The first generation of the Japanese crossover Nissan Juke polarized with its body design. Number two has been significantly smoothed out and now offers more space for passengers and luggage. The Nissan Juke is now only available with one engine version. For the test the Japanese was available in the N-Connecta equipment and with 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
❏ Body – Nissan Juke
After 10 years of construction and 1.5 million copies of the first generation sold, Nissan offers the new edition of the Nissan Juke on the German market since January 2020. Based on the CMF-B platform, the Renault-Nissan collaboration slimmed down the engine lineup to one variant and eliminated all-wheel drive in the future.
In the crossover SUV segment, this decision is understandable, because with 100% asphalt surfaces in the areas of use, all-wheel drive is superfluous anyway.
Visually, the Juke continues to accelerate the formation of individual opinions. You either love it or hate it. The front continues to be divided into overhead daytime running lights and LED headlights positioned below (standard), though the appearance now looks more coherent.
In terms of side lines, the Juke stays true to itself with a sloping roofline and the rear door handles are still integrated into the C-pillar. What was noticeable: the dimensions to the predecessor have increased significantly. An increase of 75 millimeters in length to 4.21 meters and 35 millimeters in width to 1.80 meters make the current generation look more grown up and fuller.
❏ Inside
In the interior, the Japanese let the Juke grow up in three ways. First, the wheelbase grows by 110 millimeters to 2.64 meters and thus offers the passengers on both rows of seats decent space – even for people beyond the 1.75 meter height is a ride on the back seat no longer an ordeal.
Trunk space grows from 354 liters to 422 liters, giving the choice of a flat load floor or maximum space. If the split rear seats are folded down, the cargo volume increases to 1.305 liters.
Finally, the plastic surfaces are clearly more valuable, the interior is cleanly finished and the displays and navigation screen are positioned for easy viewing. The high seating position, one of the main reasons for the popularity of this vehicle segment has also been carried over from its predecessor.
On the test drive from Frankfurt am Main to Hamburg, the seats offered pleasant long-distance comfort – only their adjustment requires some dexterity.
❏ Equipment& Assistance systems
Starting from the second equipment variant "Acenta" the 8'' color display with Touchscreen and "Nissan Connect" is installed with the Juke in series, whereby the TomTom® navigation costs an extra charge of 380 euro.
Apple Carplay or Android Auto can also be used, so the TomTom® unlock can rather be invested in other extras. For example, in the ProPILOT package for 1.160 Euro.
The standard lane departure warning and emergency brake assist are then joined by autonomous traffic jam assist, adaptive speed and distance assist, and 360° all-round visibility when parking. Then the Juke drives semi-autonomously in traffic jams and automatically keeps the distance to the car in front and its own lane. The system works decently for this price range and makes driving on long trips easier.
Winter package for 341.18 euros still includes heated front seats and heated windshield. The rearview camera, rear parking sensors, full LED headlights, traffic sign recognition, automatic climate control and ambient lighting are already included in the equipment variant N-Connecta.
The base price in the Visia trim level is 18.998.66 Euros and was in the tested variant N-Connecta with automatic transmission at 24.554,96 Euro.
❏ Engine
There is no difficulty in the choice of engines. Nissan provides only one option and installs a three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine with 117 hp and one liter displacement. The 180 Nm move the Juke decently through traffic and fuel consumption ranges from 5 to 6 liters (urban 5.9 liters/100 km, extra-urban 4.1 liters/100 km, total 4.8 liters/100 km).
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission works well with the 1.2-ton cross-SUV, but requires a typical second to think when starting up. The agile driving behavior does not detract from this. The Nissan has precise steering and doesn't completely isolate the occupants acoustically from the road – if necessary, the driving mode switch can be used to switch between Comfort and Sport. In 11.1 seconds it goes to speed 100 and at 180 km/h the Nissan Juke runs out of breath.
❏ Conclusion – Nissan Juke
If the first Juke was a polarizing crossover SUV for individualists, the second generation allows you to bring your offspring and has become a little more adult. The longer wheelbase does the handling good and Nissan continues to position the Juke attractively priced from 18.998.66 euros. Nevertheless, the appearance has remained independent.