HONDA’S HOT HATCH DRIVEN
The Honda HR-V is selling like hot cakes. Can Nissan’s facelifted Juke still stand a chance?
WHAT’S NEW?
This is the facelifted version of the Nissan Juke, a B-segment SUV that has relied heavily on a funky design to stand out against the Ford Ecosport and Honda HR-V. Changes are very subtle, though, which includes new bumpers and lights.
Probably of more concern to potential Juke buyers is the increased amount of passive safety features which now include front, side and curtain airbags made standard across the range.
The updated Juke is mechanically unchanged with Nissan’s dated 1.6-litre petrol engine and CVT auto remaining in place. The bigger X-Trail SUV now gets a direct-injected 2.0-litre engine and latestgeneration CVT with manual shift.
Prices for the Juke are set at 799,000 baht for S, 854,000 baht for E and 884,000 baht for V, as tested here. Give or take a few thousand baht, the Juke is basically dearer than the Ecosport but cheaper than the HR-V.
While we once concluded that the Juke is a more attractive choice than the flawed-driving Ecosport, could the Nissan still look good against the HRV, which is now selling like hot cakes?
WHAT’S COOL?
As briefed earlier, the Juke’s bold styling remains a major selling point even if the cosmetic tweaks are very minor. The fact that many existing owners love enhancing the Juke’s looks with after-market upgrades is good proof — they want to look different on the road.
Although the Juke is meant more for the concrete jungle, its chassis offers a decent amount of grip outside the city. Actually, the Juke has such a kind of handling usually unassociated to other comfort-oriented Nissans on sale in Thailand.
Safety-conscious buyers will also be pleased to note that six airbags can be had for 799,000 baht, whereas these passive safety features can only be found in the range-topping HR-V costing an eyewatering 1.045 million baht.
WHAT’S NOT?
There are some major issues with the Juke. While the 116hp motor and CVT gearbox performs smoothly at city speeds, you have to work them hard on the highway. And because of that, our 12kpl test average is rather fair.
Then there’s the ride. Over most road conditions, you simply feel too many vibrations penetrating the cabin from below.
Of less concern could be the Juke’s cramped rear quarters.
In this aspect, both the Ecosport and HR-V offer airier cabins for buyers needing to shift families around rather than just themselves.
In terms of perceptive quality, the Juke is behind the HR-V with its tacky interior plastics (like in the Ecosport).
Also, the red trim inside and blue paint outside seem to be a mish-mash rather than a match.
BUY OR BYE?
Many urbanites might still find good reason to go for the Juke. It looks like no other car on the market and is easy to drive at low speeds.
The circa-100,000 baht price difference against the HR-V’s similar three grades may feel quite substantial to some.
But as an all-rounder with additional capabilities beyond built-up areas, the HR-V is improved by having better performance, handling and practicality.
To top it off, the HR-V feels more upmarket and tends to support its price premium.
Had it not been about price (and looks, to some extent), we’d wave bye-bye to the Juke.