Amongst the cookie-cutters and the bread and butter of many brands, there comes along a few cars in lineups that are hits or misses. The hits usually don't serve any practical function of going from A to B but have a unique factor.
The Nissan Juke is one of these hit cases. Based on the previous generation Nissan Sentra compact sedan, this sub-compact SUV was marketed as a funky-looking city runabout focused on attention than anything else. With a growing market for SUVs, Nissan chose the right time to debut it as the first of its segment. The Juke combined quirky looks, SUV status with city car efficiency, and a little bit less practicality at a price of a few grand dearer than the Sentra. The funk continued inside with its motorcycle inspired center console that stood out within the cabin. Production and sales continue with a next generation coming soon and the segment has expanded with major players like the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, and the upcoming Toyota C-HR.
The misses apply the same logic but fail to win enough buyers with their unique factor to last another model year. That said, the misses still make a statement and set the trend of the future.
Staying within Nissan's lineup, Nissan's biggest flop was the Murano CrossCabriolet. More than a Murano with its roof chopped off, the CrossCabriolet was re engineered for structural rigidity which meant added weight. The CC was marketed (limitedly) as an SUV with the style and function of a convertible. While the idea seemed brilliant, its proportions won no beauty pageants. Fortunately, Nissan outfitted the car in its highest trim with all the bells and whistles. In normal SUV form, the Murano was a decent looker with the right proportions for a premium SUV feel. But the top down CC looked ungainly with its plump rear end and a roof that cut off too soon. Flaws aside, it wasn't a bad idea and the cars were slowly picked off the lots before production ended in 2014. Just as there were a few customers who were keen on the CC, Nissan clearly thought well of its attempt and as reminder of it has even kept a page running for what was a poor execution but a good car.
Nissan's vision of a car that embodied an SUV and a convertible was an interesting effort even if it missed the chance to be a hit. Keep in mind, the original SUVs of the past were created without roofs (the original Jeep and Land Rover). And while the Murano CrossCabriolet is no longer coming off the production line anymore, it has brought about or at least brought back, the convertible SUV segment. Indirectly (unless Land Rover admits Nissan brought some inspiration), Land Rover has turned its coupe-like SUV, the Range Rover Evoque, into the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. Only a few years have gone and my goodness is this one a looker.
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