Nissan Juke 1.0 DIG-T N-Design – moderate frog

The first generation Nissan Juke went down in history as a car with one of the craziest designs in the current automotive industry. Its successor is much more moderate, but still distinctive.

In 2010, Nissan introduced the Juke compact crossover to the European market. There was no similar car on the market until that time. With its bold, distinctive design that combined dynamism and sportiness, it created a refreshing alternative for customers to traditional options. He might look a bit like a smiling frog, but I personally liked him. However, one thing is certain – the Nissan Juke was unmissable and had its own personality.

In the following years, the sales of this model significantly exceeded the original expectations and despite the fact that many competitors came after it, the Juke remained a kind of reference in this market segment and in total over 1.5 million vehicles of this model were sold until October 2019, when its second generation arrived .

The current second generation also builds on the distinctive design, but at first glance it is much more moderate. The round lights that were the main distinguishing feature of the Juku have remained and form the main headlights. The typical frog eyes then changed their form and no longer protrude above the front hood, but are more discreetly integrated into the front bumper and follow the V-shaped chrome radiator grille.

The hindquarters have also moderated. From the rear, you can recognize the currently typical Nissan design , but the wide sides with a strong stance and silhouette with a flowing roof still adhere to their original. The edges of the body then took on sharper features compared to the previous rounded generation. The important thing is that the Juke still looks different from other cars in this category, while still being very distinctive. And that's good. For each hidden extrovert + 1 point.

In addition to several options for customizing the body in the higher equipment, you can also go crazy in the interior configurator. There are three upholstery variants to choose from – basic black can be combined with all body colors, white leather with white body and orange-red skin tone when you have either the body or the roof in this shade.

You will feel at home in the interior of the new Juke. The quality of the workmanship looks very good, especially the Alcantara upholstery is really great and the layout of the control elements is typical Nissan, so it's easy to find your way around. An interesting detail are the air conditioning vents with an Aero pattern and very nice seats with an integrated headrest (which, however, contains shiny plastic on the back side… nothing for children). You get these pseudo-racing shells in the base, and in higher equipment, they also have built-in Bose speakers (BOSE® Personal Plus audio system with 8 speakers), which provide a great spatial effect and play really well. Sitting behind the wheel is also pleasant for drivers looking for a low seat anchorage.

Improved safety systems are also an integral part of the new Juke. You get lane keeping, emergency braking, automatic high beams and road sign reading as standard. It is also possible to pay extra for blind spot monitoring, traffic monitoring when backing up, adaptive cruise control or steering assistant. Connectivity is also an important aspect – Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a matter of course, as are live maps with current traffic.

The straddled stance of the new Juke exudes confidence and could actually be a nicely honed hot hatch. In the previous generation, the Juke Nismo RS was a very interesting model of sports car, if we can call it that (it was more of a sharp crossover with a self-clamp and bucket seats), and the Juke-R 2.0 with an engine from the Nissan GT-R for an outrageous price was a total steal . And that was good too.

However, you can probably forget about the sharp variant in the second generation. Most likely, only the electrified version will arrive in the form of a mild hybrid. Otherwise, you will find only one engine under the hood of the new Nissan Juke – a liter three-cylinder with a turbo.

The 1.0 DIG-T unit extracts a respectable 117 horsepower and with the overboost function, which occurs when the gas pedal is pressed all the way to the floor, then also a torque of up to 200 Nm. The Juke thus accelerates to 100 km/h in 10.4 seconds, which is not an exciting value, but it is more than enough for the purpose and focus of the car.

The engine can be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch EDC transmission with the option of manual shifting with paddles under the steering wheel. With the first mentioned, it promises an average consumption of exactly six liters, with the second then 6.1 l / 100 km. We had a six-speed manual at our disposal and the reality was somewhere around 6.4 l/100km. Thumb up…

The limited range of engines is actually not a problem. The liter three-cylinder engine is quite nice and its noise reduction is at a very good level, so you won't be irritated by the typical rattling of the three cylinders that you can only hear from afar.

Also, the response to the gas is sufficient in the sports driving mode, so the car starts well from a standstill, and downshifting with the intermediate gas also does not cause any difficulties. The operation of the gear lever is precise and overall the engine-gearbox pairing is very successful.

The chassis adds even more to the driving pleasure. On the one hand, it is comfortable enough on the huge 19" wheels and dampens all irregularities at an excellent level, on the other hand, the front axle turns willingly, the rear axle is easily provoked into a hint of oversteer when the gas is released, and the quick steering conveys the right responses from the road. Thanks to the higher ground clearance, the Juke will not get lost even in mild terrain and on dirt roads. It's a shame, however, that unlike the first generation, there is no four-wheel drive option here – not even for an extra charge.

After a week in my hands, the second-generation Nissan Juke proved to be a successful crossover. Although it is a moderate derivative of the first "flip-flop", it is still very different from the competition. In addition, the Juke also drives well, is comfortable even on large wheels, looks valuable inside, and the current single engine is actually quite sufficient. For now… the mild-hybrid is already knocking on the door somewhere.

For a price starting at €14,990, you get a decent portion of equipment in the basic equipment of the Visia. The basis is, for example, Full LED headlights for all versions, safety assistants and a safety package, or cruise control and a speed limiter. We had the highest N-Design package at our disposal, which additionally had, for example, a two-tone body color in beautiful Fuji Sunset Red, heated front seats and a personalized interior. All this for a price slightly exceeding €20,710.

You can find the complete gallery of the new Nissan Juke here: > Nissan Juke N-Design <