• Summary
• What's Good
• What's Bad
• On the Road
• In The Cabin
• Prices and Specs
• Owners' Reviews

Latest Update 27-4-2012: Supplies of front wheel drive 1.6 petrol CVT automatics now coming through, with Nissan dealers quoting a 6 - 8 week delivery date.

Introduction:

The Nissan Juke was one of the most exciting and highly-anticipated cars of 2010 and it's easy to see why. With its outlandish looks and ultra-modern interior it still looks very much like the Qazana concept car it was based on, particularly at the front with that distinctive combination of angular lines and large round headlights. But the good news is that this isn't all form over function. The Juke not only looks great, it's also comfortable inside, good to drive and reasonably practical too.

But what most people are likely to ask is - what is it? Good question. It's another 'crossover', a style that was really sucessfully established by Nissan with the Qashqai in 2007 - a car that replaced the dull Almera. The Juke doesn't replace a current model in the range but is described by Nissan as a cross between a compact SUV and a sports car. It certainly stands out and is guaranteed to attract attention - if you want anonymity don't choose the Juke.

Built at Nissan's Sunderland plant, the Juke continues Nissan's approach of doing things differently. In fact it even manages to the Qashqai and the Murano look ordinary. This continues inside with a sporty and unique interior that's different from other Nissan models and features the clever Nissan Dynamic Control System on top models which switches from climate control to a drive control function plus a motorcycle fuel tank-inspired central console.

It drives well with responsive steering and a forgiving ride, plus has some good engines including a 1.5 dCi that is capable of a claimed 55.4mpg on average. As with the majority of crossovers, a 4WD is available. This gets the top 1.6 DiG-T turbocharged engine that develops 190bhp but surprisingly is only available with a CVT automatic gearbox. The 1.6 non turbo petrol engine with manual gearbox is frankly disappointing. It is noisy and the low overall gearing makes motorway cruising tedious as well as detrimentally affecting fuel economy.