Nissan Juke vs Nissan Navara

What's the difference?

The Juke is a fun little car. It looks cool, it packs most of the important features and safety equipment, but while it can be fun to drive, it’s also a little clunky around town.

It’s so frustrating, because there is a great car in there somewhere, and it would take only small tweaks and enhancements to bring it out.

Although the D23 Navara is approaching a decade in local showrooms and due for replacement in 2025, the base-model SL still represents a fuel-efficient and competent workhorse with ample back-to-basics practicality.

Urban style is clearly what the Juke is about. It’s always been about this, but the original incarnation, while unusual, was a bit bulbous and awkward. The current version is a razor-sharp re-interpretation of the original.

Ugly duckling no more, the Juke blends the elements of Nissan’s current design language with its own unique take, in a clever way.

The roofline and bulbous face of the original car, complete with its ‘eye’ headlights are all maintained, but this time they look more contemporary with a splash of chrome and gunmetal plastic in the face, offset by gloss blacks running down the doorline.

The new light fittings look great and the curviness is also gently off-set with some sharp angles. The massive 19-inch wheels finished in a two-tone gloss black and aluminium brush keep this car looking like a concept come to life. Just don’t crash them into the curb. It would be very easy to.

The cool elements continue inside, with rotary air vents, a blend of textures, including a gloss grey for the vent claddings, with white stitching for the wheel, seat, and into the door cards, too.

There are touches of chrome about the place, and an ambient red LED light surrounding the shifter, which sits on its own little pedestal thing.

It’s quirky and punches above its weight when it comes to soft trims in the doors. Like most higher-grade Nissans the seats are pretty comfy, too, clad in a hard-wearing synthetic leather material.

But it won’t be for everyone, and it’s not without its downsides. The abundance of grey plastic down the centre console is a bit cheap, and the tech offering doesn’t match the youthful style.

The centre screen is adequate, but compared to many rivals it’s a bit small and dull, and the Juke is still missing a digital overhaul for its instrument cluster.

The black headlining, usually reserved for sportier cars, makes the cabin feel smaller than it is.

The cabin’s fabric-covered seats, wipe-clean vinyl floor and urethane-rimmed steering wheel/shifter are consistent with the SL’s work focus.

Reminders of its 2015 origins are numerous mechanical switches and dials on the dash (which we prefer to touchscreen versions), a steering wheel with only height adjustment, a mechanical rather than electronic handbrake, rear drum brakes instead of discs and analogue speedo/tacho.

Even so, its interior design still looks a cut above a base-grade ute, with a visually-pleasing and practical blend of chrome, satin chrome and piano black combined with two-tone upholstery.

The well-bolstered front seats are comfortable and supportive, but a larger and more defined left footrest would enhance driver comfort.

Rear passenger knee room is adequate for the two outer seating positions, thanks largely to the concave shape of the front seat backrests.

However, shoulder room is tight for three adults and headroom is marginal, particularly for tall people in the higher centre position who also must contend with a headrest that has insufficient height adjustment.

Like most dual cab utes, short of full-size US pick-ups, the Navara works best as a four-seater with the fifth seat limited to short trips. 

Off-road credentials include a 12.5-metre turning circle, 220mm of ground clearance, a 600mm wading depth and 32 degrees approach, 22.9 degrees ramp break-over and 26 degrees departure angles.

The Juke is a small SUV in the true sense of the word, sitting below the Qashqai which is more like a mid-sizer these days in terms of dimensions.

However, it’s quite cleverly packaged on the inside and is more useful than it first appears.

The front seats, for example, offer heaps of headroom and a surprising amount of width, and while the seats are manual, they’re pretty adjustable. I was able to find a great seating position.

There are big pockets in the doors with an integrated bottle holder suitable for even the largest bottles, although the centre console area is a bit less versatile, choosing its funky design over additional storage.

It features two good bottle holders, but a tiny armrest box and a shallow tray with one 12V socket and a USB-A outlet, as well as an auxiliary audio input under the climate controls.

On the topic of climate controls, I love the fact the Juke maintains a dedicated ventilation panel complete with buttons and dials for all the core functions. No touchscreen nonsense here.

The media screen, as mentioned, is a tad small, and falls victim to glare easily.

The stock Nissan software is a massive upgrade on the brand’s previous-generation products, but while it’s functional it’s far from the prettiest or the fastest on the market.

The back seat offers more space than you might assume, but it’s not as well thought-out as the front of the cabin. At 182cm tall I fit behind my own driving position with just enough space for my knees and just enough headroom.

There are decent bottle holders in the doors, and a further two small ones in the drop-down armrest. The backs of the front seats are clad in that synthetic leather material, which is nice, and have soft pockets, too.

The back of the front centre console offers just a single USB-A outlet and a small cubby. There are no adjustable air vents for rear passengers. It also feels a little claustrophobic back there thanks to the black trim on everything and smaller windows.

Boot capacity for the Juke is impressive for an SUV in this class, with 422 litres on offer, which is close to the volume we’d expect from something a size-bracket up, and 1305L with the second row folded down. There is a space-saver spare under the boot floor.

With its relatively light 2033kg kerb weight and 3150kg GVM, our test vehicle has a one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1117kg.

It’s also rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer. However, to tow that weight would require a substantial 740kg reduction in vehicle payload to avoid exceeding its 5910kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time). Even so, few (if any) Navara owners would need to tow 3500kg.

The load tub is almost square with its 1509mm floor length and 1560mm width. And with 1134mm between the rear wheel housings, it won’t fit a standard Aussie pallet but will take a Euro, held in place by a choice of four load-anchorage points.

In terms of cabin storage, the centre console offers open storage up front, two small-bottle/cupholders in the centre and a small lidded box at the back. There’s also a large-bottle holder and storage bin in each front door, plus a glove box and overhead glasses holder.

Rear passengers get a large-bottle holder and smaller storage bin in each door plus a fold-down centre armrest with two small-bottle/cupholders. The rear bench seat’s base cushion can also swing up and be stored vertically for more internal cargo space, or to access two small underfloor storage compartments.

Our 'Solid White' SL dual cab 4x4 test vehicle comes standard with the same 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel shared by all Navaras but ours has the optional seven-speed automatic, with a list price of $50,350.

This pricing and healthy 140kW/450Nm outputs make it more than competitive with base-grade 4x4 dual cab ute rivals including the Ford Ranger XL 2.0L auto ($50,880), Toyota HiLux Workmate 2.4L auto ($50,420) and Isuzu D-Max SX 1.9L auto ($50,700).

Our example is also fitted with a couple of items from Nissan’s genuine accessory range, including a load tub-liner and flush-fitting tonneau cover available at extra cost.

Being the base-model workhorse of the Navara’s 4x4 range, the SL’s no-frills standard equipment list is designed with hard work in mind, as evidenced by its 17-inch steel wheels and 255/65 tyres with a matching spare.

There are also halogen auto-headlights and DRLs, tailgate assist (makes lowering and raising easier), a reversing camera and rear diff-lock.

Inside is more useful kit including two 12-volt sockets, three USB ports, centre console cooling/heating vents for rear seat passengers and a driver’s 7.0-inch analogue instrument display enhanced with a digital speedo.

The six-speaker multimedia system has a relatively small (by today’s standards) 8.0-inch colour touchscreen, with multiple connectivity options including Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

In the Juke’s messy engine bay lies a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine which sends 84kW/180Nm to the front wheels.

Nissan has its own 'HR10DET' engine code for this unit but it’s actually a Renault 'H5Dt' engine as evidenced by Renault logos all over the place.

Power is communicated by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic which has been a source of strife for this car since it arrived. This very European engine and transmission combination is one which the Juke shares with its Renault Captur cousin.

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I would prefer a continuously variable transmission (CVT) which Nissan uses elsewhere in its range. It would solve maybe the main issue with this car, which we’ll explore up next in the driving section of this review

The Navara’s 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel produces 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1500-2500rpm. Its two-stage inline turbochargers (a small one for low rpm, a large one for high rpm) operate in sequence to provide vigorous response at all engine speeds with excellent economy.

A refined seven-speed torque converter automatic offers near-seamless shifting and the overdriven sixth and seventh gears enhance fuel economy at highway speeds.

Drivers also have the option of sequential manual-shifting to provide more direct engine control when off-roading or carrying/towing heavy loads. Its 4x4 transmission is dual-range, part-time and is equipped with an electronic rear diff lock.

One of the reasons this car comes equipped with a dual-clutch automatic is to chase fuel efficiency as well as emissions output. On paper DCT autos don’t suffer the inherent losses of a traditional torque converter transmission.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 5.8L/100km. My week of driving, weighted slightly more towards freeway conditions, produced a marginally higher average of 6.8L/100km. It’s not the claim, but it’s pretty good.

This little engine requires mid-shelf 95RON unleaded fuel, and the Juke has a 46-litre fuel tank, suggesting a driving range of 793km using the official fuel consumption number.

Nissan claims an official combined average of 7.9L/100km and the dash readout was showing 7.7 when we stopped to refuel after clocking up just under 600km on the first tank, which included a 400km-plus day trip from Melbourne to regional Victoria.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in at a slightly higher but still frugal 8.4L/100km which proves the fuel-sipping efficiency of diesels when highway cruising.

We covered another 168km in city and suburban use, with the dash claiming 8.6 compared to our own figure of 9.5, which is still thrifty single-digit economy for a two-tonne ute.

Therefore, based on our own ‘real world’ figures, you could expect a driving range of about 840km around town and up to 950km on a trip from its 80-litre tank.

The Juke can be fun to drive, and I wanted to like it more, but the transmission its peppy little engine is paired with is frustrating.

Outputs of 84kW/180Nm doesn’t sound like a lot, but power isn’t the problem. The little engine has a fun turbo-surge which pairs with the Juke's light frame to make for a car which is quite athletic when you push it.

The issue is a mountain of turbo-lag conspires with the clunky dual-clutch automatic to make it far too sluggish off the line.

There’s a full second (or two, at times) to wait for any power to arrive, which simply isn’t good enough at T-junctions and roundabouts, the kind of situations a little urban SUV like this will constantly be encountering.

Nissan says the transmission software was even updated after the Juke’s launch, but it’s still not where it should be.

It has good traits, too. When you’re out on the open road, it has quick, snappy and well-defined shifts, and the engine is much better when it’s being properly pushed, too.

It has a gruff, entertaining tone, and the Juke’s light frame, firm ride, and comparatively heavy steering make it a joy to throw into some corners.

The long wheelbase for such a small SUV, paired with a decent set of tyres, also keeps it confident when its predecessor was a little clumsy.

Again, though, the reasonably hard ride, not helped by the very large wheels, isn't its best trait in an urban environment. The Juke is by no means uncomfortable, it just seems like the priorities for this little SUV aren’t in the right place.

I’ve said this before but there’s a great car in here somewhere. The Juke is fun to drive in the right environment, it’s just this environment is not where most prospective buyers will primarily be looking to use it.

What could fix this issue? A different transmission perhaps. Better yet, an e-Power hybrid powertrain.

The driving position is comfortable for most shapes and sizes, even though the steering wheel does not have reach adjustment and the seat lacks adjustable base cushion rake or lumbar support.

The ride is firm when unladen but its four-coil suspension is absorbent enough to soak up the worst of the bumps. The steering feel is responsive and nicely weighted, combined with competent handling and braking that contribute to a positive driving experience.

It’s also impressively quiet at highway speeds, with low tyre and wind noise and an engine that requires less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h with minimal effort.

To test its payload rating we forklifted 830kg into the load tub, which combined with our crew of two was a one-tonne-plus payload of 1010kg. That was about 100kg less than its payload limit.

The supple coil-spring rear suspension compressed 80mm under this loading, yet its high ride height ensured there was still about 40mm of bump-stop clearance remaining, which proved ample in avoiding any bottoming-out on our test route. However, that’s not to say it wouldn’t with an extra 100kg on board.

It also excelled on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, with the seven-speed auto self-shifting down to fourth gear and just under 2000rpm (right in the middle of its peak torque band) to easily haul this load to the top.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, was also impressive for a 2.3-litre engine restraining more than one tonne of payload. Overall, the Navara proved to be a competent heavy-load hauler.

The D23 Navara earned a maximum five-star ANCAP rating when launched in 2015, but that rating has since lapsed with all Navaras built from January 2023 unrated.

Even so, it’s armed with seven airbags plus AEB, forward collision warning, trailer-sway control, a reversing camera, hill-start assist, hill descent control and more.

The rear seat has three top-tether and two ISOFIX child seat anchorage points.

Nissan offers the Juke with a five-year, unlimited km warranty, with five-years of roadside assist included.

It requires servicing every 12 months or 20,000km and the cost is subject to a capped price servicing program for the first six years.

This averages $651.33 annually, which is not cheap for a small SUV in this class.

However, there is also the option of a pre-paid five-year service plan which brings the annual cost over five years down to a more reasonable $429.60.

But, notably, it does not include the pricy $1521 sixth-year interval. It’s worth asking yourself how long you’ll own the car for before splurging on it.

There’s a five year/unlimited km warranty, plus five years of 24-hour roadside assist. Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/20,000km whichever occurs first.

Total capped-price of $3305 covers the first five scheduled services within five years, or an average of $661 per year.