Nissan Juke 1,6 DIG-T Tekna

TEN years ago, being a Nissan salesperson must have been a huge challenge. The company relied heavily on its Hardbody and 1400 half-tonner to boost sales while the Almera hatch and saloon hardly attracted droves of potential customers to showrooms.

But then things changed when the company introduced the 350Z, Micra and Murano in 2004. Not only did these models show that Nissan wasn’t afraid to take risks, but they properly kick-started a cleverly conceived new-product offensive that already gained traction with the popular X-Trail. Soon after, the Navara/Pathfinder combo, Qashqai, 370Z, GT-R and the new Micra, all highly respected within their segments, followed.

Taking this adventurous spirit to a new level is the Juke – a B-segment crossover that is aimed at those who want something more upmarket than a Micra but not as grown-up as the Qashqai.

No discussion of the Juke can exclude its oddball appearance; Nissan’s designers certainly thought way outside of the box when this model was penned. When the Juke rolled into the CAR garage, few team members experienced love at first sight. Some were not shy to describe the newcomer as ugly and, after we posted photos of our test car on our Facebook fan page, we were flooded with not-so-flattering comments about the styling.

The front has the appearance of a mini SUV and features a double set of lamp clusters (two round main units set either side of a Murano-like grille and two sleek triangular pods placed either side of the bonnet). In profile, the falling roofline gives the Juke a coupé-like appearance. The rear has a more conventional, hatchback look and, although not many of us liked the lamp treatment, it is perhaps the Juke’s best angle in a hodge-podge of divergent design cues.

The interior impressed far more than the exterior. There are swathes of hard plastic that nevertheless feel of good quality and the painted centre console – dark red on our test vehicle, with silver as the other option – does enough to lift the ambience and inject some character into what could have been a very dour environment.

This model, the flagship Tekna, boasts a nifty interactive display that either shows information on the climate control settings or, with the push of the D-Mode button, a driver-control system that even features a gimmicky but fun G-force meter. It also displays the three driving modes – eco, normal and sport – that influence throttle response and steering weight.

The height-adjustable driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive, but it takes a while to find an ideal driving position because there is no reach adjustment available on the steering column.

For entertainment, your favourite tunes can be loaded onto a flash drive or iPod and plugged into the six-speaker audio system that can be controlled from the sporty-looking steering wheel.

The Juke is marketed as a five-seater and entry to the rear is simple enough thanks to rear wheelarches that do not encroach too much into the door openings. However, due to the sloping roofline and compact dimensions, head- and legroom are fairly tight, which is a disappointment considering the tiny boot (144 dm3).

The 140 kW/240 N.m 1,6-litre turbopetrol fires up with a push of the start button to the left of the steering wheel before settling into a smooth idle. After engaging the first of six gears and lifting off the clutch, a fair amount of turbo lag is evident but, once the revs have crested 2 000 r/min, the engine is responsive and willing. We were able to reach 100 km/h from standstill in only 8,3 seconds.

Once on the open road, slower traffic is easily dealt with. Thanks to the healthy peak torque fi gure of 240 N.m, the Juke accelerates from 100 to 120 km/h in fifth gear in just 4,37 seconds.

With the 46-litre fuel tank (and based on our fuel-index figure of 8,28 litres/100 km), it has an es timated tank range of 557 km.

The suspension setup is a good match for the perky powertrain. Despite the electrically assisted steering lacking in weight and feedback, it is great fun to fling the Juke through corners. There’s some body lean in tighter bends but this is to be expected given the car’s lofty ride height. Yet the car is no one-trick pony when it comes to dynamics; thanks to relatively high profile tyres and sensible spring rates, passengers are well insulated from road imperfections.

With the standard fitment of ABS with EBD and brake assist, safety-concious owners would be relieved to know the Juke can stop from 100 km/h in 3,05 seconds. Should an accident occur, however, there are no less than six airbags.

TEST SUMMARY

Much like the Murano and Qashqai, Nissan has identified yet another gap in the market and, with the Juke, has managed to broaden the appeal of its crossover range.

Similar to the Mini Countryman, the Juke is a fashion statement. However, it has substance to back up the “style”; it’s a good driver’s car with a healthy turn of speed, is generously equipped and well priced. If you can live with the out-of-the-box appearance, it is very worthy of consideration.