0-100 review: Nissan Juke
Key points:
Four models to choose from
5-star ANCAP safety rating
422-litre boot
Classy cabin feel
Will Nissan’s new, more mature sub-compact SUV strike the right note with its youthful target audience?
With its cartoon-like design featuring over-sized wheels, bulging fender flares and indicators that swept up into its high-set bonnet, the original Nissan Juke came about as close as most car makers get to putting a concept car on the road.
While it made for an eye-catching style statement, the sub-compact Juke’s sales never really took off in the Australian market – perhaps because it arrived in 2013, well before the compact SUV boom got underway.
Fast forward to mid-2020 and the new Nissan Juke enters a landscape where the category is now well established, with the likes of the Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-3 all now attracting hordes of younger buyers.
This second-generation Juke draws many design cues from its predecessor but its styling is more subdued, with more sophisticated detailing and subtly expanded dimensions that suggest it’s also more practical.
That point is driven home inside the cabin of the ST-L version, which sits just below the top-spec Juke Ti (interior detail pictured above right) in the four-model lineup.
A wider and taller platform translates into more interior space, with more generous rear-seat accommodation and a usefully larger 422-litre boot.
Sporty mono-form bucket seats and a handsome mix of soft-touch materials on the dash, door trims and foot wells and splashes of leather, along with mood lighting, contribute to a classy cabin feel.
Equipment levels are excellent, extending to satellite navigation, digital radio, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers and climate control.
Likewise, the Juke’s safety credentials are top-notch, with every model boasting a 5-star ANCAP rating.
Under the bonnet is a tiny turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. The combination feels a little jerky in low-speed traffic but smooths out on the open road where performance is adequate.
The Juke’s modest performance and compact dimensions mean it’s not a practical proposition for families, but its combination of saucy styling, generous features, keen pricing and long warranty should certainly place it on the consideration list of the millennial buyers whom it targets.
The specs
Pricing: From $36,490 (Drive away)
Safety: 5 Stars (2020)
Engine type: (Cylinders, turbocharging, fuel, hybrid): In-line three cylinder, DOHC, turbocharged, petrol
Max torque: 180Nm@ 2400rpm
Max power: 84kW@ 5250rpm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic dual clutch with paddle shifts
Drive type: Front-wheel drive
Fuel consumption: 5.8L/100km (Combined); 6.8L/100km (Urban) 0-100KM/H: 11.8 seconds