2015 Nissan Juke Review: New Donk, And Still Funky
What’s Hot: New 1.2 turbo engine is a sweet one, long feature list, still 'young fun'.
What’s Not: 1.2 litre not available with an automatic, interior a tad cheap.
X-FACTOR: Head-turning design for a modest amount of money, the Juke definitely knows its niche.
Vehicle Style: Compact SUV
Price: $23,790 - $33,490 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans:
85kW/190Nm 1.2 litre turbo petrol four | 6sp manual
56kW/158Nm 1.6 litre petrol four | CVT automatic
140kW/240Nm 1.6 litre turbo petrol four | 6sp manual or CVT automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 5.6 l/100km (1.2 manual), 6.3 l/100km (1.6 auto), 6.0 l/100km (1.6 turbo manual), 6.5 l/100km (1.6 turbo auto) | tested: 8.3 l/100km (1.6 turbo manual
OVERVIEW
The Juke was one of the earliest players in the compact SUV segment when it launched locally in 2013, and it’s also been one of the most polarising.
The styling is very much love-it-or-hate-it, the interior is far from roomy and depending on which model you pick, the driving experience is either yawn-worthy or full of torque-steering thrills.
Now we have an updated model. The range has been cut down to just the entry-level ST and top-shelf Ti-S, and there’s now a 1.2 litre turbo manual under the bonnet of the base model.
Some cosmetic enhancements strengthen its family ties to the rest of the Nissan range, but in all this is a mild makeover.
Is its funky design still fresh enough to lure small SUV buyers? We took the updated Juke on a brief launch drive in Melbourne to find out.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 3/5
- Cruise control, climate control, trip computer, power windows, LED daytime running lamps, heated front seats (Ti-S), xenon headlamps (Ti-S), leather upholstery (Ti-S), keyless entry and ignition (Ti-S).
- Infotainment: Bluetooth audio streaming and telephony, AM/FM/CD 4-speaker audio system, USB audio input. Ti-S adds: digital radio tuner, sat-nav, 5.8” colour touchscreen display, 6-speaker audio, internet connectivity via smartphone.
- Luggage capacity: 354 litres with rear seats up.
Quality issues remain with some of the cabin plastics, and the large areas of high-gloss (and easily-scratched) piano black plastic don’t look as premium as they’re supposed to.
The lower LCD screen (which displays climate control info, an economy meter, torque display or boost guage, depending on what mode you’re in) also looks low-rent thanks to a cloudy plastic cover, and the instrument binnacle feels thin and cheap.