Nissan Juke 2021 review: Ti

The Ti is the top-spec Nissan Juke, and while it comes packed with a lot of gear, there are some areas where it misses out compared to rivals.

With an MSRP of $36,490, our Ti is the most expensive version, sticking it squarely against similarly sized rivals like the Toyota C-HR (from $35,165), Mazda CX-30 (G20 Touring - $35,190), and Hyundai Kona (N-Line $36,300).

With an MSRP of $36,490, our Ti is the most expensive version.

I’ve drawn those rivals because not only are all three hugely popular and offering the kind of edgy styling the target buyer for the Juke will be looking for, but they also have one key advantage over the Juke, in that they can be chosen either as a mild hybrid, full hybrid, or electric.

Not having those options seems a dangerous flaw for a car that only arrived in Australia a year ago. There are other things, too. While the Juke’s specification covers off the main bases, for a top-spec variant there are tech areas where it is lacking compared to its rivals.

For example; while it locks in concept-car looks with huge 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and plush heated synthetic leather seats for the front passengers, there’s only an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen (some rivals will offer 10+ inch screens), no fully digital instrument cluster (even this car’s Renault Captur cousin gets one of these), no head-up display (Kona, CX-30), and no wireless charging.

It's got huge 19-inch alloy wheels.

Okay, so it’s a bit give and take with the spec, but I will say the Apple CarPlay connectivity, built-in navigation and tidy analog dash with a 4.2-inch TFT info screen between the dials worked seamlessly for me. Of particular note is the Bose sound system, which, even at low volumes, was superb and an unusual but perhaps fitting big-ticket selling point for an SUV that looks like this.

Privacy glass enhanced the black-on-orange tinge of our test car, as did the brightly coloured interior, which blends orange leather highlight pieces with matte silver and piano-black plastic highlights.

The Apple CarPlay connectivity, built-in navigation and tidy analog dash worked seamlessly.

Elsewhere, the Ti gets single-zone climate control, heated front seats, keyless entry and push-start ignition, tyre-pressure monitoring, ambient interior lighting with illuminated kick plates, and a surround parking camera.

The Juke has been designed to look great and feel great, but is still missing not only electrified engine choices but some high-end tech, too.

It's no secret that practicality was one of the worst elements of the previous-generation Juke. It had a tiny boot and back seat, next to no cabin storage, and woeful visibility.

The Juke is still a bit light on the cabin storage up front.

The great improvement with this new one is its migration to a global platform it shares with Renault’s new Captur. This means all of these elements have been thought about from a wider perspective. Both cars need to look good and function just as well to give them the best chance of success, and I think both brands have really achieved it this time around.

It’s not without its issues, though. The Juke is still a bit light on the cabin storage up front, letting potential areas for storage bays give way to its overt design elements.

The centre console, for example, looks impressive with its raised shift-knob and synthetic leather cladding, compared to the previous Juke, but offers only a pair of cupholders and a tiny storage tray (which barely fit my iPhone 12) for stowing objects. There is also a truly tiny console armrest box, and some small storage bays in each door, but that’s it for front passengers.

Rear passenger seating is impressive.

Thankfully, unlike the previous Juke, the front seats are superb in quality and finish, an area which is becoming a Nissan strong point. The soft synthetic leather trim continues into the doors, and even the seating position and visibility are much improved this time around.

Rear passenger seating impressed me. While entry isn’t as easy as it is for front passengers, thanks to those small coupe-like doors, I was surprised to find I actually fit comfortably behind my own (182cm tall) driving position with a little room to spare for my knees.

The excellent seat trim continues (although it’s a little more flat and less supportive than the front), and even the rear doors come with a single large bottle holder and soft strips for your elbows. Amenity-wise, there’s a USB outlet for charging and a small tray on the back of the centre console, but no adjustable air vents. The small and heavily tinted windows also conspire with the abundance of dark trim and headliner to make the rear seat feel a bit claustrophobic and hard to see out of, despite decent head and leg room for adults.

Thanks to some smart design, the Juke also has a surprisingly large boot. Coming in at 422 litres (by no accident a figure identical to its Renault cousin) it’s big for the small SUV class and has a wide, open, and mostly square space, which fit our entire CarsGuide luggage set with relative ease, even with the cover in place. The only issue owners might run into here is the tall rear bumper, which might make loading heavy objects a chore. Under the floor the Juke has a space-saver spare wheel.

Overall, there’s a bit more to the Juke than just looks. This is now a small SUV, which can haul decent amounts of luggage and four adults with relative ease.

This is where the Juke starts to fall behind. Coming with this new look and globally focused underpinnings is a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine in a rather messy looking engine bay. It produces a very average 84kW/180Nm. This lands it on par with its 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo C-HR rival, but crucially there’s no hybrid variant of any kind, which ultimately prevents it from getting near the front of the segment here.

The Juke Ti has a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

It is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and drives the front wheels only.

For various reasons this combination has its good points and its bad points, which we’ll look at in the driving section, but one thing worth noting is the transmission has had a software update for the 2021 model year to improve some of its less-appealing characteristics.

The Juke has a claimed/combined consumption figure of 5.8L/100km, courtesy of its small-capacity engine, placing it well amongst rivals.

Over a week of largely urban testing, our car returned a figure of 7.6L/100km, which is about right for this engine around town.

Because of its very European turbo engine, the Juke also requires mid-grade 95RON fuel. It may seem like this engine and transmission is offering up more than a few downsides, but it’s worth remembering this emissions-compliant combination will allow Nissan the economies of scale to sell this new-generation car in Europe.

The Juke is covered by Nissan’s class-standard five-year and unlimited-kilometre warranty, competitive with its key Toyota and Hyundai rivals, and offers a capped-price-servicing schedule.

This program is good considering this car’s complex drivetrain, with each 12 monthly or 20,000km service coming in with a yearly average cost of $382.67. Not bad compared to its rivals, and the long service interval is particularly welcome.