by The new Nissan Juke was supposed to arrive last year. The pandemic, lockdown, and factory disruptions made corrections. But most importantly, Juke has finally come to Ukraine (many eagerly awaited it), and even more importantly, the introduction wasn’t just through ‘online lessons’ but in person and on our roads.
The second-generation Nissan Juke is one of the most anticipated new releases of the year in Europe and beyond. Its predecessor reached a million copies, and of course, high hopes are set for the new model.
The design of the Nissan Juke 2021 is not revolutionary. While the car has a completely new body and optics, the Juke remains recognizable. So, it can be called evolutionary and, in my opinion, very successful. It seems that the ‘cutesy’ appearance has been preserved but became more premium somehow. From the shared features – the rear door handles are still hidden in the pillars, and the headlights are two-level as before. But the optics are now LED even in the base version! Overall, the new model comes much better equipped than its predecessor.
The new Juke is built on the new CMF-B platform (like the new Renault Clio and Captur). Although it has grown to 4210 mm in length, 1800 mm in width, and 1595 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2635 mm, it has become lighter by 23 kg (1182 kg). Essentially, it is now not much smaller than the current generation Qashqai, which is still sold in Ukrainian showrooms (though a new generation is on the horizon).
While the Juke is recognizable externally, the interior has undergone radical changes. The ‘crossover’ seating is preserved, and there’s still a wide tunnel between the driver and the front passenger, although it’s not so much like a motorcycle tank as in the previous generation. But in terms of trim, the past and the new generations are, as they say in Odesa, ‘two big differences.’ The texture of the plastic, the materials used – evoke associations with a ‘small Infiniti.’ There’s certainly no longer any rough plastic or ‘budget’ feel. In the top version, leather and Alcantara are used.
The 2021 Juke (actually a 2020 model) received an advanced multimedia system with an 8-inch touchscreen. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and you can configure the projection of images from your smartphone onto the car’s touchscreen in three minutes.
The bottom-cut steering wheel is now adjustable in height and depth (formerly, it wasn’t), and the range of adjustments for the driver’s seat has expanded. The seats themselves have become much more comfortable, especially concerning the length of the cushions. Even tall people will no longer complain about their ‘dangling’ legs. The optional sports seats deserve a special ‘arigato,’ which can actually be integrated with Bose premium audio system speakers.
Anyone who has ever crawled through the Juke will surely recall the lack of space in the rear row and the ‘toy’ trunk (especially in the all-wheel-drive version). But in the new generation, everything is noticeably better – the increased dimensions have positively affected the internal space. There is now 58 mm more space for knees and 11 mm above the head in the back. It’s not endless, but sitting in the second row is noticeably more comfortable, and the door openings have expanded, making it no longer necessary to engage in ‘kamasutra’ at a professional level – novice experience is sufficient.
The trunk volume has increased to 422 liters and is one of the largest in the B-class crossovers, of which Juke, by the way, is the originator. Besides increasing the volume, Nissan listened to customer wishes and made the opening wider – this is very noticeable both visually and when loading baggage.
Speaking of the cargo area, it’s worth noting – its current volume remains unchanged since only a front-wheel-drive version is available on the market (if there’s an all-wheel-drive, it might be in the Nismo, although that’s uncertain). There’s no choice in engine type either. There’s no diesel or naturally aspirated/turbo options, just one gasoline engine – a 1-liter 3-cylinder turbo DIG-T.
Despite the modest size, the engine’s power remains almost at the level of its predecessor – 114 horsepower (previously 117), but the torque is higher – 180 Nm (was 158 Nm), and it is available over a wider range of speeds. Essentially, from the very lows, it feels almost like a diesel, which is pleasing. By the way, although reviewers and auto journalists often say otherwise (they are used to the metro, and acceleration in a tunnel seems more dynamic), the acceleration dynamics are quite adequate.
The only nuance – there can be ‘hesitations’ on startup, and as usual, at the most inopportune moments (when someone gives you the right of way or when exiting a secondary road). Otherwise, the engine is excellent and economical (noticeably more efficient than the atmospheric 1.6 for sure) – achieving 6 liters per hundred is not a problem at all. This is thanks to the 7-speed dual-clutch robot that replaced the continuously variable transmission.
During a trip from Kyiv to the Cherkasy region (a couple of hundred kilometers), I caught myself thinking that I was driving a Qashqai. Firstly, the characteristic ‘bulges’ in the hood area have disappeared, and secondly, sitting behind the wheel, it seems that the car, if not a class higher, is clearly larger than its predecessor. Another thing I noticed – nothing irritated me. Whether it was the bumpy asphalt or traveling at 140 km/h+, I just drove and felt completely satisfied – it’s hard to explain, but I think there’s no better praise for a car than ‘I was driving and thinking about something else.’ That is, no rattling, creaks, shakes, discomfort… Overall, very balanced. I would say if I were to choose a new car right now, between the current Qashqai and the new Juke, I would definitely choose the latter. Especially since it’s no longer as ‘girly’ as it used to be…
Currently, there are 5 configurations + one special version Enigma. Customers can choose various body color combinations, including roof paint and interior details. There are plenty of individualization options, all depending on preferences and willingness to pay extra for it.
In the base model, the 2021 Juke comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, but this is simply a marketing move to keep the starting cost of the model competitive. I doubt that even 15% of Nissan Juke buyers will choose a manual… By the way, the base price is 515 thousand hryvnias. Despite having an air conditioner (climate control in more expensive versions) and steel wheels, the Juke is equipped with an emergency braking system, lane-keeping control, automatic low/high beam (remember, LED headlights from the start!), cruise control, and a plethora of active and passive safety systems by default.
Overall, even in the initial version, the new Juke is clearly not a bare-bones model. Concerning the top version, it already includes 19-inch wheels (a dream for Ukrainian tire fitters), all-around parking sensors, cameras, etc. Plans include a ProPilot semi-autonomous driving system (it is currently unavailable). The top configurations will cost between 700-800 thousand hryvnias. Is that too much? No argument, it’s not cheap. But again, this is no longer the Juke that many were used to. The new Juke is, in a good sense, a sly bug and can outsmart many competitors…
P.S. And to be completely objective – I want to believe that the only engine in the range, the one-liter engine, will live long and happily, even on our ‘mixed’ gasoline, and Nissan says it will.
