NISSAN'S enigmatic Juke has always divided opinion.

You can understand why - its looks aren't for everyone and it sits in a niche of its own, somewhere between a family hatchback and the loftier, in my opinion pointless mini-SUV platform.

So things take an altogether weirder turn when Nismo, the Japanese firm's go-to fettler, choose to get involved with spicing up the Juke's appeal.

As a youngster, I recall playing Gran Turismo on the PlayStation and being intrigued by this performance arm. Specialising, those days at least, in producing fire-breathing Skylines, their famous badge still appears on several new Nissan models including the GT-R, 370Z and this, the Juke Nismo RS.

Although the Juke has done the business sales-wise for Nissan, the appeal of a sportier iteration has been too tempting to refuse and although you're hard pushed to find a traditional rival in amongst the ultra-competitive hot hatch market, you kind of have to remove any pre-conceived notions you may have formed before you step into it.

I'm one of the people who love its looks. I don't mind the standard Juke - it's different and I like cars to stand out from the crowd - but the Nismo RS's large rear spoiler, beefier bumpers and protruding side skirts look fantastic.

Its familiar shape still looks futuristic, so with the added sporting addenda it's set further apart from anything in its price bracket, which for reference is around the £25,000 mark with a few options ticked.

Step inside and our test car is fitted with the semi-leather and alcantara Recaro seats, not cheap at £1,300, but absolutely essential given they sit slightly lower and subsequently improve the perhaps too high driving position.

Alcantara, the suede-like soft-touch material, continues on the steering wheel and door cards, and boosts an otherwise underwhelming interior. There's decent kit in here, including an integrated and easy-to-use satellite navigation system, but the screen is woefully small and despite the exterior's still-fresh looks, it's its interior which reveals the platform's age.

What there is however is plenty of space - it's roomy in the front, there's plenty of leg room for rear passengers and there's a clever, dual-layer 354-litre boot which is perfect for separating the week's shopping from perhaps muddy outdoor gubbins.

Start the engine, a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit, and you're confronted with a pleasingly deep tone. Its peak power of 215bhp isn't especially headline-grabbing, although it's enough for the big Juke to get to 60mph in seven seconds.

First impressions count and they're not great. Its six-speed manual gearbox clearly hates being cold as it's reluctant to slot home, its clutch is arguably the heaviest I've ever used as there's not a great amount of feel coming back through that lovely alcantara-clad steering wheel.

A negative, underwhelming start, but it doesn't last long as you pick up on the intricacies of the Nismo RS: its damping, its surprising handling and its startling turn of pace.

It has a very good front end, helped in part by the key aspect of the car's set up - its limited-slip differential. That for me is the most pleasing thing. You're driving a tall vehicle, being hugged by a superb Recaro seat, and yet this family-friendly car has a fancy diff hiding beneath.

If you're unfamiliar with how such a thing works, allow me a minute to explain because it's a game-changing addition which has the ability to transform a car.

It works when the driver accelerates round a corner. At first, especially when you feel the front-wheel-drive Juke on the brink of understeer, feels counter-intuitive, but the rewards are given if you persist.

Accelerate and the diff tightens the car's line and reduces the car's initial trait of pushing wide. It's standard on the Nismo RS, and such an addition makes the car a whole lot better for it.

It's an intriguing proposition and it won't be on many motorists' radars if they're in the market for a usual hot hatch, but there's something truly beguiling in how it goes about its business.

The engine's sound worsens as you reach the upper reaches of the rev range, giving off that typical, wheezy turbocharged note, but it's a cracker and has torque where you want it and a great top end.

It's a seven-out-of-ten sort of car; it doesn't shine in any particular test as its steering, gearbox and performance are all so-so, but add everything together and it somehow works.

It doesn't claim to be a yawn-inducing Nurburgring specialist and in a world of beige monotony, it's a breath of fresh air to have a car that's brimming with character.

It might not be the final word in sophistication but if it's something different you're after, something which scoffs at strait-laced German best-sellers, the Nissan Juke Nismo RS is worth its weight in gold.