Gah! Nissan Juke unveiled ahead of schedule

Update: We've added new info about the Juke's European drivetrain and interior photography.

Just one day after we showed a teaser image of the upcoming Nissan Juke, the automaker has released unobscured photos of the compact crossover. And boy, is it ugly unique!

Everything from the belt line up is as we expected, very Nissan Leaf-esque. However, from there on down, things get a bit dicey. Below the swept back headlamps are a second pair of large round auxiliary lights and a third pair of small fog lights. Fortunately, the rear end is more attractive, with its L-shaped tail lamps and smooth rump. However, the overall impression is one of confusion. The broad strokes are attractive, but there's just too much going on aesthetically.

North American powertrain options are still a mystery, but in European variants, the Juke will be powered by a trio of small displacement engines, including a 108 horsepower 1.5-liter diesel engine paired to a 6-speed manual transmission, a 115-horsepower 1.6-liter gasoline engine with 5-speed or Xtronic CVT gearboxes, and a 187-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 6-speed manual or an all-wheel drive Xtronic CVT with manual shift mode. The 1.6-liter turbo will be the only variant equipped with Nissan's All-Mode electronic 4x4 technology that not only distributes torque from front to rear (up to a 50/50 split) but also side to side across the rear axle, adding torque vectoring capabilities for enhanced handling.

So what do you think? Is the Juke Nissan's ugly duckling or is there a subtle beauty to the design? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the Nissan Juke.