Nissan is set to cash in on the growing clamour for small crossovers when it launches the stunning new Juke in October.

The firm’s Qashqai crossover is a runaway bestseller, but the more modestly proportioned five-door Juke could exceed all sales expectations by muscling in on the trend for downsizing into more economical, planet-friendly motors.

That is fantastic news for Britain – like the mid-sized Qashqai, it will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the North East.

The Juke’s coupe-cum-sports utility vehicle (SUV) looks were created at the firm’s design centre in London, before going over to Japan for final fine-tuning, plus full engineering input.

Nissan hasn’t yet released full Juke pricing or technical details, but expect to pay around £13,000 for the starter model.

That figure will also help the Juke see off a few Audi A1 supermini buyers, which will also cost from £13,000 upwards when it launches here at around the same time as the Juke.

It will get three engines at the outset, a 1.5-litre diesel, and two 1.6-litre petrols, one of them turbocharged.

Most models will be two-wheel drive, with the flagship automatic version of the petrol turbo model being offered with four-wheel ability.

Nissan also claims that the boosted petrol engine provides the power and responses expected from a 2.5-litre engine, but with the economy of a smaller engine, and the Juke’s ‘come-buy-me’ look is a tale of two halves.

The small SUV’s bottom half is pure off-roader, with chunky wheels, wide tyres, higher ground clearance, and a purposeful stance.

The top half is clearly cultivating the coupe effect, thanks to the Juke’s high waistline, side glass that slims down dramatically towards the rear, and a distinctly sporty, sloping roofline.

Door handles at the rear are also inset in the upper frame to avoid breaking the car’s dynamic, flowing lines, and the cabin comes with a unique console design – it’s based on a motorbike’s fuel tank!

Finished in a distinctive high gloss, the bike-like console also instills a strong fun element in the car, while the need for practicality hasn’t been forgotten.

There’s good access for cargo through the hatchback door, and the luggage area has out-of-sight storage areas for more valuable items.

Simon Thomas, Nissan’s European senior vice president for sales, says the Juke will join the big Murano and Focus-sized Qashqai to cement his firm’s position as the leading brand in the crossover market.

Juke, incidentally, is a verb that means to move in a zig-zag fashion, but there should be be no zig-zagging by this Nissan in the sales charts – it’s a fair bet that it will simply go in a straight line to the top.