2014 Nissan Juke first drive review

This is the facelifted Nissan Juke, the Japanese manufacturer's answer to newcomers such as the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008.

Along with some mid-life styling tweaks, the small crossover is now available with a new 1.2 DIG-T turbocharged petrol engine, a bigger boot and a number of exterior and interior personalisation options.

There are also three driving aids, which fall under Nissan's Safety Shield' umbrella. As such, this revised Juke gets a lane departure warning system, blind spot warning and moving object detection. There is also more connectivity and some new optional extras available. Nissan wants to keep Juke at the top of the segment's best-seller list and reinforce its position as the second best-selling Nissan model in Europe.

The Japanese brand claims that the Juke is outselling cars such as the Mini hatchback and Audi A1 and wants to keep on doing so.

There are four trim levels – Visia, Acenta, Acenta Premium and Tekna – and a list of optional extras like the personalised exterior and interior packages, costing £170 and £350 respectively.

The base diesel Juke, the dCi 110 Visia, costs £15,320.

Apart from the new personalisation features and exterior details, the revised Juke gets new front and rear bumpers and redesigned upper headlights incorporating LED daytime running lights. The grille also sports the new Nissan family look, with a large central 'V' finished in chrome. Door mirrors now include LED repeaters and cameras for the Around View Monitor.

Additionally, there are new colour options and a new range of 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels, the latter with coloured plastic inserts.

The exterior personalisation options include colour highlights for the mirror caps, side sills, roof spoiler and door handles. Headlight surrounds and parts of the bumpers can also be ordered in contrasting colours. As ever in cases such as this, there’s a fine line between an attractive end result and an aesthetic outrage, so choose carefully.

The interior personalisation options are less risky but follow the same pattern of colour splashes where possible, with the centre console, door trims and various other details available in white, black or yellow. The NissanConnect service is now available to allow drivers and passengers connection to the internet. More important is the increased luggage compartment, with 40 per cent more volume (it reaches 354 litres, now) and better practicality, with a two level removable floor. Once inside the Juke, the new painted parts are difficult to miss, depending on the chosen colour, dark glasses may be needed.

The 1.5 dCi Diesel engine offers the best blend of decent economy and strong, punchy low-rev torque. The click-clacking gearshift is a joy to handle and the slightly higher driving position only lacks steering wheel rake adjustment to be close to perfect. True, rear visibility is poor, to the extent that parking sensors and the rear camera are essential if you want to keep the rear bumper scratch-free.

The Tekna version driven was equipped with the larger 18-inch wheels so the ride suffered on poor surfaces. However, the balance between available torque and grip is good enough to have some fun with this car. Turn-in is quick, as long as you keep the Dynamic Control in Normal mode.

In Sport mode, the throttle gives a quicker response but the steering gets a little too heavy. Even so, the suspension lets you play with the car from corner to corner in a way no other small crossover can, although this isn't news. As with the overall styling, Nissan hasn't fixed what wasn't broken.

If the insect-like front end hyena-like rear appeal, the answer to this question is yes. It’s true that the rear seats do not offer the most room in the segment, but at least the restricted luggage space has been addressed.

There’s enough practicality given the size of the car and a lot of fun to be had while driving, but look at the price list carefully before deciding. A 1.5 dCi 110 in Acenta Premium trim (£17,865) with the personalisation kept to a minimum would seem to be the most sensible option. 

Francisco Mota

Nissan Juke 1.5 dCi 110

Price £20,315; 0-62mph 11.2sec; Top speed 110 mph; Economy 70.6 mpg; CO2 104g/km; Kerb weight 1305kg; Engine 4 cyls, 1461cc, turbocharged, diesel; Power 108bhp at 4000 rpm; Torque 192lb ft at 1750-2500rpm; Gearbox 6-speed manual