Nissan Juke SUV (2019 - ) review

While the Nissan Juke doesn’t have a choice of engines, the one it’s got should be pretty cost-effective to run, with strong fuel economy compared to rivals. A hybrid version could follow, which will likely be attractive to those paying company car tax, but there isn’t one at the moment. That’s something that the Toyota C-HR and Hyundai Kona can offer. Price-wise, the Juke is pretty reasonable although can get quite pricey for the higher-end models. However, its predicted resale value is very decent, which could mean it’ll be cheaper to run over several years than plenty of rivals.

Nissan has a very good reputation for reliability, sitting in fourth place overall in JD Power’s 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study, which ranks the main car manufacturers. It also sits well in the top half of Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index, which looks at older cars, so that suggests a well-established level of quality. Should anything go wrong with your Juke, Nissan offers a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which is on a par with some rivals, but lags behind the five-year, 100,000-mile offering from Toyota or the five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty from Hyundai.

The Nissan Juke includes automatic emergency braking as standard on all models, with the capability of spotting pedestrians and cyclists as well as other vehicles. A lane departure warning system is also included on all models, as is traffic sign recognition, which displays recent signs on the dashboard in case you forget, for example, what the speed limit is. There are plenty of other safety systems available too, although some of only on higher-spec cars. Tekna models and above get an Advanced Safety Shield Pack which includes a suite of systems including blind-spot warning and lane keep assist, as well as various semi-autonomous features that will automatically accelerate, brake and steer for you (although you still have to keep your hands on the wheel). On automatic models, the system is called ProPilot, and enables the car to brake down to a standstill automatically. These are optional on lower-spec models. The Juke has two Isofix child seat mounting points in the outer rear seats.

There’s a quality feel to the interior of the Nissan Juke, with decent-quality plastics and plenty of soft-touch areas. Passenger space is much improved on its predecessor, with head and legroom for two adults in the back but three will be a squeeze too far. The boot is bigger too, as is the aperture that you load stuff in to. It’s not as capacious as a Volkswagen T-Cross, but it’s far from cramped and plenty would argue that the Juke makes up for it with its looks. There are two cupholders between the front seats and storage spaces in the door pockets and under the central armrest. The ride has a firm edge, at least on the larger 19-inch wheels that our test cars were riding on, reflecting the slightly sporty image that Nissan wants to cultivate, and that can mean there’s a fair bit of road surface information coming into the cabin through your backside. But that firmness means decently nippy handling while remaining comfortable enough for family use.

All versions of the Nissan Juke get bright LED headlights, which is impressive at this price. The entry-level Visia rides on 16-inch alloy wheels and comes with DAB radio and cruise control, but lacks the touchscreen infotainment system of other models. For that, you need to upgrade to the Acenta, which also gives you 17-inch wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a rear view camera. The touchscreen system is an improvement on previous versions, but not quite as slick as Volkswagen’s system. However, it also gives you various connected services such as Google Assistant and the ability to connect to a smartphone app, letting you monitor things like fuel level and whether or not the car is locked. You can also remotely flash the lights to help remember where you parked it. Bump up to N-Connecta trim and you’ll get satellite navigation from TomTom, which we’ve found a bit hit-or-miss in its route-planning, as well as keyless start and entry and a more advanced air-conditioning system. Tekna gives you 19-inch wheels and an upgraded Bose sound system, together with heated front seats, while Tekna+ adds two-tone metallic paint and personalisation packs that gives you extra paint bits on the outside and trim elements inside.

There’s only one engine choice in the Nissan Juke for now, a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit that makes 117 horsepower. It’s not the punchiest such engine on the market, but if you keep the revs up a bit it can make reasonable progress and is fine around town. Don’t be surprised to see slightly zippier engine choices in the future, but a Sport mode does make the throttle a bit more responsive than Standard or Eco mode. You can have a choice of a functional but slightly unpolished six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic. All Jukes are front-wheel drive, with no all-wheel drive model. There’s no hybrid version either, unlike the Toyota C-HR, although that could change in the future.