Nissan Juke: Off the beaten track

Nissan Juke. Photo / Supplied

Want fresh? It doesn't come fresher than this. Days after the first New Zealand-specification Nissan Jukes left the production line in Sunderland, near Newcastle in England's northeast, Driven was behind the wheel of one, heading for Edinburgh.

This very car will soon be shipped to New Zealand with the first batch of Jukes that will go on sale in February, taking over from the Tiida.

Although on sale in Britain for a year, the distinctive shape of Juke still turns heads because it's like nothing else out there. If you think the well-selling Qashqai was bold and unusual, a Juke makes it look almost conservative. Its lines generally work well but it's not a car for the unadventurous.

Paul Garside, head of Nissan's design centre in London, says Juke looks "radical and bold; it's a 'Marmite' vehicle that people will either love or hate ... but that's good because the worst you can have is people saying nothing".

Like the larger Qashqai, Juke looks like an all-wheel-drive (AWD) crossover, but one that has been blended with a sports car. Although AWD versions exist, it's a front-wheel-drive in New Zealand, available in ST or the better-equipped Ti specification, and likely to cost in the early- to mid-$30,000s.

It was a Ti that Driven took north to Edinburgh, a trip that turned out to be quite a workout for our flexible friend along mainly narrow, winding backroads lashed by unexpected rain, sleet and hail. It's a competent performer, with 86kW and 158Nm of torque driving through a CVT transmission. But dial in the Sport mode and everything cranks up a notch, with shifts closer to the red line and a feeling of more urgent progress.

On the other hand, it can be put in Eco mode for the best fuel consumption. Its official rating is 6.3 litres per 100km and CO2 output of 145g/km.

A relatively long-travel suspension helps make Juke a comfy ride. Interior noise is low, even at motorway speeds on harsher surfaces. The Ti rides on 17-inch rims with 215/55 tyres.

Juke's handling is precise but the steering wheel feels vague. A wide stance helps it in the bends.

A screen graphically shows such information as torque distribution, straight-line acceleration and g-force when cornering. More usually seen on cars like the Nissan GT-R, the display is said to be a first in the small-car segment - but do buyers of a car like this really want to know? And worse, it diverts concentration from the road.

The compact crossover is spacious for its dimensions - 4135mm long and 1765mm wide. There's room for five, plenty of headroom, and the boot takes just over 400 litres to the parcel shelf and 1470 litres with the seats flat.

Novelty console a non-starter

Juke got itself on the bad side of bikers worldwide after the release overseas of a video showing the car chasing motorcyclists and running them down in a parking garage. Why on earth ..?

Well, the car has an unusual motorcycle-inspired centre console and someone thought the video would be a bit of fun.

The car's stylists put lots of effort into the motorcycle console and it looks great on its own but, unless painted red, its effect is largely lost in the cab, where the seats and dashboard detract from its swishy lines.

Maybe not one of Nissan's best-ever design ideas, then.