2018 Nissan Juke Nismo RS she says, he says review

It’s the first performance compact SUV, so it blurs the line between hot hatch and crossover, in keeping with the current trend for sporty SUVs.

He: In theory I should love this, Ali, but I don’t. It combines two of the most popular types of cars we love to buy in Australia. The first problem, in my eyes, is the Juke is now eight years old (it didn’t arrive in Australian showrooms until three years after the rest of the world) and is far from a class-leader in the compact SUV space. So Nismo needed to wave its magic wand to make this car appealing. What are your first impressions?

She: I think it’s one of those cars you either love or hate the look of. It’s striking and bold, and has so many lights at the front that it’s almost insect-looking. Personally, I don’t love it. The interior, however, is a lot more favourable in my opinion. The plush seats are gorgeously padded and soft and the metallic charcoal trim pieces are a nice touch. But, as you said Steve, it is eight years old, and a lack of mod cons is immediately obvious when you take a closer look. The dashboard is complicated and locating functions and controls proved frustrating for the impatient (me). What did you think?

He: I think the whole car is showing its age, and while the Nismo touches - such as the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and sports seats - are nice, Nissan just can’t hide how in need of an upgrade the Juke is. I agree, the dashboard and switchgear looks cheap and isn’t intuitive to use. The Nismo elements, while good in isolation, just don’t gel with the rest of cabin.

She: As I said before, the seats were incredible and my favourite thing about the Nismo Juke actually, but it feels like they were just thrown into the car without any prior planning because they’re simply too big. They touch the door trims, so the seatbelt gets jammed up if un-clipped while the door is closed, and arevhard to pull past the seat unless the door is still open and seat adjustments are also hard to reach due to the lack of space. You could live with it, for sure, but for a car of this day, at this price, I don’t think you should have to.

He: That’s enough about the looks, time to talk about the heart of any hot hatch or performance car - its engine. The Juke gets a 160kW/280Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-pot petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission that drives the front wheels. On paper it has the credentials, but on the road it falls short. The engine’s numbers are decent but not mind-blowing. In fact, in the current hot hatch climate of 200kW and above the Juke Nismo is arguably in ‘warm hatch’ territory. It has good mid-range punch, but that comes with torque steer under hard acceleration and then it runs out of puff at the top of the rev range. What really bothered me, personally, was the high pick-up point on the clutch as it felt poorly calibrated and made for some awkward take-offs at times. Did you enjoy the engine more than I did?

She: I think it could’ve been more powerful, especially to deserve Nismo badging. Peak torque doesn’t arrive until 3600rpm which feels a little belated to me for a turbo motor and the significant amount of torque steer in first and second gears during an energetic take-off was surprising. I thought the manual gearbox in our test model was smooth and rather mechanical, which felt well-sorted for the most part.

On the road it was fairly agile, sitting flat around corners, but complaints can be heard from the back seat when cornering harder than normal, as there isn’t much side bolstering in the rear seats. A let down for me was the braking. The pedal had to be pushed quite low before you felt the car actually start braking, so those who enjoy touchy, responsive brakes will need some time getting used to these. How did you find the dynamics, Steve?

He: Honestly, I didn’t love the drive, but it grew on me. The taller body and higher ride height are natural enemies to good handling so Nismo was behind the eight ball trying to make the Juke a performance model. Compared to a traditional hot hatch the Juke feels top heavy and slow to react, but for what it is - a compact SUV - it actually handles well. You just need to put any direct comparisons with a hatchback out of your mind and enjoy it for what it is.

She: I want to be a fan of the Nismo Juke, but a lack of updated tech and safety makes it difficult. The faux-suede steering wheel and seats are great. But it doesn’t get the little things like smartphone mirroring or autonomous emergency braking (AEB). So, while driving a sporty SUV was a nice change from other not-so-sporty SUVs we’ve tested, I don’t see myself spending the $37,990 (plus on-roads) that Nissan is asking for this model.

He: Nissan and Nismo should be applauded for trying to do something different, but I think a Qashqai Nismo or X-Trail Nismo would be better as they are newer models that are superior to the Juke in my opinion. When you can get Drive’s Best Performance Car Under $60,000, the Hyundai i30 N, for only $2000 more, for those who value dynamics over the appeal of an SUV, it looks overpriced and under done.

2018 Nissan Juke Nismo price and specifications

Price: From $37,990 (plus on-roads)

Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 160kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 280Nm at 3600-4800rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive

Fuel use: 7.2L/100km