Nissan Juke: The fascinating world of cars...

I’m fascinated...Not so much by Nissan’s new Juke, but by the fact that it’s being sold at all. In fact, and better you know this right away, the Juke has a lot of good qualities that I’ll come back to. It’s everything that surrounds this Nissan that I find enthralling.

Since the dawn of the automobile, manufacturers have tried to create vehicles that meet people’s needs. And these needs are now so well defined that, today, practically all new vehicles that reach the production stage attempt to invent a new segment in order to set itself apart and scoop sales from the surrounding segments. Notice that the same phenomenon exists in the field of toothpaste, pop music and fighter planes.

With the Juke, Nissan tries to cast a wide net and, more importantly, to interest young Gen-Xers. It promises to be a sporty, urban, roomy, fun, funky, and the list goes on. And, to a certain extent, the Juke is a little like that. But not quite.

As the cool kids that the Juke is targeting will tell you, you can’t say that this vehicle flies under the radar. It’s smaller than a very anonymous Versa, and yet it seems a lot more imposing thanks to its catfish nose and very large tail end. It’s a little less cartoonish in person than it is in pictures. This car has the type of style that’ll have to grow on you. In other words, you’ll get used to it.  Many people we met during the launch found the Juke attractive.

Car or motorcycle?

The passenger compartment is not to be outdone. Other than the regular gauges located in front of the driver, there are several controls in the central part of the dash. The more posh versions have a GPS navigation system, but the really surprising thing is the I-CON that’s offered on SL models. This acronym for Advanced Integrated Control helps control the heat/air conditioning system, and in particular, offers three driving modes (D-mode). These modes influence the accelerator response, the transmission and the steering. While the difference between the Normal and Sport modes is not very pronounced, Eco mode, on the other hand, seems to take out 50% of the engine power! Aside from a few tree-huggers, no one will want to use this mode for very long. The day of the presentation, we had fun playing with the I-CON’s various menus and graphics, but I imagine that after a few days you get tired of it. I know this 49-year-old fossil would get tired of it quickly...

The front seats are comfortable, but if you like them leather-covered and electric, you’ll have to forget about the Juke. The central console is designed a lot like the top part of a sport bike. It’s beautiful, especially in red, but not terribly practical. The rear bench is hard and leg and head room aren’t exactly ample. Nissan put five seat belts in its Juke, which I find too optimistic by at least 20%. The seatbacks lower and form a flat bottom but the loading height is very high and the space for baggage isn’t extraordinary. Under the floor of the front-wheel drive versions, there a good storage compartment, but if it’s space you’re looking for, you may as well get the Versa (though you’ll have to get used to anonymity).

Impressive specs

As for mechanics, the Juke has an innovative four-cylinder, 1.6-litre turbocharged, fuel injection engine that features 188 hp and 177 lbs-ft of torque. It also claims to have the same fuel consumption as a Sentra 2.0-litre. During the test drive, where we treated the speed limit like it was just a suggestion, we recorded an average fuel consumption of 9.2 litre/100 km, which is good news. Although they recommend super, the Juke manages on regular without much complaint. The base model comes with a six-speed manual transmission, while a CVT is offered on option. It comes standard with front wheel drive and, for now, there’s a rear torsion bar suspension, but you can opt for all-wheel drive and an independent multi-link rear suspension.

The first thing you notice when you take the wheel is that you’d swear there’s only 160 horses under the hood. Fortunately, the Juke’s weight is around 1,400 kg. Thus, the vehicle is not overly powerful, but the performances are respectable, and I imagine that it goes from 0-100 km/hr in about 11 seconds. The manual transmission helps get the most out of all the power, but I found it positively hateful with a friction point that is too high, an imprecise stick shift and a sixth speed that also catches. The CVT is a lot more user-friendly and makes us forget the first generations that hindered the engine more than they helped it! Most Jukes will be equipped with this transmission. All that’s left for Nissan to do is to lower the sound level (it emits a practically constant “buzz”) and to add paddles behind the steering wheel since its manual mode is responsive.

In sudden accelerations, there’s a certain torque steer effect, and if you take a bumpy corner at high (and illegal) speed, you’ll notice the front end is a little light. This isn’t a sports car, after all! The AWD version solves part of this problem, but it’s mostly the independent rear suspension that adds to the driving pleasure. This will be the more popular version in Canada. In addition to directing up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels, the AWD can even send all the torque to the same wheel in order to ensure maximum traction, a little like Acura’s SH-AWD. Fantastic! Note that the roll is under control and that the steering is reasonably precise although it’s light and offers precious little feedback.

Success is fleeting

Despite – or perhaps because of – lines that are unique to say the least, I think the Juke is condemned to a career on the margins that could get its fifteen minutes of fame during its first few months on the market. Then, the clientele interested in the Juke, lacking loyalty and always in search of something new, could turn somewhere else. But, you never know, some things stand the test of time against all odds!

With a starting price of under $20,000 ($19,998!) the Juke isn’t very expensive. The better equipped versions on the other hand, cost very close to $30,000. For a vehicle that’s smaller than a Versa, that’s getting up there...