- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru He Fr Ar
Nissan Juke. Little dandy
The Nissan Juke is a compact SUV, which has been produced by Nissan since 2010. In 2019, the manufacturer introduced the second generation SUV. This very generation can currently be found in Israel (as of 2021).
The first generation
It was produced from 2010 to 2020. The first Juke was built on the Nissan V platform, just like the fourth generation Nissan Micra and the LEAF electric car. Based on the Qazana concept, Nissan’s production Juke sits between the Note minivan and the Qashqai SUV. It was 4,135 mm long, 1,765 mm wide and 1,570 mm high. The wheelbase was only 7cm shorter than the Note and 10cm shorter than the Qashqai, reaching 2,530 mm. This little Nissan is recognizable from afar due to its non-trivial design and unusual body shape. Its eye-catching and memorable exterior attracted many buyers.
The Juke was equipped with either front-wheel drive or the latest Nissan’s invention, an electronic All-Mode 4×4-i all-wheel drive system with an adjustable thrust vectoring. The Nissan Juke was equipped with the MacPherson type suspension at the front. The front-wheel drive versions were equipped with an affordable torsion beam at the rear, while the all-wheel drive cars used a multi-link suspension. In all-wheel drive modifications, the system divided the torque between the axles (the rear gets a half at the most). Interestingly, the car had two separate clutches in the rear wheel drive: one for each wheel. This system allowed controlling the thrust vector, thus improving the car’s cornering stability.
Modifications:
- 1.5 l, 114 hp, petrol, CVT, front-wheel drive;
- 1.6 l, 190 hp, petrol, CVT, front-wheel drive;
- 1.6 l, 190 hp, petrol, CVT, four-wheel drive (4WD): this modification was called ‘Four’;
- 1.6 l, 200 hp, petrol, CVT, four-wheel drive (4WD): this was the most powerful trim level from Nismo, the sports division of Nissan.
The standard trim level includes electric heated side mirrors, power windows for all doors, height-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, air conditioning with an in-vehicle filter, air ducts for rear passengers, on-board computer, dashboard brightness control, outside temperature sensor, multifunction steering wheel with audio control (radio compliant with Bluetooth and 4 speakers) and hands-free system. The Nismo trim level offered the exterior and interior made in a unique, sporty style. The safety of the vehicle was ensured by a variety of electronic assistants, front and side airbags. The compact SUV received the highest 5-star rating during the Euro NCAP crash tests.
This little Nissan is recognizable from afar due to its non-trivial design and unusual body shape. Its eye-catching and memorable exterior attracted many buyers.
The Nissan Juke was a typical compact urban SUV without a very roomy trunk. Thus, the standard trunk volume was only 251 liters, and with the rear seats folded down, it reached 579 liters. Unfortunately, the rear-row seats were quite tight due to the specific shape of the body, low headlining and narrowed rear door openings. On the other hand, the vehicle was easy to park and had an excellent maneuvering ability, and with a ground clearance of 170-180 mm, it could more confidently overcome small obstacles. By the way, the all-wheel drive versions could even travel in light off-road conditions, naturally, taking into account a CVT.
2014 restyling
Restyled in 2014, the Nissan Juke acquired LED headlights, a modified ‘arc’ around the logo, a rearview camera, Keyless Go and Bluetooth. There is also a new, more powerful MR16DDT turbocharged direct injection petrol engine. Standard equipment of the car included LED daytime running lights, heated front seats, electric mirrors and power windows.
Trim levels:
- XE offered air conditioning and exterior mirrors in body color, an on-board computer, an outside temperature sensor.
- SE was equipped with climate control, cruise control with speed limiter and steering wheel controls, Nissan Dynamic Control System with color multifunction display, audio system with CD/MP3 player, Bluetooth, USB/iPod, Arkamys surround sound system.
- SE+ included a rearview camera, navigation and Nissan Connect infotainment system with a 5.8-inch color touchscreen display.
- LE provided for leather seats, electric folding mirrors, Nissan Connect 2 advanced navigation and multimedia system.0, as well as the Nissan Safety Shield.
- The powerful Nismo RS was distinguished not only by a more powerful engine, but also by sporty accents in the exterior and interior.
The second generation
It has been produced from 2019 to the present (as of 2021). As before, the new Nissan Juke is a small, high rider car, but larger than before. With a length of 4.2 meters, it is somewhere between a miniature city hatchback and a small family car. This means that now adult passengers have enough space in the rear seats, even if adults are also sitting in the front seats, and the trunk has grown by 20% compared to the previous generation, to 422 liters.
The new Nissan Juke is based on the Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform (the fifth generation Renault Clio and the second generation Renault Kaptur are based on it). It has a relatively standard architecture with the MacPherson strut at the front and a torsion-beam axle at the rear. A transversely mounted engine drives only the front wheels.
Inside, the second Juke looks ordinary, but has several original details: round air ducts and color accents in some trim levels are eye-catching. The vehicle uses a full set of active safety systems and other electronics, and is also smartphone-friendly. In general, the layout is familiar: an adjustable driver’s seat, a small steering wheel and a gearshift lever located closer to the driver. As for visibility, you won’t see much in the small rear window, but a decent part of the hood falls within the field of view, and maneuvering at low speeds is as easy as when driving any compact mini-car.
The new Nissan Juke uses a full set of active safety systems and other electronics, and is also smartphone-friendly.
The 2020 Nissan Juke comes with only one 1.0-liter inline 3-cylinder engine. Thanks to the turbocharging, it can generate 117 hp (86 kW). There are two gearboxes to choose from: 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The new model doesn’t have a CVT. The dynamics are rather moderate: acceleration to 100 km/h occurs in 10.4 seconds (with a manual 6-speed gearbox). The 7-speed dual-clutch semi-automatic transmission adds 0.7 seconds to the acceleration time. The maximum speed is 180 km/h. The Juke has a choice of driving modes, including the Eco mode, which makes the gas too “viscous”, and the Sport mode, in which the steering wheel becomes too heavy. As usual, Normal is optimal as the car does not become sporty in any of the modes.
The 2020/2021 SUV is standardly equipped with LED headlights and an electric parking brake. The list of options includes Bose acoustics and a NissanConnect media system with an 8-inch screen. In addition, you can order the ProPilot system, which is an adaptive cruise control with automatic braking and lane keep systems.
