The Nissan Juke has been a global success, and Toyota brass is considering development of a rival. According to the UK’s Autocar, the Japanese automaker may already have an idea of what this mini-crossover could look like. Toyota originally unveiled a concept—The Toyota Rugged Sports Coupe—at the 2001 Chicago Auto Show. The Toyota RSC never made it past the conceptual stages, but now over a decade later, it’s getting another look.
And the 2013 Nissan Juke image to the left makes us wonder if Nissan wasn’t originally inspired by rival Toyota, as it bears a fair resemblance to the RSC. As far as the new crossover is concerned, Toyota could use the Yaris architecture, or that of the European Auris which would make it a little roomier. Toyota would also have the option of developing a hybrid model with its industry-leading hybrid technology. While it’s just a consideration at the moment, a Toyota version would likely be at least as fuel efficient as the Nissan Juke, which gets an EPA rated 27 mpg city, and 32 mpg on the highway with its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The Juke starts at $20,280, and we’d expect Toyota’s mini-cross to be competitively priced.
Source: Autocar
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