The Nissan Juke has lengthy divided opinion in Australia – folks appear to both love the look, or hate it.
However now there are a selection of ‘style-focused’, value-conscious new fashions which have launched since this era Juke got here out right here in 2020. These embrace the GWM Haval Jolion, Chery Omoda 5, Ford Puma and new-gen (and intently associated) Renault Captur – so the Juke seems somewhat extra, er, ‘regular’, now.
Lately Nissan made some modest updates to the Juke vary. The automobile had a barely tweaked exterior look with a new-look grille and rear spoiler, some minor aerodynamic enhancements and up to date Nissan badging.
You possibly can learn all in regards to the adjustments to the up to date Nissan Juke line-up right here. We’re wanting on the mid-spec ST-L on this assessment, which may very well be the choose of the vary – learn on and also you’ll discover out why.
How does the Nissan Juke fare vs its rivals?
View an in depth breakdown of the Nissan Juke in opposition to equally sized autos.
Nissan
Juke
How a lot does the Nissan Juke value?
The Juke ST-L lists for $34,440 plus on-road prices.
There’s not a lot in the best way of choices for the Juke vary, however you’ll must pay an additional $700 if you’d like Ivory Pearl White, Platinum Silver, Ceramic Gray (new), Gun Metallic Darkish Gray, Pearl Black, Burgundy or the brand new Magnetic Blue hue seen right here. Solely Arctic White or Fuji Sundown Pink are no-cost choices.
The Juke isn’t a quantity vendor. To the tip of September 2023, it hadn’t even managed a thousand gross sales nationwide, and certainly was the second-smallest promoting mannequin within the Gentle SUV class, based on VFACTS information. The automobile it was narrowly edging out was the Renault Captur, which is a sister mannequin to the Juke, and the 2 share lots.
Simply outgunning it for recognition are the Ford Puma ($30,840 to $36,390), the Toyota Yaris Cross ($28,000 to $39,000), and Volkswagen T-Cross ($30,990 to $33,990).That phase is dominated by the just-updated however nonetheless practicality-compromised Mazda CX-3 (from $26,800 to $38,620 MSRP).
However these extra inexpensive Chinese language-branded fashions talked about above, that are categorised as a dimension bigger than the Juke, additionally play arduous on worth. The Chery Omoda 5 lists from $29,900 to $32,900 earlier than on-roads, and the GWM Haval Jolion (which is far, a lot larger inside than any of the autos listed so far) has a worth sheet operating from $28,490 to $40,990 drive-away.
Man, it’s arduous to be a small SUV purchaser. There are such a lot of decisions that, actually, you’ll in all probability simply purchase the one you most just like the look of! So I might see why the Juke may very well be the automobile for you: it’s bought loads of presence.
2024 Nissan Juke pricing:
- Nissan Juke ST: $28,390
- Nissan Juke ST+: $31,140
- Nissan Juke ST-L: $34,440
- Nissan Juke ST-L+: $35,540
- Nissan Juke Ti: $36,890
Costs exclude on-road prices
What’s the Nissan Juke like on the within?
It’s a disgrace the inside is feeling somewhat outdated in comparison with the modern and cutting-edge exterior design. In truth, ever since this era of Juke launched in Australia, I’ve thought the inside checked out odds with the outside.
Positive, there are some parts that may have regarded futuristic and funky when this automobile was being drawn in Nissan’s design studios within the years previous to 2020, however today it actually feels a bit extra like a Nokia 3210 than a Google Pixel 8 Professional.
That telephone analogy is definitely a very good one as a result of the outdated Nokia had some buttons, and these made issues appear lots less complicated to function. Whereas any new smartphone has a lot performance hidden in its display (similar to some newer small SUVs with out buttons), that it may be tough to know what you’re doing at occasions.
Within the Juke it’s all very simple to know the useful buttons for the media system, in addition to knobs and dials for quantity and tuning. These are complemented by on-screen menus that are quite simple to know. You possibly can even use the fitting knob to cycle by these menus if you want.
And down under the round air vents is a local weather management panel with buttons for the primary features and dials for temperature and fan management. Plus there are seat heater buttons too, which implies no mucking round by a display to get your tush good and toasty!
The driving force will get a 7.0-inch digital display inside two standard dials as a part of the instrument cluster, all of which could be very simple to work together with by way of the steering wheel mounted buttons. Nevertheless, one annoyance that I’ve with that display is that whenever you’re utilizing adaptive cruise management, it defaults to point out the gap setting quite than the digital speedo.
It’s a bit annoying to must press the steering wheel course buttons just a few occasions to get again to the digital speedo display so you may regulate your tempo.
The steering wheel does have a ravishing flat-bottom design to it, which makes it really feel a bit sporty to carry onto, and the supplies used all through the cabin are of a good high quality. That is regardless of Nissan labeling its seat trim as PVC (a.ok.a. vinyl) with leather-accented elements.
There’s additionally that very same form of vinyl trim on the padded armrests of the doorways and the centre console bin within the entrance.
Up entrance you even have a small storage caddy in entrance of the gear selector, however no wi-fi telephone charging. There are cupholders between the seats, a small lined centre console bin, and door pockets with bottle holsters.
There’s one USB-A port upfront, and one within the again for passengers to maintain their gadgets charged.
Additionally attention-grabbing is the sculpting of the dashboard in entrance of the passenger’s knees, as a result of it does let you make extra use of the cabin house when you had been to have rear seat occupants.
The scalloped design means that you may – if required – match a rearward-facing child capsule within the again (I’ve finished it earlier than), or a forward-facing child seat, and nonetheless have a six-foot tall (182cm) grownup sit in entrance.
That is as long as they’re okay with sitting fairly near the dashboard.
There may be sufficient house for smaller adults to slip in behind taller ones, however don’t count on it to be as accommodating within the again row as say a GWM Haval Jolion… and nor does it have the intelligent sliding seat mechanism that you simply’ll discover in a VW T-Cross.
The backseat is missing just a few facilities – there are not any directional air-vents, and there’s no fold-down armrest, nor cupholders.
You get bottle holders within the doorways, a pair of map pockets on the seat backs, a small storage tray within the center console, and the aforementioned USB port.
Boot house is a shock too, rivalling the likes of the Skoda Kamiq and Ford Puma for practicality factors.
There’s a brand new baggage board that has been carried out for this up to date mannequin, and that means that you can both have a degree load in place lined up with the boot lip (however a lot smaller capability for cargo) or you may decrease it down and also you’ll have an distinctive 422 litres of boot house on supply with the seats up, and 1305L with them folded down.
All variations include a space-saver spare wheel, plus there are a few procuring bag hooks within the boot, too.
What’s beneath the bonnet?
The Nissan Juke is barely obtainable with one motor in Australia – a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 84kW of energy (5250rpm) and 180Nm of torque (2400rpm). The Juke is front-wheel drive solely.
As you could have guessed by that torque hotspot being pretty excessive within the rev-range, this automobile has some points with low-speed hesitation.
The turbo lag is barely additional exacerbated by the seven-speed dual-clutch automated gearbox and engine start-stop know-how. Nevertheless, there are methods round it, for probably the most half – extra on that in a bit.
As for gas effectivity, all Juke fashions have an official mixed cycle gas consumption ranking of 5.8 litres per 100km.
Over every week of testing the journey pc was indicating 6.8L/100km over a mixture of city, freeway and again roads. I did see 5.5L/100km on an extended freeway run, although, which is fairly frugal.
How does the Nissan Juke drive?
From its exterior styling you’ll guess that that is designed to be a reasonably indignant little ant of a automobile to drive, and in some methods it’s indignant to drive. In different methods, it makes you indignant driving it.
The largest annoyance with this automobile is the powertrain. The downsized turbocharged engine paired with a slow-thinking dual-clutch transmission means it may be extraordinarily tedious to drive at low speeds. These embrace parking manoeuvres, intersections, or making an attempt to get away from site visitors lights.
There’s some great lag at occasions within the Commonplace drive mode, a lot in order that it may possibly really feel unsafe, particularly if you’re uninitiated with this kind of powertrain.
And when you don’t have the Auto Maintain perform engaged, it’ll roll again, or roll ahead, while in gear when you find yourself making an attempt to shift between reverse and drive, or vice versa.
This momentary rollback implies that you must be extra energetic along with your ft on this automobile – way over you’ll in different autos with comparable powertrains.
There’s a answer although. You probably have Auto Maintain engaged put the automobile within the Sport drive mode and it is going to be extra manageable.
Simply just remember to maintain your foot on the brake, so the Auto Maintain engages (you will notice the icon on the instrument cluster), after which it is possible for you to to take off from a standstill with much less of that nerve-wracking feeling. It doesn’t fully obliterate it, although.
It may well nonetheless really feel like it’s breathless from a standstill due to the shortage of torque low within the rev vary, and that is most evident if there’s any type of incline the place you’re parked. Additional to that, you probably have stopped going through up a hill, it’s possible you’ll squeal the tyres whenever you drive away, particularly if the automobile is in Sport mode.
All of this makes the Nissan Juke a tough automobile to suggest for somebody who’s in search of a small SUV that may spend a lot of its life in stop-start driving.
Nevertheless, when you’re the form of one that does lengthy distance commuting, spending hours a day within the automobile on motorways, quite than in site visitors jams, this may very well be a reasonably good choice for you.
The explanation I say that’s as a result of at increased speeds it will get alongside high-quality. You don’t must cope with the low-speed engine and transmission miscommunication, and when you do have to abruptly speed up – even within the Commonplace drive mode – it’s fairly fast to react. It’s even faster in Sport mode, as you’ll count on.
Plus, the longer-than-average service intervals (20,000km) might make this little SUV stack up properly. However when you plan to do 20,000km of city operating solely per 12 months, this won’t be the fitting automobile for you.
Powertrain apart, this automobile does have some good attributes on the subject of the drive expertise. Personally, I like the best way that it rides, steers and handles.
The steering has a pleasant quantity of weight to it, however can be fairly direct and conscious of sudden inputs, which implies that it feels extra nimble and zippy than some rivals.
The experience is somewhat bit on the agency facet – particularly with 19-inch alloy wheels on such a tiny little automobile with fairly a brief wheelbase.
Nevertheless, it has a degree of surefootedness when the floor is flat that makes it really feel fairly fulfilling for freeway runs. It handles properly in twisty corners, too.
There are some parts to this drive expertise which might be optimistic, and a few critically unfavourable ones as properly. What a disgrace that such a properly packaged and enjoyable little automobile to drive has a powertrain that’s so tough to cope with for city duties; the place it will in any other case do its finest job for almost all of shoppers.
However let me say this – I might simply have it over a kind of cheaper Chinese language fashions I’ve talked about. I discover that it’s a much more habitable choice than these, and it doesn’t have anyplace close to as irritating, security intervention know-how to cope with, too.
What do you get?
Okay, so when you’re nonetheless offered on the concept of a Juke and also you’ve learn this far, right here’s why I feel the ST-L is likely to be the choose of the vary.
Tools highlights embrace:
- 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- LED daytime operating lights
- LED fog-lights
- LED tail-lights
- Auto on-off headlights
- Auto high-beam lighting
- Pearl Black shark-fin antenna
- Rain-sensing window wipers
- 8.0-inch touchscreen media system
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (wired)
- DAB+ digital radio
- Satellite tv for pc navigation with reside site visitors monitoring
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 6-speaker sound system
- USB-A ports entrance (x1) and rear (x1)
- Adaptive cruise management
- Encompass-view digicam
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Ambient inside lighting
- Heated entrance seats
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Vainness mirror with illumination
- Electrical parking brake with auto-hold
- Leather-based-accented steering wheel and shifter
- Drive Mode Selector (Sport/Commonplace/Eco)
- Clever Key (NEW)
- Stroll-away lock
- Strategy unlock
- Push-button begin
- One-touch electrical entrance passenger’s window
- Leather-based-accented upholstery (NEW)
- 6-way guide adjustable entrance passenger seat
- Driver and passenger seat again pockets
- Baggage board (NEW)
That could be a lengthy checklist of normal package. After which there’s the security tech, too.
Is the Nissan Juke secure?
The Nissan Juke has a five-star ANCAP security ranking based mostly on testing carried out in 2019.
It achieved an grownup safety rating of 94 per cent, youngster occupant safety rating of 87 per cent, susceptible street person safety rating of 81 per cent, and security help rating of 71 per cent. Fairly stable numbers.
The Juke additionally has a stable checklist of normal security know-how throughout the vary, although it does appear to make sense to spend as much as this degree for just a few good extras.
Commonplace security options embrace:
- 6 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, Bicycle owner detection
- Clever Lane Intervention (by braking)
- Lane departure warning
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Visitors signal recognition
- Reversing digicam
- Rear parking sensors
Juke ST+ provides:
Juke ST-L provides:
- Encompass-view digicam
- Adaptive cruise management
How a lot does the Nissan Juke value to run?
The Nissan Juke is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee with 5 years of roadside help.
As talked about earlier, the Juke has longer-than-average distance intervals, with upkeep due each 12 months or 20,000km.
Patrons may have the selection of a pay-as-you-go servicing plan, or pay as you go service plans, obtainable for 3 years ($1307), 4 years ($1801) or 5 years ($2148).
The pay as you go choice will prevent just a few hundred bucks over pay-as-you-go, and simply take be aware that the sixth service is a bigg’n – present capped service costs for the primary six visits are: $343, $597, $592, $549, $386, $1521. Yikes.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Nissan Juke
That is fairly a complicated – and confused – little automobile.
It doesn’t actually do what a automobile of this dimension ought to, as its tetchy powertrain doesn’t make for city choice. It actually requires an excessive amount of considering and preparation to make it a easy ‘get in and go’ choice for consumers.
Should you don’t plan to spend all your time in site visitors jams as you’re a protracted distance commuter, or reside within the nation for instance, then this can be a trendy and fairly smartly-packaged little SUV.
That’s in all probability a small pool of consumers nonetheless, and is likely to be the explanation it solely sells in small numbers.
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