Nissan's Juke Joint

Last week, to kick-off the 2010 New York International Auto Show, Nissan held a wine reception to promote the North American debut of the 2011 Juke. I had the pleasure of attending the cocktail party, which took place at the world famous Morrell Wine Bar and Café in Rockefeller Center.

The Juke, billed as a new concept in urban versatility, is being marketed as the must-have car for young professionals.

“Nissan has always been a company willing to stretch the envelope to combine seemingly contradictory principles and make it work – such as ‘affordable’ and ‘performance’ to create the original Z, or ‘small footprint’ and ‘big interior’ in the current Nissan cube,” says Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America. “JUKE is about to shake up the market with a boldness, style and sense of fun that it has never seen before – at a time when sales are exploding with buyers looking for just such a combination.”

Some of the snazzy features include: standard 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with all-season tires, leather-appointed seats (offered in three colors), heated front seats and rearview monitor, Nissan Intelligent Key with push button ignition, satellite radio, upgraded speakers with Rockford Fosgate powered subwoofer, Integrated Control (I-CON) system with automatic air conditioning that allows driver to choose between three drive modes (Sport, Normal, Eco), USB connector for iPod and other devices, power sliding moon roof, privacy glass and navigation system with real-time traffic information.

The Juke starts at an impressive $20K and will be available to test drive and purchase this fall.

Until then, you can check out the Juke on display at the New York International Auto Show at the Jacobs Javits Center through April 11th.

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