The Juke is by no means the newest Nissans around, but it's still one of the most interesting, despite dating back to 2010. it's easy to hate the design and call it ugly, but nothing worth doing or making is ever without controversy. On stand for the Geneva Motor Show, Andy Palmer made a really cool point about the Juke: 85% of customers are new to the Nissan brand. That, gentleman, should silence any critic.
Since we've established this is an important car, we can only proceed with the news, which is a significant update. As far as we can figure it out, the Juke facelift revealed in Geneva is a European affair, as much as the British factory that builds it. Here are five reasons why we think the Juke is now 100% relevant and probably one of the interesting models in the B-segment.
1. The first thing you need to know is that the 1.2-liter turbo (1.2 DIG-T developed by Renault as 1.2 TCe) engine we've been talking about has indeed replaced the 1.6-liter. It's rated at 115 hp, just like on the Duster, while its 190 Nm of torque are far superior to the 1.6. It can be ordered with a six-speed manual or Xtronic automatic if you can afford to pay extra to get it with all-wheel drive.
2. Practicality is also now on the Juke's side. We're talking about a massive increase in boot capacity, something which for a while I've been saying is the Juke's biggest problem.Nissan says they've changed the shape of the boot floor in two-wheel drive models to boost luggage space by 40% to 354 liters. They say it's class leading, though it's really not, since the Renault Captur has a 377 liter boot while the Peugeot 2008 has 360 liters. But a smidgen of cargo space is not that important when you take looks into account. Cargo space is further enhanced with flat folding rear seat, making it easier to load large objects
3. Power is also available in if you're willing to spend extra. Nissan has just announced a 218 hp version of the car called the Juke Nismo RS. This is available with FWD+manual or AWD+Xtronic drivetrains and has an aggressive personality to match.
4. Equipment is by no means lacking. Nissan has added a number of really cool features which you can order. These include an opening sunroof, different alloys, fresh body colors and so much more. Nissan Safety Shield is available for the first time on the Juke, integrated along with the Around View Monitor which uses four cameras to make parking a breeze. Standard equipment on all models includes LED daytime running lamps, CD radio with an AUX-In socket, gear-shift indicator to promote a more efficient driving style and tyre pressure monitor.
5. Looks are always going to be subjective, but the update has certainly made the Juke more pleasant. The car sports a new corporate grille with a chrome Nissan badge, has L-shaped headlights and is available with xenon. Matching the wheels and the interior trim to the color of the body will is a funky way of adding curb appeal, but there are also other trim choices which we'll discover when the 2014 Juke goes on sale this summer.
Andy Palmer Executive Vice President, Chief Planning Officer of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd unveiled the new Nissan Juke during the press conference of the Geneva Motor Show.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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