All About Japan Autos

With the Kia Soul and forthcoming Mini Cooper Countryman, super-small crossovers are gaining ground. Now, Nissan has announced pricing for its city crossover, the 2011 Nissan Juke.

“The 2011 Nissan Juke will start at $19,710 when it goes on sale in October, a price that positions it near the top of the funky-and-cheap segment of hatchback/crossover vehicles that includes the Kia Soul and Scion xD,” reports Inside Line. The price on the 2011 Juke is $18,960 before destination charges.

Kicking Tires points out that the Juke’s pricing is in line with the Mini Cooper’s. But, “the [Juke's] 188-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbo engine with all-wheel drive promises more enthusiast bang for the buck than the more expensive Mini Cooper S.”

The Juke has an interesting place in Nissan’s lineup. Left Lane News explains the Juke sits “below the Murano and Rogue in the North American market. Nissan says the Juke is a blend of a sporty sedan and an SUV, creating what they refer to as a sport cross – designed to give buyers an alternative to the traditional five-door hatchback, and although it sits taller than a traditional hatchback, the Juke is still clearly lower to the ground than a typical crossover.”

For its part, Nissan says the Juke “fuses the best qualities of a sports car, including a sporty driving position, dynamic handling and powerful engine, with the best aspects of an SUV – such as a robust lower body, raised ground height, improved visibility and confident stance.”

The Juke will be available in eight models, ranging from the base Juke S with front-wheel drive to the top-of-the-line Juke SL with all-wheel drive. The Juke SL with all-wheel drive will start at $24,550. The 2011 Nissa Juke hits U.S. dealerships in October.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.