Nissan Juke

On the inside of the Nissan Juke, the Japanese manufacturer has tried to make the things look cool and youthful. However, given that the Juke has not gone under a major change in all these years, the interior cabin has started to lose its sheen.

The three-spoke steering wheel with thin spokes does look sporty and minimalist and does get steering mounted audio and Bluetooth controls. The sportiness continues in the layout of the instrument console with two big round dials facing the driver, however, the MID screen looks dated.

The rounded trapezoidal central console houses a decent looking 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which integrates a 6-speaker audio system, reverse camera and navigation system. Below the screen are the buttons and colored display for the automatic climate control, which does look vibrant.

The Juke packs in quite a decent number of features essential for a crossover of this class, with the list including a push button, start with keyless entry, driver seat height adjustment, electrically adjustable and foldable rear view mirrors. Space is adequate for five passengers, however, taller occupants might find the headroom limited due to the sloping roofline.

On the outside, the Nissan Juke has got an unmistakable and individualistic design which does make it look quite unique. The overall design of the Nissan Juke is so extrovert that it still manages to look upmarket even after the fact that the basic design is nearly nine years old without a major change to it.

At the front, the Nissan Juke has got a different looking pattern for the main headlamp assembly, with the main round headlamp sitting below the flanking edges of the Y-shaped front grille. The front grille gets a V-shaped chrome accent, just like any other modern Nissan SUV, as well as bulging out boomerang shaped turn indicators sitting above the edges of the grille.

The side profile of the Nissan Juke looks quite muscular due to the presence of bulging out wheel arches and sloping down roofline. The rear door handle is nicely recessed in the rear door pillar, which gives the Juke a sporty looking two-door appearance.

At the rear, the Nissan Juke looks extremely curvy, thanks to the rounded rear hatch, sloping rear windscreen, and boomerang-shaped tail light assembly, thus making it look extremely sporty. Adding a bit more extrovert touch to the rear profile is the hexagonal shaped housing for the reflectors in the rear bumper.

The Nissan Juke is underpinned by a monocoque frame, with the vehicle getting Independent MacPherson Strut at the front and Torsion Beam Axle at the rear. The Juke feels planted and surefooted, thanks to the stiff setup of the suspension and the large 17-inch alloy wheels.

The Nissan Juke gets a single powertrain option, in which the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine is coupled to a CVT transmission. This four-cylinder engine is capable of pumping out a maximum power output of 116PS and a peak torque output of 154Nm of torque. While the engine feels eager in performance with linear power delivery, the CVT ensures that the transmission behaves in a smooth manner.

The Nissan Juke is equipped with only the basic essential safety features, which make it feel a bit dated in this aspect as well. The list includes only the presence of dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, seat belt pretensioners with load limiters and ISOFIX mounts for child seats.

To sum it up, the Nissan Juke generates a kind of mixed-bag opinions. While the overall theme of the design of the Juke still feels vibrant and distinctive, especially on the outside, the limited number of comfort and convenience, as well as safety features, makes the Juke feel dated. On the other hand, the spirited performance, as well as agile handling, makes the Juke a desirable vehicle for the enthusiasts out there.