Nissan JUKE 2015 Review

Since its 2013 introduction, the Nissan JUKE small SUV could well be described as niche. Certainly, its styling has divided opinion in its bravery and its sales figures, also have reflected that divide.

Refreshed for 2015, the JUKE’s sales YTD May have actually increased slightly, from 1017 to 1132 units according to VFACTS data. Looked at as a proportion of the small SUV market, however, the JUKE’s slice of that segment has actually reduced from 3.3 per cent to 2.9 per cent as the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V and its Qashqai sibling have entered the market.

The JUKE isn’t taking this lying down, however, with the introduction of a new (for the JUKE) 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol powerplant in the base model ST variant, available from $23,490 (plus on-road costs).

Coupled solely to a six-speed manual transmission, the unit shares commonality with the engine found in the Renault Clio and generates 85kW and a stout 190Nm at only 2000rpm. This powerplant replaces the naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre Series 1, which was cheaper to purchase (at $22,090 plus on-road costs) but had only five gears. It produced 1kW more – for 86kW total – but its torque figure of only 158Nm at 4000rpm tells you far more about the difference in everyday driving. The smaller turbo donk also slurps less fuel with a claim of 5.6L/100km versus 6.0.

Despite this the old 1.6-litre atmo lives on if you specify your ST with the CVT for an additional $1000.

For the Series 2 the JUKE adopts Nissan’s ‘boomerang’ headlight shape as seen on the QASHQAI and 370Z. Bi-intensity LED DRLs have also been added and the grille apes Nissan’s ‘V-Motion’ brand signature.

Exterior mirrors also cop side repeater LEDs and the rear bumper has been redesigned to add aggression via its boomerang-styled LED tail lamps.

The tested vehicle also showcases one of three new colour options, called Bumblebee yellow. It joins Magnetic red and Ink blue on the palette.

Packaging has also been vastly improved on two-wheel drive JUKE variants, with a revised boot area (which now houses a two-stage movable floor) helping grow luggage capacity to 354 litres, an impressive 40 per cent gain.

Although the higher JUKE grades gain in comfort and convenience terms, the JUKE ST remains pretty much as-before. There’s a single CD audio system with four speakers, MP3/USB/iPod connectivity and Bluetooth audio streaming, remote keyless entry, speed sensitive electric power steering, intermittent-capable rear wiper and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

On the safety front there’s stability control, anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, active break limited-slip and airbags to the front and side of both driver and front passenger with side curtain airbags running front-to-rear.

Translating these facts and figures to the road, the JUKE delivers a surprise with its sense of driveline refinement. From the smooth gearshift action and near-perfect clutch take-up to the sense of serenity at a cruise, Nissan has done a commendable job in isolating the cabin from NVH.

The small-capacity turbocharged engine is a massive improvement over the nat-atmo 1.6-litre petrol unit it effectively replaces, offering decent low-end torque from around 1700rpm. In fact, such is the low-end response improvement that the JUKE ST can spin an inside-front wheel when taking off from wet T-intersections if you apply too much throttle too soon.

As-tested fuel consumption was 6.8L/100km, worse than the claimed combined figure but incorporating a large percentage of city driving, where the idle stop-start functionality proves unobtrusive in its deployment.

Where the JUKE edges towards gimmicky is in its drive mode selections, complete with a ‘boost’ gauge on the centre display (that also doubles as a climate control screen at the press of a button). There’s Eco, Normal and Sport options, and the latter obviously alters the weighting of the electrically-assisted steering as well as adding a healthy dose of throttle pedal response. Eco backs off the air-conditioning and reduces throttle response significantly, while the normal mode feels about right for its intended market, though it’s slightly delayed response to throttle pressure reduces overtaking confidence.

Inside the JUKE’s seating is comfortable and the cabin offers good headroom and a high-set driving position which does good things for visibility. Less impressive is the interior finish, with cheap, easy to scratch plastic covers surrounding the centre console-mounted cup holders and a brittle-looking winged dash-top cover. Jumping in the back also reveals rear seating that is a little more cramped than expected, though two adults can share the space easily enough.

All passengers will experience a ride that on the firm side of comfortable, a response perhaps not in keeping with its raised crossover exterior. Multiple bumps can wrong-foot the damping, the JUKE unable to settle and going light through the steering in response. This indicates that rebound response is a little soft, not ideal on Australian roads.

When speed reduction is required, the JUKE’s wooden middle pedal is disconcerting. On several occasions a harder-than-expected stab at the pedal is required to haul things down, though this abruptness can trigger the anti-lock braking system quite quickly, felt in pedal kick-back and exacerbated by bumps, wet roads or a combination of both. Additionally, a near-complete lack of engine braking asks more of the stoppers than you may otherwise expect.

Factoring in the keen pricing of newer rivals, especially Mazda’s CX-3, and despite the upgraded drivetrain, improved packaging and individual looks, it would take some further added value to consider the JUKE ST manual over its more derivative opposition.