The Nissan Juke may be a bit awkward-looking for our tastes, but first week sales in Japan show that quirky styling can lead to paying customers - at least in Japan. Local business daily Nikkei reports that Nissan sold 1,300 copies of the Juke in the automaker's home market in one week. That's 300 percent more sales than the Japanese automaker was hoping for in the first month. And those 1,300 sales are just the tip of the iceberg. Through Tuesday, Nissan has reportedly accumulated 5,296 orders.

Nissan is likely delighted with the early reception the Japanese public is giving the little crossover. The next big test comes this autumn, when the Juke goes on sale in Europe and here in the U.S. Will American customers be as eager to add the Anime-faced Juke to their driveway? Only time will tell, but the early results in Japan shows that unique styling and an efficient 1.6-liter turbo engine could make for a hot-selling mini-ute. A starting price of well under $20,000 couldn't hurt, either.


Gallery: Nissan Juke





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