Nissan previews second-generation Juke

The next Juke will make its debut on September 3.

Replacing a car like the Nissan Juke is easier said than done; buyers expect a daring, opinion-splitting design, but not a full-on copy of the outgoing model. Nissan thinks its designers figured out how to do it, and it released a dark teaser picture to preview the second-generation Juke due out in the coming months.

The photo suggests the next Juke doesn't stray too far from the outgoing model, which has already left the American market. It will still feature a love-it-or-hate-it, bug-like front end with thin LED daytime running light mounted high up on the fascia, and round headlights mounted a little bit lower. However, it appears to move in a more futuristic direction. We think we see a bigger rendition of Nissan's U-shaped grille insert, too.

While the relationship between Renault and Nissan is strained, the Juke will share its platform with the fifth-generation Clio and the new Captur. Three- and four-cylinder gasoline-powered engines will be offered, and the seemingly everlasting 1.5-liter dCi turbodiesel will once again appear on the roster. Nissan could offer a hybrid powertrain a little bit later in the production run.

The second-generation Nissan Juke will make its debut on September 3, meaning we'll likely see it in the metal for the first time during the 2019 Frankfurt auto show, and it will go on sale in early 2020. As of writing, Nissan isn't planning on selling the model in the United States, where the Kicks replaced the Juke at the bottom of the firm's crossover line-up.