed and energy from every angle, Kia's newest concept vehicle is guaranteed to attract attention," the automaker stated in the release.

The news aroused speculation that Kia could be angling to compete with the Nissan Juke, the smallest crossover in the Japanese automaker's lineup.

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Car Talk: What's the Ugliest Car?

Car Talk: What's the Ugliest Car?

Just as a person's beauty is only skin deep, a car's is in the eye of the pink-slip holder. Still, there's just no denying that some have a face only an owner could love. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, the hosts of NPR's "Car Talk" radio show, solicited input online to determine the ugliest automobile currently in production.

Based on the nominations received, the field was narrowed to 10: Chevrolet Spark, Fiat Multipla, Infiniti QX56, Kia Soul, Lincoln MKT, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan Cube, Nissan Juke (photo above), Toyota Prius v and the Smart ForTwo. At last check, the Multipla was trouncing the uncomely competition with nearly 39% of the vote. Its nearest opponent is the Juke with nearly 26%; the balance of the nominees' vote tallies were in the single digits.

Is the Multipla being unfairly maligned in the face of an uglier opponent? Or perhaps you wish to contribute to the pile-on? Click here to cast your vote.

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The Darker Side of the 2013 Nissan Juke

Nissan's quirky little hatchback already has one of the most unique profiles on the road. A new-for-2013 accessory package gives the Juke an even more aggressive look.

The Midnight Edition accessory package adds specific 17-inch black wheels, a Sapphire Black rear roof spoiler and matching mirror caps. Horsepower remains unchanged: the 2013 Juke still gets power from a 188-horsepower, turbocharged 1.6-liter four cylinder.

The Midnight Edition Package is available on all Juke S, SV and SL models and costs $1,200; Nissan says this is a savings of $500 if you purchased the options separately.

Regular Jukes get some new equipment for model-year 2013, including the addition of the RearView Monitoring system to the Navigation Package on SV models, a revised Rockford Fosgate audio system is newly standard on SL models and three new colors join the lineup: Atomic Gold, Brilliant Silver and Pearl White.

No word yet on 2013 prices, but the 2012 version starts at $20,770, including a $780 destination charge. The 2013 Nissan Juke goes on sale in September.

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Recall Alert: 2012 Nissan Juke

Nissan is recalling 11,076 model-year 2012 versions of the Juke compact hatchback due to problems with the rear seatback, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Feb. 3 through May 26, 2012, (check your vehicle’s build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb) and have a rear seatback that could become unsecured due to an improper weld. This could lead to an increased risk of injury.

Nissan will notify owners later this month, and dealers will replace the affected parts free of charge. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Nissan's Juke Lineup Gets Nismo Boost

If the limited-edition 530-horsepower Nissan Juke R is out of your price range, the Juke Nismo from Nissan's performance arm is the consolation prize. The sport-tuned version of Nissan’s compact crossover debuted Wednesday at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 24 race in France.

Nissan says the Nismo version uses a tuned-up version of the Juke's turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder. In regular Jukes, it makes 188 hp; there was no word on the Nismo's power rating. Nismo versions get stiffened suspension tuning and steering modifications for sportier handling. It will also get a torque vectoring system for better cornering ability, according to Nissan.

Nissan Will Build Juke-R for Europe

When Nissan unveiled its Juke-R concept last January in Dubai, the automaker said a production version of the hand-built, performance-tuned crossover would never see the light of day. According to Nissan's official Juke Facebook page, however, the automaker changed its mind. 

The concept was created by Nissan Technical Centre Europe and built by race team RML from scratch in 22 weeks. Nissan calls the 485-horsepower compact crossover a fusion of the Juke and GT-R sports car. It did zero to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of a 160 mph.

The production version will borrow the 2012 GT-R's 530-hp, turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 engine, which is a lot faster than the already-snappy production-model Jukes, which use a 188-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Nissan Juke

With its quirky looks and small size, the 2012 Nissan Juke isn’t for everyone. Cars.com Family contributor Courtney Messenbaugh enjoyed driving this turbocharged five-seater, but it wasn’t a good fit for her family of five. Courtney’s young children found the Juke’s backseat to be too cramped even for their petite frames.

2012 Nissan Juke Review

Recall Alert: 2011-2012 Infiniti M, QX and Nissan Juke

Nissan is recalling 79,275 model-year 2011 and 2012 versions of the Juke small crossover, Infiniti M sedan and Infiniti QX56 SUV due to a problem with the fuel pressure sensor, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, the sensor may not have been tightened correctly; it could come loose and cause a fuel leak. This may lead to a possible fire and an increased risk of injury.

Nissan will notify owners starting March 19, and dealers will replace the affected fuel pressure sensors free of charge. Owners can call Nissan at 615-725-1000 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Niche Cars a Success Despite Lower Volumes

When developing cars that are never intended to appeal to a mass audience, automakers must be careful not to introduce a car so eccentric that it has no audience whatsoever. Even when deemed successful, these niche automobiles remain low-volume, bit players. They form the supporting cast of an automaker's lineup. Think of them as Wallace Shawns (read to the end) of the automotive world and not the Tom Cruises.

One such vehicle that dangerously toed the line when introduced was the Nissan Juke. Thought by many to be too crazy looking on the outside and too cramped inside, Nissan cast the Juke as an alternative crossover that it hoped would pull in buyers bored with the traditional Rogue crossover and Sentra compact sedan.

In 2011, 35,886 Jukes were sold. That's a miserable-sounding total when you consider Nissan sold 124,543 Rogues last year, but it was an unexpectedly fine performance from a car that is so peculiar. The Juke outsold the Mini Countryman and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport combined in 2011.

Recall Alert: 2011 Nissan Juke

Nissan is recalling 28,294 Jukes from the 2011 model year because of a defective weld, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, the turbocharger boost sensor bracket could separate from the air inlet tube. If the bracket comes off, the Juke could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall is expected to being around Jan. 9. Nissan dealers will check the lot number on the air inlet tube and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. For more info, owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA’s safety hotline at 888-327-4236.