The discussion was loud about the appearance. - Tough? No, the ladies in the car don't think so. - A car for ladies? No, it came back again. - Inspection car, then? *Disdainful snort*.
2017 Nissan Juke N-Connecta G 86 Xtronic
Humvee, I think. The first type used by the US Army. The desert version with a slanted tarpaulin over the rear plane. Juke has an off-road feel about it. Black plastic at the bottom. 17 inch wheels and large side mirrors. I like the marker lights on the upper side of the front fenders, - like the Mercedes Geländewagen. But "our" Juke does not have four-wheel drive. Still, it's a lot of car for around 250. If you want four-wheel drive, you're forced to choose the most expensive drivetrain with a price tag well up to 000. Regardless of whether you like the look or not, the Juke is not an exclusive car. It is a practical everyday car that competes with the Renault Captur and Citroën C400 Cactus.
There is a bit of a cheap car feeling over the interior of the Juke. The sound when you close the doors reminds me of the Sunny I had in the eighties. The entire dashboard consists of very hard plastic with the exception of the small cap above the instruments. The orange display between the clocks is so cheap that it is almost unreadable. The infotainment system with navigation and reversing camera enhances the impression somewhat. The panel for climate and driving mode creates a splash of color without providing any particular added value.
We like the comfort of the seats - also on long journeys. I am 1,88 tall and the second driver, my daughter, is 1,62. The seat back is not infinitely adjustable. I could imagine a position between two tricks. The space in the back seat is perfectly fine. The small rear windows and the wide C-pillars mean that you can almost feel a little secluded there. Interior sound comfort is very pleasant. In a class with far more expensive cars.
On the road, the Juke feels light. The light weight combined with high bodywork is definitely not an advantage when driving in strong winds. With a net weight of less than 1200 kilos er the car is actually quite light, although the light feeling is also connected to the fact that it is somewhat firmer in the suspension than, for example, the Renault Captur. I like that tall cars lean more than regular cars. Then it is easier to know where the boundaries are. But of course I trust that Nissan had moose testers in mind when they designed the electronic stability control. I know some local twisty mountain roads here in France, roads that put the undercarriage to the test - a test the Juke passed by a fair margin.
"Our" Juke has an automatic transmission, Nissan's Xtronic, which is actually a CVT solution. If you want an automatic transmission, you can choose between three drive units, - two expensive turbo-fed petrol engines at 190 and 214 HP, or an aging 1,6 MPI engine of 117 HP (G 86). "Our" Juke is equipped with the latter engine. It produces 117 HP at 6000 rpm and a torque of 158 Nm at 4000 rpm. There are no startling numbers. On paper, it is still more than enough to give fresh kicks, had it not been for the CVT box and the electronics that control the shifts.
You can choose between three different driving modes, Normal, Sport and Eco. Eco mode works well in quiet city and country driving, but not at European motorway speeds, - and not on inclines. Then you have to use Normal mode to avoid stomping holes in the floor under the gas pedal. Sport mode is more entertaining because the gearbox seems more responsive and shifts faster. The downside is that the CVT gearbox allows the engine to run at higher revs before shifting up. In city driving it feels fussy. So far, I have driven mostly in Normal mode, but after two quick gas fills, I want to reduce the gas consumption somewhat. Eco mode locks the gearbox in high gears and thus provides both a fuel-saving effect and a comfort effect. Today I switch between Eco mode and Normal mode. I want a smarter, dynamic Eco program that automatically adapts to road and driving conditions. Not just a program that constantly throttles the gas.
Place
The luggage compartment is divided into two parts with a horizontal dividing plate. With the dividing plate in place, you get a flat loading floor, but limited loading height. The sloping rear window steals quite a bit of cargo height. You could probably say that the luggage space suffers a little because of the special appearance.
Inside, the Juke feels quite roomy for its size. The upright shape provides good legroom both in front and behind, - as well as good headroom.
Safety
The overall safety score according to NCAP is on par with the Nissan Qashqai and Renault Captur, - and better than the Citroën C4 Cactus. NCAP points to a risk that the hard plastic in the dashboard and center console could cause thigh injuries for the driver and passenger. There is also a fairly high risk of rear seat passengers suffering whiplash injuries. Report from Euro NCAP.
Economy
"Our" Juke with automatic transmission costs NOK 291. Annual fee and winter tires are additional. If you choose a 300-speed manual transmission, you can get the 6 DIG-T engine. It is a turbocharged and more tax-friendly engine for NOK 1,6 (almost NOK 251 less). The latter price gives a lot of car for the money. But be aware that a new model of the Juke is expected to arrive later this year. The can give a somewhat higher loss of value on outgoing models.
After refueling twice last week, I got the impression that the Juke was a real gas guzzler. But measured petrol consumption is still "only" 0,623 liters per mile. The petrol tank is relatively small, only 46 litres, which explains the frequent visits to the petrol station. The measured fuel consumption is for mixed driving along country roads, motorways and in the city.
Conclusion
The Nissan Juke looks different from other cars. I think it's nice that not all cars look the same. I don't think the Juke would have been as popular if it had looked ordinary.
I recommend the Nissan Juke, but not with the same drivetrain as "our" Juke. Choose instead the 6-speed manual gearbox with the more tax-friendly, turbocharged 1,6 DIG-T engine. The CVT gearbox is unfortunately only supplied with an older MPI engine which could have worked well on the light Juke, but not together with the CVT gearbox and the electronics that control the shifts. The drivetrain seems old-fashioned, compared to the best of today's automatic solutions for small cars, for example Volkswagen's DSG. You get ahead, but lose a lot of the driving pleasure.
Juke passes the test as a daily means of transportation for short and long trips. It is easy and good to drive, and you gradually get used to its appearance. Here in the South of France, the Juke is a popular car. Perhaps not so much for young cool people who want to live an active urban life - as the advertising suggests. Most of the people I see behind the wheel here in France are well into their years. They probably like tall cars that they can get straight into - maybe with a CVT?
Ditch the CVT automatic. Choose a fresh color instead. Then you get an "Urban Crossover".
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