Nissan Juke Review

Performance4/5

The Nissan Juke range offers a choice of just three engines – the 1.5 litre turbo diesel (108 bhp), 1.6 litre turbo petrol (187 bhp) and the 1.6 litre petrol (115 bhp). The turbo petrol model can move from 0-62 mph in an impressive eight seconds and is much the perkiest of the three (and the noisiest); this though is the front wheel drive version - the four wheel drive is not so quick off the starting block. The 1.6 petrol versions can reach 133 mph, the 1.5 litre model 110 mph – if you keep your foot right down. All in all the Juke is a nippy car, with only the 1.5 diesel version feeling slightly sluggish.

Handling3.5/5

Perched up higher than many others on the road, the Nissan Juke offers a clear view of what’s ahead, which is especially appreciated in an urban situation. The suspension is spongy which can be uncomfortable if you are not on a smooth-as-silk surface; this together with a lack of good side support on bends can make anything but the shortest trip a less than relaxing experience. In addition there is a certain amount of body lean, and steering is a wee bit unresponsive. All in all, the drive is not as exciting as the sporty nature of the car might suggest and is best suited to motorway and urban driving. Having said that, there is the option on the Acenta trim and above to have a control system with three settings – Eco, Normal and Sport. Use Eco around town, normal for cruising and, when you want to live out those sports car fantasies, the Sport setting will give you a noticeable increase in throttle power.

Exterior4/5

You’ll either other love it or hate it, but you are unlikely to feel indifferent towards the Juke. It will definitely stand out in the car park, with its distinctive chunky features; and it certainly won’t be mistaken for any other car on the market. The roof has a pleasing swoop to it, and the layout of the three sets of lights adds to its array of unusual external features.  Furthermore, Nissan tell us that the limited edition Kuro model comes in ‘two wicked shades’ of metallic paint – Force Red and Pearl Black.

Interior3/5

A slight sense of anti-climax may be experienced when you open the doors of the Juke, whose interior does not really live up to the expectations offered by the exterior. It looks smart enough, but the plastics are a bit flimsy and, apart from ample cup holders, there is not a lot of interior stowage space. The under floor security storage is an added bonus though. The boot size is reasonable (251 litres) and expands to a much more generous facility by folding down the back seats to create a flat loading area. Rear headroom is slightly restricted by the sloping roof, but not enough to be a real problem; legroom on offer should be ample for all.

Equipment4/5

The Nissan Juke is very well equipped from bottom of the range Visia trim up. 16 inch alloys, air-con, stability control, brake assist, anti whiplash head restraints, airbags, electric windows, CD player with MP3 playback and electrically adjustable mirrors are all there as standard. Brace yourself for a slightly bigger outlay and you can enjoy the benefits of 17 inch alloys, a Dynamic Control system, body coloured door handles and mirrors, leather steering wheel and gear knob, Bluetooth hands free USB port, chrome interior door handles and cruise control. Up the level to Tekna, and add 17 inch sports alloys, leather upholstery, privacy glass, rain-sensitive wipers, auto headlamps, sat nav, six-speaker audio, intelligent key and engine start button and electric folding mirrors. And for a short time only, there are 700 limited edition Nisann Juke Kuro models – heated leather upholstery and climate control are just two of the perks of owning this!

Safety4.5/5

This is a five star NCAP winner, and comes complete with six airbags, ISOFIX child seat points, anti-whiplash headrests and brake assist. Nissan has a solid track record in terms of reliability and there is no reason to think that this will be any different for the Juke.

Buying & Owning3.5/5

All things considered, the Nissan Juke offers good value for money mainly due to the amount of kit on offer throughout all trims. The most fuel-economic version is the 1.5 litre diesel engine which returns a healthy 55 mpg. Even so, its higher list price may not be compensated for unless you cover a lot of miles on a regular basis. The petrol engines offer around 40 mpg.  All models have relatively high CO2 emissions, so no tax discounts there. The new Juke will come with a 3 year warranty; and when the time comes to sell on, you will be in competition with other more tried and tested supermini crossovers; time will tell whether this one will be able to hold its own on the second hand market.

Reviewed by cars2buy