Currently reading: Infiniti ESQ revealed for Chinese market
Pre-facelift Nissan Juke Nismo lives on in China as new Infiniti crossover, which will go on sale later this year with a 250bhp turbocharged engine

Infiniti has revealed the ESQ, a re-badged version of the pre-facelift Nissan Juke Nismo which will go on sale in China later this year.

Prices are due to start at around $32,500 (or £19,500), and for that customers get the Juke Nismo's 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection engine developing 197bhp at 6000rpm and 184lb ft of torque between 2400-4800rpm. The engine is coupled to a CVT, which sends drive to all four wheels.

In the pre-facelift Juke Nismo, that engine is good for a 0-62mph sprint time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 134mph. Expect fuel economy of around 40.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 159g/km.

Inside, the ESQ retains the cabin layout of the older Juke, plus that model's infotainment system, as well as luxuries like climate control and three selectable driving modes – including Sport and Eco functions.

The ESQ will help Infiniti continue its push into one of the world's fastest-growing car markets.

The firm is currently gearing up to introduce several new models into China. Among them is the Q50L, Infiniti's first domestically produced car for the Chinese market, as well as the QX60 Hybrid, a facelifted QX50L and a sportier version of the QX70.

Those model plans were revealed as part of a leaked dealer presentation, which also showed Infiniti's plans to grow its dealer network in China by opening up smaller franchises in cities across the country. 

Infiniti sold 14,000 vehicles in the first six months of this year in China, showing year-on-year growth of 130 per cent.

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erly5 2 September 2014

Not Infiniti's finest moment

I'm a big fan of the Juke's styling, I just don't think it suits a sporty bodykit.
Frightmare Bob 1 September 2014

They tried to polish a turd

They tried to polish a turd and just made it look worse.
superstevie 2 September 2014

Frightmare Bob wrote:They

Frightmare Bob wrote:

They tried to polish a turd and just made it look worse.

They haven't changed anything other than the grill at the front, so how can they make it look worse? This is the same styling as the Juke Nismo we get in the UK