London - Nissan made a bold design statement with the original Juke, so there was no need to reinvent the wheel when it came time for a redesign. What Nissan’s stylists seem to have come up with is a vehicle that’s still striking enough to turn heads, but with a more grown up look and feel. It’s as if they added a dash or two of Qashqai to the original recipe.
As with its predecessor, the second-generation Juke is aimed primarily at the European market, and the new one aims to retain the fun factor of the original, but in a more mature package. To that end, it is larger yet 23kg lighter than before, having shifted onto Nissan’s CMF-B platform. Boot capacity increases by 20 percent to 422 litres, while those in the back will enjoy 1.1cm more head room and 5.8cm of extra knee space.
Interior designers have gone for a more upscale feel, with additional soft-touch materials on the dashboard, door trim and foot wells as well as optional Alcantara seat upholstery.
Buyers also have multiple colour options for the interior upholstery as well as the exterior body and roof, while customisable bumpers and side sills are also on the menu, along with alloy wheels measuring up to 19 inches in diameter.
Powering the Juke is Nissan’s latest 1-litre DIG-T three-cylinder turbopetrol engine, which produces 86kW of power. It can be mated to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automated transmission with steering-mounted shift paddles. As before, it comes with a driving mode selector that allows drivers to choose between Sport, Standard and Eco modes.
At this stage there is no word on whether Nissan will again offer a high-performance 1.6-litre turbopetrol version.
On the tech front, the Juke is available with Nissan’s latest array of infotainment and driver assistance gadgets.
The new NissanConnect infotainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and offers on-board Wi-Fi as well as TomTom Maps & Live Traffic. Customers can also remotely lock and unlock their vehicles from their smartphones, as well as check tyre pressures and oil levels, while its compatibility with Google Assistant allows them to send destinations to the car’s navigation and even control functions like the central locking and vehicle lights.
Available driver assist gizmos include the ProPilot semi-autonomous driving system that assists with steering, acceleration and braking as well as Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Recognition, Intelligent Lane Intervention, Blind Spot Intervention and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
The UK built vehicle goes on sale in Europe from November this year, although at this stage is has not yet been confirmed for South Africa.