Last year Nissan decided to expand the reach and capabilities of their in-house tuning arm Nismo. So along with adding new models to the range, they introduced the brand to new markets. That’s how a car like the Juke Nismo RS ended up in America, where it can be yours for $26,120.

Nissan Juke Nismo RS brings with itself a breath of fresh air in the 20 to 30 grand segment, dominated by cars like the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo, among others. It is certainly different than anything else in there, but not necessarily better.

Sure, the Nismo treatment, which includes fancy paint job, sport wheels, upgraded mechanicals, and a 215 horsepower engine, makes the Juke a lot more appealing. But there is no getting away from the fact that the car looks utterly silly.

That’s a shame, because it comes packed full of awesome features. You get Helical Limited-Slip Differential (manual transmission), genuine Recaro front seats, carbon fiber-look finishers, special red-and-black color theme with suede, Alcantara and leather appointments, and a four-wheel-drive system. The latter is a $2,000 option, mind you.

There is an all-new Nissan Juke in the works, to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show over the next few weeks. Hopefully, that’ll change things for the better.