The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Grown-up design and greater interior space for new Juke
Nissan has revealed the new Juke, which will go on sale in November with a starting price of £17,395.
It’s been a key car for Nissan since its launch in 2011. If the Qashqai can be said to have created the craze for SUVs, the Juke turbocharged demand for mini, urban-oriented crossovers.
Designed in Britain and set (for now – Brexit could change everything) to be built in Nissan’s Sunderland plant, the second-generation Juke has a smart new design that should be less divisive than the outgoing model’s bug-eyed look.
Some design cues remain. The squat shape, hidden rear door handles and wide wheel arches are kept, as are the split-level headlights. To the rear, styling features have been taken from the larger Qashqai and X-Trail models.
Buyers can pick from 11 paint colours, and can choose a contrasting roof and door mirror caps on top-spec cars.
The new Juke is 35mm wider and 75mm longer than the old one but weighs 23kg less. The wheelbase has increased by 105mm, which translates to more passenger space – knee room is up by 58mm over the outgoing model, and there’s 11mm extra headroom too. Another benefit of the new platform is increased boot space, which increased by 68 litres to 422 litres. A redesigned tailgate means the boot opening is now wider and easier to access.
Inside, there’s a completely new interior. Sports seats are now standard and an eight-inch touchscreen operates most controls. Upper spec models will also get a seven-inch colour display instead of the traditional analogue speedo and revcounter.
At launch, only one engine will be available – a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol borrowed from the Micra that produces 115bhp and manages 0-62mph in 10.4 or 11.1 seconds, depending on whether you buy the six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. More engines will be added to the line up after launch, including a plug-in hybrid version.