Nissan Juke Hybrid Review

Read Caroline’s Nissan Juke Hybrid review for everything you need to know about buying the hybrid Juke in Ireland.

The Nissan Juke is one of the brand’s most successful models to date. The second generation of the trendy Juke crossover launched in Ireland in 2020, powered by a simple petrol engine.

The next chapter in the Juke story is this – the new Nissan Juke Hybrid that brings more power to the range and promises more efficiency. The brand is currently rolling out hybrid technology across the range for the first time, to models like the Juke, Qashqai and X-Trail.

The new Nissan Juke Hybrid goes on sale in Ireland priced from €34,110, which makes it competitive against rivals such as the Renault Captur Hybrid and the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid.

What’s so special about the Nissan Juke Hybrid?

The Nissan Juke Hybrid shares the same sporty crossover design as the rest of the Juke range. The Juke still looks modern and fresh with distinctive styling features including hidden rear door handles for a coupé style and a trendy contrast roof. It certainly has street cred.

New hybrid badges feature on the front doors and the boot lid. The front grille of the Juke Hybrid displays the new Nissan brand logo and also features a strip of black gloss where it meets the bonnet – a new feature of all electrified Nissan models including the electric Nissan Ariya.

The Juke Hybrid is offered in three trim levels – SV Premium, N-Design and SVE. Diamond cut, 17″ alloy wheels come as standard, with 19-inch on higher trim levels.

LED headlights also come as standard across the range.

But with more power and a slick automatic transmission, the Juke Hybrid offers a more sophisticated feel behind the wheel.

Driving the Nissan Juke Hybrid

The new Nissan Juke Hybrid uses a 1.6-litre four cylinder petrol engine, 1.2kWh battery and a 36kW electric motor. Power is up to 143hp in the hybrid versus 114hp in the 1.0-litre petrol Juke.

It’s also more efficient, on paper at least. Official figures suggest 5.1 litres per 100 km versus 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the Juke petrol.

The Juke Hybrid starts in electric mode, moving off silently. It’s not a plug-in hybrid, so doesn’t require charging to get the best efficiency from the vehicle. Over a week of driving the Juke on mixed roads, my average fuel consumption was 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s okay but a Toyota Yaris Cross is more efficient.

Yet that’s only half the story as where the Juke excels is in its refinement and power delivery. On the road the extra power of the hybrid is apparent compared to the Juke petrol, offering pleasant acceleration and lively performance. The Juke’s automatic gearbox makes little noise though it does seem to hold on to gears marginally longer than what you might expect. There are no paddles or manual mode to override this but in Sport mode, they are quicker. So like in most compact hybrids, a gentle use of the throttle is appropriate for the best experience behind the wheel.

Elsewhere, the Nissan Juke Hybrid is a sporty and composed drive, offering lots of grip in cornering, and stability and refinement at high speeds on the motorway. It’s compact and agile around town, though the ride is firm over bumps.

Inside the Juke Hybrid

Inside the cabin, the Nissan Juke Hybrid has a sporty vibe just like the Juke petrol. There are charismatic circular air vents and plenty of soft touch materials. Hybrid models have an updated driver display including a power gauge and one for the battery’s state of charge. A visual representation of the flow of power can be displayed on the 7″ combimeter screen between the two dials.

Infotainment is provided via a touchscreen on top of the dash with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a new button to activate ‘e-Pedal’ one pedal driving on the centre console, as well as driving modes and an EV mode. It’s mostly a cool cabin for the Juke, though the infotainment system is not as modern as in some of the brand’s newer models like the Qashqai and Ariya.

Still with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto it’s possible to bypass the native system and use a more modern interface. All versions of the Juke Hybrid come very well equipped with cloth and synthetic leather seats, keyless entry and start, automatic air conditioning, cruise control and parking camera.

The SVE on test (from €37,100) comes fully loaded with synthetic leather seats with quilting and headrest hole finisher, ambient lighting, 360-degree camera, and more safety equipment like blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, intelligent cruise control, lane keeping assist and traffic jam pilot.

The Nissan Juke Hybrid is smaller inside than a Nissan Qashqai for example but it does offer similar space inside to many other compact crossovers on the market. It’s possible for two adults to get comfortable in the rear. Headroom could be tight for taller adults but children will be fine.

While the standard Juke petrol has an excellent boot volume of 422 litres, the hybrid loses some of that volume to accommodate the battery. It’s down to 354 litres but that’s still comparable to many compact hatchbacks.

Did you like it?

The Nissan brand is gaining momentum again with the arrival of new electric and hybrid models like the electric Ariya and the Qashqai hybrid.

Now hybrid joins the Juke range, giving more options to buyers on the lookout for a stylish compact crossover with hybrid power.

You will pay more for the Juke hybrid, but it does have a more mature feel behind the wheel and the extra power and ease of the automatic transmission. The hybrid transmission does feel well-sussed compared to rivals on power and refinement, though the efficiency gains are not as dramatic in real world driving.

The Juke is a great car, no matter whether you go for the petrol or hybrid. It’s fun to drive and has a cool cabin and quirky coupé-inspired styling. That makes it a smart buy in the compact crossover segment.

Model tested: Nissan Juke Hybrid SVE
Price: From €37,100
Engine: 1.6-litre petrol electric hybrid
Power: 143hp
Top speed:  166 km/h
Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 10.1 seconds
Motor Tax: €190 per year

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Written by Caroline Kidd

Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year