Nissan Juke review

Nissan Juke Mk2 (2022 - current)

This Nissan Juke is much better than its predecessor. Nissan identified three key ways that the first Juke was bad and has focused mainly on addressing those issues.

Firstly, space. The Juke didn’t have much at all. Now it does. Shown up these days by every subsequent compact crossover for practicality, the Juke now packs a 20 per cent bigger boot (422 litres large) and exactly 5.8cm more rear leg space. Those numbers don’t sound like much but the bump is transformative – the twin-floor trunk has gone from the proverbial single berth tent to a marquee, while there’s proper six-footer space beyond the rear doors. So far, so reasonable.

The second issue was interior quality. And it’s another significant improvement over the woefully plasticky and clumsily designed interior of the outgoing car. Again, whether this is a class-leading cabin is debatable, set against the neat sponginess of the Big VAG stuff (Arona, T-Cross, Kamiq), or even the fun of the Citroen C3 Aircross, but it’s very nice. The basics of a highly adjustable driving position (a first for a Juke) and good visibility (the A-pillars are especially thin) are sorted. And the cleverly positioned swathe of soft-touch fabric stretching horizontally across the dash at least gives the illusion of quality. 

Plenty of interior storage too. Nothing groundbreaking, but you’ll get your big eco-friendly bottle-for-life into the door pocket and a load of stuff into the notably deep glove box too. Things are getting better. This is going well.

Until we reach the third thing. The drivetrain. Nissan all-but admitted that the Juke’s 115PS 1.6 petrol engine was inadequate, and anyone with ears will attest to the aural agony of a Juke with a CVT automatic. And so now we get a 1.0 three-cylinder turbo with a tiny bit more power and torque (117PS and 180Nm), a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic gearbox and both driving a car that’s a little lighter. In theory this is win-win-win: quicker, more economical and – bonus – much more character. Officially it'll return fuel economy of 45.6mpg and emit 118g/km CO2. 

It’s the only engine you can have with your Juke for the foreseeable, too – there’ll never be a diesel, and even though there probably will be both NISMO and hybrid versions of this (and possibly even fully electric) none of that is confirmed. Alas, when paired together this engine feels underwhelming and the gearbox sluggish. It’s as though both have had their natural character engineered out: no snappy twin-clutch shifting and no three-cylinder mid range urge or distinctive growl.

This engine simply doesn’t need seven ratios, and aside from the dopey nature of the gearchanges and lethargic throttle response, the main issue is that the gearbox always wants to put the engine into the higher end of the rev range where it’s long since run out of puff. The result is noise and a frustrating lack of pace. For that reason the standard six-ratio manual gearbox is a much better bet, because it strangely makes the very same engine feel more powerful by allowing you to keep it away from the redline, and instead in the power band (such as it is) lower down.

Either way the Juke’s solitary engine feels like it could do with a few more horsepower, although it’s probably fair to say that few buyers will be overly concerned about a power deficit; Nissan readily admits that the need for relatively low CO2 emissions pegged power in this case. And, to be fair, it’s a decent enough engine – the auto gearbox is too, assuming all it’s being asked to manage is a very light right foot.

On that basis it’s mostly very refined too, presenting very little engine noise and with ride quality that the more sensitive backside might occasionally construe on the firm side – as ever, bigger wheels are an issue, albeit an avoidable one – but is largely supple enough. Comfy, in fact. We’ll have to caveat that for now though because of the glassy smooth Barcelona roads we’ve driven the car on.

Nissan Juke Mk1 (2010 - 2019)

Launched in 2010, the original Nissan Juke was given a midlife update in 2014. It’s quite tricky to bring a car like the Nissan Juke up to date, mainly because it already looks like it comes from the future. Nissan apparently realised this too, which is why the facelifted model looks a lot like its predecessor. The Sunderland built model has been tweaked where it matters though – there is more boot space, a new engine option and more customisation options.

You can now pick from a range of detail packs in an array of colours – so you can have a Juke with yellow, white, black or red trim details both inside and out. Couple those with the vibrant exterior paint colours and you can really add some contrast and make the Juke pop.

There are a few subtle styling tweaks too. The rear light clusters have been redesigned and look a little like those from the 370Z, while the bumpers have been reworked with an angular design. In pictures the updated car looks a lot like the old one, but in the metal the changes really come together to make the new Juke stand out – particularly the colourful trim elements.

These colourful details are also offered for the cabin, so the transmission tunnel, vent trims and various other details like the upholstery stitching can be finished in bright shades. This really improves the look of the interior but unfortunately the colour options are only offered on the higher trim levels, which means entry-level cars feel dull in comparison.

Nissan has worked on more than just the way the Juke looks though. Customers who bought the old model complained about a lack of boot space, so Nissan has increased the rear load volume from 251 litres to a more useful 354 litres. The boot is now deeper and there’s a handy false floor that makes the load deck flat, but it can be lowered to improve space for lighter items.

The rear row of seats folds down and, thanks to the false floor, you now get a flat load deck. That means loading and unloading big, heavy items like furniture is much easier than before. That said, the Juke hasn’t exactly been transformed into a delivery van - the hatchback opening itself isn’t the largest, so particularly bulky objects still won’t fit. The Renault Captur is better on this front.

Elsewhere, the cabin still the same limitations as before. The sloping roofline means rear seat passengers will struggle for headroom and there are a few cheap-feeling plastics in the cabin. Worryingly, the colourful gear lever and handbrake surround could be easily pried off in the two cars we tested, so the kicking feet of bored children could pose problems.

There is seat height adjustment on all models so – despite the lack of reach adjustment on the wheel - it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. Forward visibility is reasonable, though the same can’t be said of the view backwards. On the plus side, the Juke remains an enjoyable car to drive and Nissan has added a new 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine to the range that does a good job of blending performance and low running costs.

Emissions for the new engine are 129g/km which is adequate for a petrol-powered model with 115PS, while official economy is 50.4mpg. It’s a versatile engine thanks to a good spread of torque, which peaks at 190Nm. The 1.2 is at home in town or on the motorway, although for higher speed overtakes and twisting routes you’ll need to change down a gear or two. The gear change is slick and precise though, so that’s no hardship even on a spirited drive.

Nissan has continued the rest of the engine range alongside the new 1.2, meaning there is a 110PS 1.5-litre diesel, a 94PS 1.6-litre petrol, a 117PS 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol with 190PS. These have undergone minor tweaks to lower emissions and improve fuel economy slightly.

It might be a high-riding crossover, but the Juke is still good fun. The steering is well weighted and there’s little in the way of body roll through corners even when you push on. There is plenty of grip, so for enthusiastic drivers there’s a lot to like. That said, Nissan has worked on the suspension to make it more accommodating so at low speeds the updated Juke rides fairly well over potholes and bumps.

If you already like the Juke’s standout style then the tweaks will only add to the appeal. It’s now possible to make the car look even more striking, but with the added benefit of increased practicality and the impressive 1.2-litre petrol engine. Cars like the Renault Captur and Kia Soul might offer more versatility and space, but Nissan’s tweaks mean you should keep the Juke on your radar if you’re after a stylish crossover.