Test drive: the keys to the success of the pioneering urban SUV

The Nissan Juke has a groundbreaking design, exceptional dynamics, a very refined range of engines and has improved its practicality compared to the original model.

The Nissan Juke is a veteran car with a young spirit, a passionate car that never leaves anyone indifferent and that has adapted with great success to the demands of a segment it created and which is now booming, that of the SUV urban crossovers. As with the Nissan Qashqai, the Japanese manufacturer was the first to launch an urban SUV on the market back in 2010: the Juke. It comes as no surprise that this model has been so successful over the years after testing its latest version. The Juke still offers a groundbreaking design and a very special character that sets it apart from the rest of its rivals. But now it has also improved its practicality, which makes it a complete and versatile urban SUV for daily use too. We took the wheel of the Juke GT Sport PlayStation, the latest special edition inspired by the video game that bears its name, and we explain why the Japanese SUV is one of the best in its class.

Driving dynamics: more compact than an SUV

Beyond its distinctive styling, the dynamic behaviour of the Nissan Juke is undoubtedly one of the aspects in which this model stands out most from the competition. When driving it, you do not get the feeling of being in an SUV, but rather in a compact car (the Ford Focus, Seat Leon…). The elevated driving position is the only thing that reminds you of the car you are driving. Otherwise, the feel offered by the Juke’s chassis cannot be found in any other urban SUV on the market.

The bodywork of the Nissan Juke barely rolls in corners compared with cars that are more focused on comfort than on driving agility, such as the Renault Captur or the Peugeot 2008. The car stays flat and changes direction with surgical precision for an SUV, all thanks to the firmness of the suspension and a direct and communicative steering.

When going over speed bumps, the suspension may perhaps feel a little firm on this GT Sport version with 18-inch wheels (225/45 R18), which this special edition comes with as standard. You never feel uncomfortable because of it, but if you are looking for an extra touch of comfort and don’t mind sacrificing some visual styling, you can fit the standard 17-inch tyres (215/55 R17), whose taller sidewall allows the tyre to flex more when absorbing impacts. These tyres would also slightly reduce the vehicle’s consumption compared with the 18-inch ones thanks to their narrower width, and you can find them as standard on almost all versions of the Juke.

Engine range: refinement and performance

The unit we tested has the 115 CV DIG-T petrol engine, a 1.2-litre turbocharged unit that we recommend for its refinement and good performance. The engine pulls very cleanly and smoothly across the rev range, with strong pulling power from very low down (around 1,500 rpm) and almost all the way to the top of the range.

The official performance figures quoted for this engine (115 CV) are really well achieved, to the point that its pulling power matches that of an engine like the 1.0 EcoBoost (125 CV) fitted to the Ford EcoSport, one of the benchmarks in the segment.

This is an engine that offers spectacular ease of use thanks to its pulling power and its low levels of noise and vibration; in this respect the Juke feels like a high-end SUV. Let’s remember that it is a 4-cylinder, with the advantages that brings over modern 3-cylinder engines, which are increasingly common in this category.

The official consumption of this engine is 5.6 litres/100 km, but in real life we find a figure closer to 7 litres. This consumption is average for its category among engines with equivalent performance. The ECO driving mode is a great help when it comes to achieving low consumption, since it limits the delivery of power during acceleration so you don’t have to worry too much about how you use the right pedal to save fuel. If, on the other hand, you activate SPORT mode you get the engine and chassis at their maximum performance (steering and damping are firmed up), though consumption rises to as much as 10 litres if you accelerate hard.

The Juke’s engine range also offers three other petrol engines – two naturally aspirated 1.6s (94 and 117 CV) and a powerful turbocharged 1.6 of 190 CV – and a 1.5 diesel engine of 110 CV.

The naturally aspirated petrol engines do not have the advantage of the latest-generation turbocharged engine we used in this test, whose consumption, performance and refinement are clearly superior, all with a smaller displacement.

The most powerful unit in the range, the 1.6 DIG-T engine with 190 CV, is the only one that is available with four-wheel drive, although we only recommend it if fuel consumption is not one of your main concerns and you prioritise sporty performance.

Finally, the 110 CV diesel engine is the more sensible alternative to the petrol engine. Its consumption is slightly lower (an official 4 litres, easily under 6 in real use) and its pulling power is similar. This engine is a good option if you are going to do a lot of miles in the car, especially on the road. If, on the other hand, you usually drive in town, we still recommend choosing the petrol engine, since in urban areas it is more efficient than its diesel counterpart.

Practicality: more practical than ever

The Nissan Juke has never aimed to be a reference in this respect (it excels in other areas), but perhaps the lack of practicality in the early versions held the whole package back, something that does not happen with the current Juke. The latest version (which arrived in 2014) of the SUV improved its practicality to the point of ranking average for its category when it comes to practicality and interior space.

Its boot now offers a generous capacity of 380 litres; to give you an idea, this is more than enough space for four cabin-sized suitcases (with approved cabin-baggage dimensions). In addition, the rear seats can be folded down completely, leaving a very useful load space for transporting large items.

Besides the boot, the Juke’s latest update brought with it many other improvements, the most notable being the addition of a large armrest between the front seats. We really liked this element for the comfort it provides both to the driver and the front passenger, since it offers more than enough room for both to rest their arm, avoiding uncomfortable rubbing.

The Juke’s front seats offer excellent comfort and support, especially in this GT Sport PlayStation version, which comes as standard with a mixed leather and Alcantara upholstery. The perceived quality of the finishes of this special edition is really good; at no point do you feel like you are in a car that costs just over 18,000 euros.

Price and versions: from €12,900 with extensive standard equipment

The Nissan Juke offers a great standard-equipment-to-price ratio. These are the SUV’s prices across its different versions (financing the car through the brand, which includes 3 years of free maintenance):

• Nissan Juke Visia: from €12,900
• Nissan Juke Acenta: from €13,900
• Nissan Juke N-Connecta: from €16,390
• Nissan Juke Tekna: from €18,940
• Nissan Juke GT Sport PlayStation: from €18,378

The Nissan Juke is available from €12,900 with the 94 CV naturally aspirated engine, but this basic version is not the most recommendable, considering that for €1,000 more you can get the Acenta version with the 115 CV DIG-T petrol engine and much more interesting standard equipment: cruise control, dynamic control system, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights and tinted rear windows, among others.

The N-Connecta version offers for €16,390 the following standard equipment: automatic headlights and rain sensor, NissanConnect infotainment system with a 5.8-inch touchscreen (allowing you to use smartphone apps in the car), black interior design pack, rear-view camera, push-button start and keyless entry.

The Tekna version offers for €18,940 the following standard equipment: blind-spot assist, unintended lane-departure warning, 360º camera, xenon headlights, leather upholstery, heated front seats and 4×4 traction system (when fitted with the 190 CV DIG-T engine).

The version we lived with during this test, the GT Sport PlayStation, offers a sporty design pack and includes the following standard equipment: black trim on the front headlights and mirror housings, 18-inch alloy wheels, halogen headlights with off-delay system, mixed leather/Alcantara upholstery, Nissan Connect infotainment system, black interior design pack, GT Sport vinyls on the bonnet, roof and sides, GT Sport door sill protectors and GT Sport-branded personalised floor mats.

All versions, except the Visia, come as standard with the 115 CV DIG-T engine. If you opt for the diesel counterpart, the price rises by an average of about 1,800 euros across each version.

To put these prices in context, the Nissan Juke costs about the same as the Renault Captur, which starts at €13,120, and is cheaper than a Peugeot 2008 (available from €16,790).

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverNissan Juke15 versions · from 25,275 €