ROADTEST: NISSAN JUKE 1.6 SPORT:SO WHAT exactly is the Nissan Juke? Is it an SUV? Well, sort of. Is it a small family hatchback? Well, a little bit, yes. Is it easy to put into a category? Absolutely not.
In Ireland, we like to be able to label things, including cars. But we are getting around to the idea that some cars don’t necessarily slot into the traditional genres of small car, saloon car and so on.
Nissan’s Qashqai, for example, gives buyers lots to chew on. First, they have to get their heads around the name, which seems to be as difficult for many people to spell as it is to pronounce.
Then they have to figure out what it is. Is it an SUV? Or is it just a tall family hatchback? As it turns out, this matters little as people are buying the new models in their droves.The Qashqai is helping to give Nissan’s sales in Ireland the defibrillation that that’s preventing it from plummeting down the charts. There is no decent replacement for the Almera as the Tiida just doesn’t cut it. So the Qashqai gives Nissan customers a proper alternative.
It also gives Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus customers an attractive option too. It’s a surprise success and a runaway one at that.
So with news of the impending arrival of the Juke, it seems that Nissan is attempting to capitalise on the triumph of its older brother. Then we see the pictures.
The Juke is almost beautiful. It is muscular, funky, playful and cheeky in its design. Unless you are immensely tall, however, the styling at the front just looks a little weird.
The instant response at the early shots from many commentators, this one included, is one of horror. What have they done? Surely it is a no-brainer to take the successful recipe of the Qashqai and just put it in a smaller cake tin? Instead they appear to have added coffee-flavoured icing which instantly divides opinion on their latest car.
The Juke had first shown itself as the Qazana show car – another name that would have been tricky to wrestle with – and very little has changed from the original, radical design.
The front is obviously the most contentious part of the Juke, with the pretty headlights overshadowed by those massive round spot lights at the front. They put the face a little off balance.
The rear is much better. Its boomerang lights could be straight off the 370Z coupé and the muscular arches give the whole car a chunky, sporty look.
Now that the Juke is here and we spend a week in it, oddly, the quirky looks seem to have grown on us.
The hidden rear door handles make it look like a three-door although it is a five-door, which is all the more practical. And yes it will divide opinion, but nobody will ever accuse of it being dull.
When it comes to size, think of it as similar to a generous supermini, but with the elevated driving position that is so coveted these days. Above all it is fun.
Step inside and the interior is radical. The centre console is based on the design of a motorcycle fuel tank with the gear stick sitting on top of this “tank”. According to Nissan, this allows for somewhere to brace your knees during spirited driving.
The centre stack houses allow the driver to alter drive settings as well as make changes to functions such as climate control. Drivers can use the control panel to switch between three driving modes: normal, sports and eco-drive.
There is plenty of space in the front, but things get a little tighter in the back, so lanky passengers might grumble. The boot space is good if not brilliant, but there is a storage space under the floor and the seats can be folded flat.
The Juke is unashamedly sporty in its intent. So is this just a styling quirk or is it actually fun to drive? Yes it is. It is a hoot.
As soon as you jump on board, it feels perky and interesting. This is something you can seldom say about a car that costs less than €20,000 these days. Despite its tall stance, it has go-kart-like handling, which puts a smile on your face. The suspension is stiff enough that there isn’t that much body roll and there is plenty of feedback from the steering, which is really very eager. The ride is very much on the firm side but it wouldn’t be described as uncomfortable.
There is a choice of two engines in the Juke initially. We were driving the 115bhp 1.6-litre petrol, which is naturally aspirated. While it needs to be worked reasonably hard to get the best out of it, it isn’t a bad engine.
We’re disappointed with the gear change in our test car, which feels a little uncomfortable, but we like the fact that its short throws make it feel like it’s lifted straight from the 370z.
The other engine choice is a 108bhp 1.5-litre diesel and, while many buyers will be drawn to this, there is no tax penalty in buying the petrol version. Both the petrol and diesel engines have emissions of less than 140g/km putting them into motor tax band B. The diesel models attract a €2,000 premium.
Nissan offers three trim levels: XE, SV and Sport. The entry-level Juke is a 1.6-litre XE petrol model priced at €18,195. This features 16-inch alloys, CD stereo, six airbags, electric windows all-round, electronic stability control and air conditioning.
Those who pay an extra €1,300 get the SV specifications, which include 17-inch alloys, front fog lights, Bluetooth, cruise control, a leather steering wheel with stereo controls, dual-zone climate control, a USB port and body-coloured door mirrors and handles.
Sport models, like the one we drove, get 17-inch wheels, tinted windows, red interior trim and a bright red centre console. The premium is €500 over the SV.
Four-wheel drive cars must be ordered, while automatic models with continuously variable transmission cost an additional €2,900. Later, a 190bhp 1.6 Turbo will join the ranks, which should make better use of this pretty talented chassis.
The value on offer is very difficult to fault, especially when you can get the really well-appointed version we were driving for a fiver under €20,000.
With this car, Nissan isn’t really bothered about rivals. Like the Qashqai, the Juke is likely to attract a broad spectrum of buyers, although the styling may be a little too daring for some.
Nissan says it might attract customers who would have chosen a Mini, a Citroën DS3 or a well-appointed Ford Fiesta. For the price, we think the buyer is getting a lot of car and a very likeable one at that.
When compared to more expensive offerings, such as Audi’s new A1 and the Mini Countryman, it is probably a better buy. So expect to see quite a few Jukes with 2011 plates next January.
FACTFILE
Engine: A 1,598 4-cylinder petrol
0-100km/h: 11.1 seconds
Max Speed: 178 km/h
BHP: 115
Consumption: 6.0l/100km (47.0 mpg)
L/100km (mpg):urban 8.0 (34.9); extra-urban 5.2 (53.3); combined 6.0 (47.0)
Emissions: 138g/km
VRT: 16 per cent
Motor tax: €156
Price: €19,995
