Dubai: Nissan’s out to prove a point with the new Juke, and it refuses to be bothered by the views of those who don’t intend to buy the compact SUV.

“It’s a model that creates extremely polarising views — either someone falls in love with it in a minute or hates it,” said Katib Belkhodja, brand manager for SUVs and Cross-Overs at Nissan Middle East. “With the new version, we are encouraging auto enthusiasts to ‘take a stand’.”

The Juke has elicited strong reactions since its launch in 2010. Volumes have averaged around 3,000 units annually across Gulf markets. The latest version has gone through some facelift on the front, while a rear camera is now a standard accessory. Available in two specifications — a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated or a 1.6-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder — engine, prices range from $17,970 to $23,140 (Dh66,000 to Dh85,000).

In the last four years, women owners have tended to dominate Juke’s regional sales, which is another area that Nissan is hoping to bring on subtle changes.

“Through the development of the new version, the plan was to make it a ‘genderless’ model,” said Belkhodja. “Future Juke buyers should not be identified to a specific gender, social category or job status — well, that’s the plan.”

And the manufacturer is going full tilt on digital/social media to make that point clear. Even at the launch event last week, the mood was to let go of any formal overtones and keep the message light and laid-back.

“With the Juke, at no point in the past did we position it as being a significant volume generator for Nissan,” said Belkhodja. “It had a niche positioning and will remain so — on the volume side, the new version could help achieve more than the 3,000 odd units we’ve been doing so far.”

But Belkhodja is quite aware of the competition out there. Around 30 models are competing for this particular space.

“The lower the level in the SUV ladder, the stiffer the competition tends to get,” he added. “In comparison, the [mid-level] Pathfinder would have only 15-20 models as rival contender. Further up the chain, it becomes less and less crowded.

“But a compact SUV/crossover does play a major part in convincing more buyers to opt for it rather than a sedan [as the first vehicle]. In that regard, it is a growing detriment for sedans.”