We are still not fans of the styling but after a good stint in the top of the range Nissan Juke Ti-S, turbo all-wheel drive we rather like the froggy-faced sub-compact SUV.
It's a five seater with five doors and a reasonable load space, and has been around in Europe for yonks -- but Nissan held off bringing it here until late last year as the sub compact SUV segment started to build momentum with half a dozen new offerings.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION / CHASSIS
Under the bonnet, there's a 1.6-litre turbo direct injection petrol four cylinder engine out of Nissan Pulsar SSS with a CVT auto and all-wheel drive called X-tronic. This powertrain combo allied to a torque vectoring system that selectively apportions power to wheels with more grip makes Juke Ti-S a better drive than the somewhat underdone Pulsar SSS.
The engine passes Euro 4 emissions and in this car, consumes some 7.4-litres/100km of 95 octane. A drive select system allows you to choose between Normal, Sport and Eco modes with comprehensive info for each mode coming up on the centre screen.
Steering is electric and the Ti-S gains a multi-link rear suspension to go with the strut front whereas front wheel drive models make do with a simple torsion beam rear end.
FEATURES
All models score a generous level of standard kit with the Ti-S drive car gaining "leather accented" upholstery, climate control, heated front seats, satnav, six speaker sound and button start. All models get Bluetooth phone and audio, multi wheel controls, remote keyless entry, rain sensing wipers and auto headlights. A rear view camera is only standard on the higher spec versions. It's fairly heavy at 1374kg but the engine and transmission make light work of motivating Juke.
DRIVING
Like the exterior, the interior grabs your attention offering a vast amount of info on screen and numerous controls. Juke certainly stands out and in the case of the test car, it has impressive performance and handling to boot.
The drive system offers selectable 2WD, 4WD and auto torque vectoring. But we wouldn't take it any further off road than made up gravel. The Juke has superior grip, drive and sits flat in corners and strong torque comes in low in the rev range.
It's a comfortable beast for four with adequate rear seat leg and headroom. Driver assist features are limited to the rear view camera on Ti-S, brake assist and the auto wipes and headlights. It gets a five star crash rating in Europe and should follow through with the same here. Nothing comes near Juke Ti-S in this segment for performance. It eats all of them.
VERDICT
Tops on performance, but we couldn't stand looking at that face every day.
Nissan Juke models and pricing
ST 2WD: $21,990 (manual), $24,390 (automatic)
ST-S 2WD: $28,390 (manual)
Ti-S AWD: $32,190 (CVT automatic)
Nissan Juke
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Resale: 50-54 per cent
Service intervals: 6 months/10,000km
Capped servicing: Yes
Safety: 5-stars (ST)
Engines: 1.6L 4-cylinder, 86kW/158Nm; 1.6L turbo 4-cylinder, 140kW/240Nm
Transmissions: 5-speed manual (ST), 6-speed manual (ST-S), CVT (ST, Ti-S)
Thirst: 6.0L-7.4L/100km (95 RON), 139-169g/km CO2
Dimensions: 4.14m (L), 1.77m (W), 1.57m (H)
Weight: 1166kg-1374kg
Spare: Space-saver
Nissan Juke 2014: Ti-S (AWD)
| Safety Rating |
|
|---|---|
| Engine Type | Turbo 4, 1.6L |
| Fuel Type | |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.4L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 5 |
| Price From | $12,650 - $16,830 |
Pricing Guides
Range and Specs
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* |
|---|---|---|
| ST (fwd) | 1.6L, SPEED CONTINUOUS VARIABLE | $9,020 - $12,650 |
| ST Midnight | 1.6L, SPEED CONTINUOUS VARIABLE | $9,790 - $13,420 |
| Ti-S (AWD) | 1.6L, SPEED CONTINUOUS VARIABLE | $12,650 - $16,830 |
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