PEOPLE probably thought Nissan were potty when the Japanese car-maker announced plans to launch a whole series of SUV-styled vehicles.

Since then we've had the emergence of the crossover - an SUV that isn't really an SUV - but displays many of the styling attributes, features and characteristics.

Nissan's Qashqai and Juke have been trailblazers in this fast-growing segment, though their success has led to a proliferation of imitators, so they no longer have things all to themselves.

It's hard to believe the Juke has been around for five years - it still seems as fresh, funky and contemporary as ever. It underwent a mid-life makeover in 2014 but fundamentally hasn't been altered much.

Comparing a Juke to an SUV is something of a stretch. It's really just a small hatchback or indeed a supermini that offers a high driving position and has some elements of an SUV design blueprint.

It's cleverly done though, with a curvaceous almost muscular look that works well and has won it legions of fans.

The high driving position is a bonus and offers an impressively commanding view of the road for a small car.

The cabin has an open feel but isn't quite as roomy as one might first imagine, though it compares well with small hatches and superminis in terms of rear passenger room and boot space.

Nissan's SUV-inspired range saw it dispense with the long-serving Almeira, leaving either a Juke or a Qashqai as the alternative.

The Almeira never had a hot hatch version, though given Nissan's success with cars like the 370Z and GT-R its no surprise the Juke has benefitted from a seriously sporty upgrade in the shape of the Nismo RS. It's quite a creation too delivering style as well as substance.

The Juke's already muscular lines are given a kind of steroid-like enhancement with bodykit that isn't too over the top but enhances its presence.

A couple of splendidly sculpted sports seats gives the impression of a car that really means business the moment one sits in.

Outside of overtly performance focused cars that cost tens of thousands of pounds more I don't think I've ever felt so firmly ensconced and well supported in a driver's seat. They were so rigid one almost had to lift oneself into them rather than merely sit on them.

The RS has quite an upmarket feel to its cabin with switchgear and instrumentation boasting a premium feel.

It also comes well equipped, with features like climate control and cruise control as standard, as well as a touch screen for the sat-nav and Nissan's Safety Shield, which includes a 360-degree camera view, reversing camera, lane departure warning, blind spot assist and moving object detection. Sporty trim enhancements like the leather steering wheel and aluminium gear knob also add to the sporty feel.

On the road it's an impressive performer. While the heightened driving position means it can't quite deliver the classic hot-hatch performance driving experience it makes a pretty good fist of it, thanks in part to its relatively compact dimensions and minimal overhangs mean it still has a nice small car feel when it comes to handling.