Peugeot 2008

Peugeot has officially revealed the 2008 "urban crossover" which will get its public debut at Geneva Motor Show in March.

Set to tackle the Nissan Juke, Peugeot's new small crossover is based on the 208 supermini and measures 4160mm which makes it 25mm longer than the Juke.

Design-wise, its styling is heavily influenced by the 208 especially if we look at the front grille and front/rear lights. In typical crossover fashion, the ride height and driving position are slightly raised, while a somewhat more rugged bodykit has been applied.

Riding on 17-inch alloy wheels, the 2013 Peugeot 2008 will be sold exclusively with a FWD layout but some sort of off-road capabilities will be available via a "Grip Control" traction system, the same one found in the larger 3008.

The engine lineup will be borrowed from the 208, along with a new 3-cylinder, 1.2-liter turbocharged gasoline unit. Peugeot will also offer more frugal 1.4- and 1.6-liter e-HDI diesels. The most economical version will have CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.

Full details will be available in March 2013.

Nissan Juke NISMO

Nissan has released pictures of the Juke Nismo in final production form. Remember, this is not Nissan Juke-R!

Compared to the original Juke Nismo concept, revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, styling changes are minimal for the production car. The front bumper has been redesigned, with larger air intakes either side of the lower grille and longer LED running lights. At the rear, the concept car's twin exhausts have been swapped for a single pipe.

The aggressive bodykit has been carried over, though, with protruding side skirts, a modified grille and a tailgate spoiler all designed to improve high-speed stability. Wider tyres wrapped around 18-inch alloys complete the exterior look. 

Inside, special suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching have been added, as well as a redesigned steering wheel and gear knob.

Power output is yet to be confirmed, but Nissan has said that it will use a tuned 1.6-litre turbo unit - just like the DeltaWing race car. A figure of around 200bhp seems likely. Stiffer suspension and more direct steering will also be added.

The Juke Nismo will be built at Nissan's plant in Sunderland, alongside the rest of the Juke famiily, with UK sales starting in early 2013. It will go on sale in Japan and USA at a later date.

Nissan Invitation

The Nissan Invitation has sporty lines influenced by the Juke crossover, and looks far more aggressive than the current Note. These images show deep bumpers and sharp lights, plus a panoramic glass roof.

Inside there are sharp creases in the door trims and on the steering wheel. The smooth, uncluttered centre console has a touchscreen display and circular climate control dials, while the gearlever is mounted on its own sculpted ‘island’.

The heavily bolstered sports seats are unlikely to make it to production. Instead the supermini-MPV is set to get flexible flat-folding seats similar to the current Note.

Expect the new Note to come with an engine range that’s similar to its predecessor’s – meaning 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines, plus a 1.5-litre diesel.

There’s also speculation that it will make use of the 97bhp 1.2-litre supercharged three-cylinder DIG-S petrol engine from the Micra. This includes stop-start technology and emits 99g/km in the Micra, which is a similar emissions target that Nissan is aiming for with the Note.