We say The Juke blends eye-catching looks with attractive prices and generous levels of equipment.Little can take you away from the oddball looks of the Juke, though. It’s a brilliantly different model that stands out from everything else in the segment.
Performance The Juke isn’t built for performance however a ‘hot’ version is in the pipeline, according to Nissan.What it does do however is offer a comprehensive range of efficient, economic and perky engines in either two of four wheel drive depending on your requirements. It’s one car were we’d advise going as powerful as you can because some of the smaller engines are lack a little grunt, without being underpowered.The 1.6-litre turbo unit can clear 62mph from standstill in less than eight seconds.Emissions While the 1.6-litre turbo is the most powerful engine in the Juke’s range, it’s also the least efficient returning 40.9mpg and registering CO2 emissions of 159g/km.That’s by no means bad in a segment dominated by larger and often less efficient models however the 1.5-litre is markedly better, returning around 55mpg and emitting 129g/km in CO2 emissions.Driving The Juke is one of the smallest members of the crossover-SUV family and in fact is more of a hatchback-SUV than anything else on the market.
That’s evident in its drive which, despite being tall and sitting high from the ground, is nimble and agile around corners. It’s actually quite stiff and whilst that means it’s enjoyable to drive, the ride can become a little stiff for passengers.Feel Again, the flagship 1.6-litre turbo engine provides the best results for the Juke in terms of refinement. Where the diesel lacks a bit of pep and the less powerful 1.6-litre petrol is a little noisy, the turbo is perky and smooth.The engine can impact on your impression of the interior too. With the smooth 1.6-litre turbo there’s less noise to make the cabin rattle and shake but with the grumbling diesel the interior becomes noisy and can feel cheap.Space Despite its crossover tag – which normally brings with it an assumption of space and comfort – the Juke isn’t actually that practical with the Juke’s distinctive looks sacrificing important aspects like visibility and rear passenger space in the interior.The boot is also small on the Juke but Nissan has tried to combat that with a storage unit under the floor in the rear.Equipment One area the Juke excels in is equipment.Like a number of new cars on the market, the Juke is easily customised with a wide range of option packs and extras available.
All versions come with alloy wheels as standard however to get your hands on the good pieces of equipment – like iPod connectivity, satellite navigation and a reversing camera - you need o move up the trim range.Price Pricing for the Nissan Juke starts at £13,395 however that rises to as much as £20,750 depending on your choice of trim and equipment.Quality Nissan seems to have pumped all its energy into the exterior design of the Juke and the interior leaves a lot to be desired thanks to some cheap feeling plastics.However, Nissan’s Japanese heritage will see few problems in terms of reliability or build quality.Safety The Juke comes with a long and comprehensive list of safety equipment and features including ESP, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and six airbags across the interior as standard.
There’s also some sophisticated pieces of safety kit on the range-topping trim levels too, including lateral torque-vectoring to reduce understeer in corners.Pros With a brilliant design the Juke will stand out from the crowd. It’s also extremely fun to drive thanks to its compact dimensions and agile handling – if you pick the right engine.Cons The interior of the Nissan Juke is not the most refined and it suffers from cheap-looking plastics. The engine range is also fairly limited and compared to Qashqai, it lacks practicality – most notably in terms of visibility and rear passenger space.Alternatives Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008
