JUKE OF TALK (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 125

Light, nimble and extrovert, the Nissan Juke was the original small supermini-derived crossover model, combining attitude, irreverence, modish style and energy with a mischievous sense of fun. After the first F15-era model's original launch, plenty of would-be rivals attempted to copy its concept, prompting Nissan to introduce this second generation F16 model to try and ensure continued segment leadership. As before, the result certainly won't appeal to everyone - but then that's because it isn't supposed to. It's aimed at the young - and the young at heart, many of whom will continue to love this car and admire its designers for having the courage to do something different. Very different. Here, we look at earlier versions of this F16 design as a used buy.

Modelsword count: 9

5dr SUV (1.0 DIG-T petrol / 1.6 Hybrid petrol)

Historyword count: 358

There's nothing quite like a Nissan Juke, part-SUV, part-sports coupe, part-hot hatch - with a few bike and rally car genes thrown in for good measure. It sounds an unpromising mix but against the odds, Nissan made it work and in the original F15-era version of this car, defined once and for all what the market's smallest breed of crossover-class car should be like. Here's the second generation model. What was most amazing about that original Juke was that a company the size of Nissan could build it. The usual procedure is for a maverick designer to come up with just such a concept, only for company heads to shelve it, for customer clinics to reject it or for marketing pressure to water it down. Somehow the earlier Juke survived all of these potential trapdoors and in 2019, the replacement MK2 F16 model remained equally polarising. The original Juke didn't invent the compact crossover segment, but it was very much the car that popularised it. Launched in 2010, then significantly updated in 2014, over 1.5 million examples of it were sold by the time this second generation version arrived in the Autumn of 2019, 285,000 of them in the UK. Under the skin, the engineering of this MK2 version was slightly less distinct and varied than that of the previous car. That old model had had an adapted platform unique to it and offered customers a choice of petrol and diesel power. And front or four-wheel drive. This replacement shared its front driven-only CMF-B platform with its cousin and close rival the Renault Captur. From launch, there was only one engine (also shared with that Renault), a 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol unit, claimed to be 15% faster and 30% cleaner than its DIG-T unit predecessor. A full-Hybrid version was added to the range in 2023. This Juke was styled at Nissan's European Design Centre in Paddington, London and developed at the brand's R&D facility in Cranfield. It was also built on these shores, in Wearside near Sunderland. The range received a thorough update in mid-2024. It's the pre-facelift 2019-2024-era versions of this J16 design we look at here.

What You Getword count: 417

Yes, in this MK2 F16 form, the Juke does still look like either something dredged up from the abyssal depths of the ocean. Or a fun, friendly and futuristic little runabout. It all depends on your perspective. Whichever camp you're in, you have to hand it to Nissan for not losing its resolve here. It would have been so easy for them to water this design down so as to reach a wider audience. But as it is, buyers of the original model will immediately recognise this second generation version, with its exaggerated wheel arches, rising window line, strong shoulders and a squat rear end. All of which artfully disguises a slight size increase over what we had before - its 29mm wider and 75mm longer. Inside, if you remember the F15 original, you'll find that a few of the motorcycle-style touches of the original model are gone, but the cabin's of much higher quality and was just as personalisable as before. The sporty-looking 'monoform' seats with their integrated headrests position you a little higher up than in some direct rivals and (unlike in the original version) the steering wheel adjusts for reach as well as rake. Through it, you view a couple of clear analogue gauges separated by a good-sized screen. Anything that can't tell you will be covered off by a centre-dash 8-inch NissanConnect display, which was standard above entry-level trim and was equipped with plenty; 'Apple CarPlay'/'Android Auto' smartphone mirroring, plus voice control, NissanConnect Live information services and a rear view camera. Frontward vision is good; rearward visibility less so. And there's a reasonable amount of cabin storage. Nissan boated of an extra 58mm of leg room in the back for this MK2 model, enough to make the difference between what previously felt very much like a 'kids-only' space and one that with this F16 design feels like it could take a couple of adults for short-to-medium-length journeys without upsetting them too much. Younger folk will be pleased to find a USB port added to the back, near the central cubby. And the centre transmission tunnel isn't too high, so if you really do have to squeeze a third person in, that ought to be possible without the central occupant needing a trip to the osteopath afterwards. The 422-litre capacity is 20% greater than what was on offer before. For the boot, most models get a standard adjustable-height floor, which in its lowest setting will allow you to carry some really quite tall items.

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