Nissan Juke (2020) Review

Caroline drives the 2020 Nissan Juke.

The Nissan Juke has stepped back into the compact crossover segment in 2020 with a new generation of this popular model. Originally devised as a compact follow-up to the highly successful Nissan Qashqai back in 2010, the Juke was a pioneer of the small SUV, a segment which has now really taken off in Ireland in Europe. The first generation Nissan Juke went on to sell 1.5 million around the world and has been a hit in Ireland too, with this car maintaining high visibility on Irish roads.

What’s new for the 2020 Nissan Juke?

Now it’s back with a contemporary new look, new interior and more technology than before. Power comes from a petrol engine, with the choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. Customisation is still a feature with colour packs available and a contrasting roof option. The range kicks off from a competitive €21,995.

Touted as a ‘coupé crossover’, design is a key strength of the new Nissan Juke. It stands out in the small SUV/crossover segment for a strong, characterful design that is anything but boring. Split level headlights give the Juke a mature and unmissable road present, with the iconic circular lamps now featuring a Y-shaped LED signature.

A range of 11 body colours are available with 3 contrasting roof colours available. The N-Design grade on test for Changing Lanes (from €26,950) allows customers to personalise the appearance of their car. 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels complement a range of two tone colour options, including a different coloured roof, bumper trims and other highlighted exterior parts.

Inside the new Nissan Juke

The 2020 Nissan Juke has an all-new interior and it is a welcome improvement. It’s cool and concise, and befitting of a modern crossover. All but the very entry model have an 8” touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Nissan is offering more style and comfort with ambient lighting and new soft-touch materials on the dashboard, door trim and footwells feel. Monoform seats with a single-piece backrest add a sporty look and can be trimmed in Alcantara^® or leather.

The new Juke is now more spacious inside than its predecessor. Rear seat knee room has been increased by 5.8 cm while there is about 1cm more headroom. The boot volume is up by 20% to 422 litres.

What’s the Juke range like in Ireland?

The new Nissan Juke goes on sale in Ireland with a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with 117 hp. It’s paired with a six-speed manual gearbox or a new seven-speed dual clutch automatic.

There are five trim levels – XE, SV, SV Premium, SVE and N-Design. Standard equipment on Nissan Juke XE (from €21,995) includes 16-inch steel wheels, LED headlights, air-conditioning, a 4.2-inch TFT screen between the dials on the instrument cluster, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, cruise control and hill start assist.

The SV model (from €23,650) adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear view camera, a Wi-Fi hotspot, touchscreen and voice control recognition.

The mid-range SV Premium (from €24,650) adds LED fog lights, tinted rear windows, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, and electric/heated door mirrors. Analogue dials are swapped for a seven-inch digital instrument cluster. There’s also an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, automatic climate control, ambient lighting, TomTom sat-nav and a leather trimmed steering wheel and gear knob.

Nissan then splits the range into two – SVE and N-Design.  Both models are priced from €26,950 and get 19-inch alloy wheels as standard – but both models are pitched to appeal to two different types of customers. The SVE model is pitched as the ‘tech’ one with equipment including heated semi-leather front seats, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, an advanced driver monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, Park Assist technology and Nissan’s Pro-Pilot system as standard. N-Design is the sporty one with contrasting roof and customisation options.

On the road in the Nissan Juke

Nissan is launching the Juke with just one engine in this generation – an on-point 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine. It is well up for the job and actually a highlight of this new Juke. Running costs are low with motor tax of €200 per year and over a week of driving my fuel consumption averaged at 6.1l/100km. It is responsive and fun to drive, matched well with new Juke’s new chassis and revised driving dynamics.

This car holds the road well with limited body sway and light, but precise steering. The suspension can pick up some harshness from the road surface but generally this Juke can keep up with the best of them, while showing its fun and agile side too.

Nissan has successfully reimagined the Juke for the 2020s. At Changing Lanes, we love the Juke’s new look and innovative coupé crossover style.

Inside the Juke gets a welcome addition of modernity. It’s not the most upmarket of its rivals but cuts a good compromise between style, quality and affordability.

Pricing is very competitive and while there is only one engine available, it happens to be a highlight for the Juke. Fun and responsive with low running costs, the 1.0-litre petrol suits the small SUV market very well.

We were pleasantly surprised by the Juke’s ability to entertain behind the wheel. This is a genuine fun to drive small crossover.

The crossover class of 2020 is an impressive bunch but the 2020 Nissan Juke brings its own distinct character to this segment ensuring continued success for this compact model.

Caroline Kidd

Model tested: Nissan Juke 1.0T N-Design
Price: €26,950 (from €21,995)
Engine: 1.0-litre turbo petrol
Power: 117 hp
Torque: 180 Nm
0-100km/h:  10.4 seconds
Top speed: 180 km/h
Fuel economy (WLTP): 5.9 l/100km
CO2 emissions (WLTP): 135 g/km
Motor Tax:  €200 per year