Awkward looking thing isn’t it? The Nissan Juke looks like a teenager that got involved with the wrong crowd at the local gym. The Juke has an innocent looking face, as if to say, “I don’t know how it happened Mom, they said they were just supplements. I don’t know how my forearms and quadriceps got to near bursting proportions.” Well, we’re not sure how it happened either, but Nissan are no stranger to breaking the mould in this respect. Remember the Murano? “The heart of a sports car, in the stylish and sophisticated form of a premium SUV”, Nissan said.
Clearly then, Nissan never intended the Juke to blend in. It’s designed to appeal to, well, anyone with a penchant for the unconventional really. More specifically, however, the Juke is likely to be bought by those who’re not quite ready to let go of their unabashed youth, don’t have any such youth of their own just yet, but are economically mature enough to put one in their driveway – the Juke that is, not the youth. So what prompted Nissan to build the Juke and where did their designers draw inspiration from?
Well, Nissan have enjoyed positive growth in the crowded European market in recent years by challenging the norm, first with the Murano, followed by the Qashqai and now the Juke. Having sold over half-a-million Qashqais in under 3 years, is proof enough to Nissan that their recipe works.
From a design standpoint, the lower portion of Juke is inspired by larger SUVs, with their wide wheel and tyre combinations, extended ground clearance and robust stance. The top half of the Juke draws inspiration from sportier creations, leading to its high waistline, slim window frame and the now, ever-popular, ‘coupe-like’ tapering roofline. The coupe effect is given further credence by the rear door handles that are recessed into the door frames. The rounded rear features what look like a set of reworked 370Z tail-lights in combination with a hint of Volvo C30.
The Juke’s interior continues the quirky design, but is on par with the levels of quality expected of a Nissan. The driver is treated to a sport steering wheel with contours in all the right places. Large, easy to use buttons make adjusting the cruise control, audio settings and handling calls from the Bluetooth system a cinch. The door panels are decorated with painted plastic bits – colour-matched to the ‘motorcycle tank’ center console – and rounded chrome handles that lift the ambiance in an otherwise dark cockpit. Considering its youthful appeal, there isn’t too much space in the centre console for all our modern ‘me, myself and I’ gadgets, such as iPods, iPads or iPhones.
One neat feature is the optional Interactive Driver Control system (I-CON), which allows the driver to change between the HVAC controls and three drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. Switching between these modes alters the throttle mapping, torque curve, and even the effort required by the electric power steering system. The benefit of this system, apart from improved fuel economy in Eco mode, is that it allows Nissan to eliminate the mess of buttons that plague so many cars on the market today, while avoiding a frustrating, iDrive style knob. As for space, well there’s enough up front, but with limited legroom in the rear, you could be in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights if you forced your friends into the back for anything longer than an around town jaunt. Don’t expect to get much in the boot either, because with just 251-litres of capacity you’ll need to pack light. Although there is a secret storage compartment below the boot floor that could prove useful.
Built on the Renault/Nissan Alliance B platform, the same as the Nissan Micra, the Juke has a 2 530 mm wheelbase, is 4 135 mm long, 1 765 mm wide and 1 570 mm tall. While four-wheel drive versions are available overseas, locally we make do with front-wheel drive versions, which is just as well, because off-roading isn’t what the Juke has been designed for. The suspension then, employs MacPherson struts at the front with a torsion beam at the rear. Nissan engineers have turned up the spring rates and damping to make the Juke a more than capable handler, downright fun in fact. The steering is accurate and the Juke obeys your inputs faithfully. The low kerb weight of less than 1 300 kg, means the little tyke revels in the corners.
The other element of the Juke’s fun factor are the engines. The Accenta models, equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, are powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre unit, which develops 86 kW and 158 Nm. We didn’t have a chance to test this variant on the local launch, but suspect that in combination with the Juke’s low weight it would provide enough ‘poke’ for the compact CUV. The turbocharged 1.6-litre DIG-T Tekna, is a different engine altogether. Not simply a turbocharged version of the 1 598 cc block found in the Accenta, the DIG-T (Direct Injection Gasoline – Turbocharged) is a new 1 618 cc unit that, in combination with direct fuel-injection, develops a hot-hatch rivalling 140 kW and 240 Nm of torque. On paper, this puts the Juke DIG-T Tekna in the same league as the MINI Cooper S, Opel’s Corsa OPC, Peugeot’s 308 GTI, the Renault Clio Sport and even the Volkswagen Polo GTI. Unfortunately this engine suffers from whiney vocal chords, but it’s easy to overlook in light of the engine’s willingness to work its way up to illegal speeds – which it does far faster than it has any right to. The 6-speed manual transmission is enjoyable to use, with crisp throws and a clutch that is easy to modulate around town.
The Juke is well spec’d as standard, with items like air-conditioning, electrically operated windows, Bluetooth/USB/Aux-In connectivity for mobile phones and music players, to name a few. The entry-level Accenta model makes do with 16-inch alloy wheels, while the Accenta+, Tekna and Tekna+, all sport 17-inch hoops. Safety equipment includes: driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags; ABS and EBD braking systems, together with Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC).
The Nissan Juke has all the makings of a fast, reliable, functional and affordable car, which should see it follow in the footsteps of the successful Qashqai. Its only stumbling block, and one that’s hard to ignore, are its somewhat distressing looks. With a bit of luck, however, we’ll see the aftermarket accessories industry cater to the Juke’s obvious custom ‘Kei Car’ potential and maybe even some official NISMO accessories too.
| Pricing (incl. VAT) | |
| Nissan Juke 1.6 Accenta | R198 000 |
| Nissan Juke 1.6 Accenta+ | R218 500 |
| Nissan Juke 1.6 Tekna | R253 000 |
| Nissan Juke 1.6 Tekna (Leather) | R258 800 |
Prices include a 3-year/ 100 000 km warranty and roadside assistance.
