Nissan Juke (Reviewed)
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Why not put that AWD system and engine IN A PROPER CAR? Looking at those pics it has no rear room, hardly any cargo room, sits up like a SUV but will be marketed as sporty.
That looks just horrible. What kind of drugs are the designers and the people that approve these things on?
That looks just horrible. What kind of drugs are the designers and the people that approve these things on?
Pole Position
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,816
Likes: 7
From: UK
I saw my first Nissan Juke on the road the other day and, despite being initially non-plussed with the photos I'd seen, it looked really good. It was bigger than I expected and really stood out among the the more boring three door hatchbacks around it. Our local Nissan plant is building it as a replacement for the Micra and I think it'll do quite well - especially if the success of the Quashqai is anything to go by.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,806
Likes: 7
From: californication
This thing looks like something from Halo.
pretty ballsy move in this economy.
If recent history is any indication, Americans do not welcome change, and are hurling those words back at Obama.
cookie cutter works. you can exercise your uniqueness with wheels and mods.
pretty ballsy move in this economy.
If recent history is any indication, Americans do not welcome change, and are hurling those words back at Obama.
cookie cutter works. you can exercise your uniqueness with wheels and mods.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 0
From: somewhere out there
Nissan Juke
Just saw a TV report that said this Nissan will be here in the fall.
187bhp 1.6 turbo
Strange looking but interesting.
More pics and info.
http://www.netcarshow.com/nissan/2011-juke/
187bhp 1.6 turbo
Strange looking but interesting.
More pics and info.
http://www.netcarshow.com/nissan/2011-juke/
Guest
Posts: n/a
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...uke/index.html
Little? Yes. The Juke doesn't look small - neither in photos nor in person - but it is. It rides on a version of the same global B-segment platform that underpins the Versa and the Cube, and the Juke shares the Cube's 99.6-inch wheelbase.
It's within about a half inch of the Suzuki SX4 in every measure, in fact. If it's one thing the Juke does extremely well, it's mask its humble subcompact roots by looking dramatically more, um, special.
It's dramatically more powerful, too. At least compared to Nissan's other small cars, which use 1.6 and 1.8-liter normally aspirated fours. Making its debut is Nissan's all-new 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Final power ratings aren't in, but Nissan is saying that this direct-injection engine, which features variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams, produces in excess of 180 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque.
It doesn't, thankfully, produce an excess of NVH. Our Juke's CVT did a commendable job of keeping the Hoover noises to a minimum by favoring high-boost, lower-rpm gear ratio selection.
In addition to direct injection and turbocharging, the Juke features one other thing that's not seen in this class of cars: torque-vectoring all-wheel drive. (Wow, but the strange-looking X6 and ZDX both do! Perhaps this is the future of cars? Weird, tall shapes with torque vectoring rear diffs?)
Available solely with the CVT, the Juke's AWD system can send up to 50 percent of engine torque to the rear - and all of that torque can, at the system's command, be sent to one rear wheel. The benefit is, as usual, far better cornering behavior and less apparent understeer.
The Juke will come standard with front wheel drive, and in that configuration, either with the aforementioned CVT or a six-speed manual, which we didn't have the opportunity to sample. Front-drivers also lose the AWD's multi-link rear suspension in favor of a torsion beam setup.
Even sending half the torque to the rear wheels, the Juke suffers from considerable torque steer, especially at low speeds and over broken pavement. In its defense, the 1.6 does produce a considerable amount of torque - the Juke feels much quicker than 180 hp suggests. However, that wheel-tug warfare doesn't bode well for the front-wheel drive version.
In fact, the AWD system features a switch that can lock the system in FWD mode - and doing so changes the Juke's handling dramatically. Wheelspin is a constant struggle on wet pavement, and in the dry, the Juke's front wheels scramble for traction any time you're hustling.
Every once in a while, a car comes along that makes you scratch your head a little. Look at the pictures of the 2011 Nissan Juke and stop scratching your head. If you've ever complained about all cars looking alike, here's your big, Nissan-badged can of shutyourmouth.
Nissan tells us that the Juke is designed for "aggressive attention-seekers," or in other words, youngish dudes who would normally be scouring Craigslist ads for a four-year old BMW 3-series, or an old Z, or perhaps a used Maxima.
Um, no. If it's one thing we're pretty sure of, it's that twenty-something guys looking at a 3-series aren't going to be checking out the Juke.
Then, Nissan tell us that the design for the Juke's taillights was inspired by the 370Z. Fair enough. The painted center console was inspired by a motorcycle gas tank. Yup, got that. The large, round headlights were inspired by rally cars. Okay, if I squint a little, I can see that.
Inspired by this and that and the other thing: that's a whole lot of inspiration. And yet nobody's talking about what inspired the whole car. If you ask me, it looks like it was inspired by a frog. Or maybe a crocodile.
And then Nissan talks about how the concept of the Juke is to combine the bottom of an SUV (flared fenders, high ground clearance, big wheels, large wheel gap) with the top of a sports car (the clamshell roof line, high sills, big hips, driving position, and maybe even those 370Z taillights.) This sounds strangely like the BMW X6 and Acura ZDX, except those two cars don't look like reptiles.
The Juke's styling comes from Nissan's European design center, which worked together with the Japanese home studio. Apparently, the North American design center wasn't involved in the process. And so we can imagine that Nissan's U.S. team was a little worried about what our market will make of it. They're predicting modest sales - it should sell somewhere around as many units as the Cube - which hints that perhaps Nissan's U.S. folks are as skeptical as we are.
Then again, we very much appreciate that they've given us the opportunity to drive pre-production Juke mules on the roads around Los Angeles. And after driving the Juke, we're pretty sure we know why they did: Its appearance is polarizing, but it's unequivocally a great little car to drive.
Nissan tells us that the Juke is designed for "aggressive attention-seekers," or in other words, youngish dudes who would normally be scouring Craigslist ads for a four-year old BMW 3-series, or an old Z, or perhaps a used Maxima.
Um, no. If it's one thing we're pretty sure of, it's that twenty-something guys looking at a 3-series aren't going to be checking out the Juke.
Then, Nissan tell us that the design for the Juke's taillights was inspired by the 370Z. Fair enough. The painted center console was inspired by a motorcycle gas tank. Yup, got that. The large, round headlights were inspired by rally cars. Okay, if I squint a little, I can see that.
Inspired by this and that and the other thing: that's a whole lot of inspiration. And yet nobody's talking about what inspired the whole car. If you ask me, it looks like it was inspired by a frog. Or maybe a crocodile.
And then Nissan talks about how the concept of the Juke is to combine the bottom of an SUV (flared fenders, high ground clearance, big wheels, large wheel gap) with the top of a sports car (the clamshell roof line, high sills, big hips, driving position, and maybe even those 370Z taillights.) This sounds strangely like the BMW X6 and Acura ZDX, except those two cars don't look like reptiles.
The Juke's styling comes from Nissan's European design center, which worked together with the Japanese home studio. Apparently, the North American design center wasn't involved in the process. And so we can imagine that Nissan's U.S. team was a little worried about what our market will make of it. They're predicting modest sales - it should sell somewhere around as many units as the Cube - which hints that perhaps Nissan's U.S. folks are as skeptical as we are.
Then again, we very much appreciate that they've given us the opportunity to drive pre-production Juke mules on the roads around Los Angeles. And after driving the Juke, we're pretty sure we know why they did: Its appearance is polarizing, but it's unequivocally a great little car to drive.
Little? Yes. The Juke doesn't look small - neither in photos nor in person - but it is. It rides on a version of the same global B-segment platform that underpins the Versa and the Cube, and the Juke shares the Cube's 99.6-inch wheelbase.
It's within about a half inch of the Suzuki SX4 in every measure, in fact. If it's one thing the Juke does extremely well, it's mask its humble subcompact roots by looking dramatically more, um, special.
It's dramatically more powerful, too. At least compared to Nissan's other small cars, which use 1.6 and 1.8-liter normally aspirated fours. Making its debut is Nissan's all-new 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Final power ratings aren't in, but Nissan is saying that this direct-injection engine, which features variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams, produces in excess of 180 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque.
It doesn't, thankfully, produce an excess of NVH. Our Juke's CVT did a commendable job of keeping the Hoover noises to a minimum by favoring high-boost, lower-rpm gear ratio selection.
In addition to direct injection and turbocharging, the Juke features one other thing that's not seen in this class of cars: torque-vectoring all-wheel drive. (Wow, but the strange-looking X6 and ZDX both do! Perhaps this is the future of cars? Weird, tall shapes with torque vectoring rear diffs?)
Available solely with the CVT, the Juke's AWD system can send up to 50 percent of engine torque to the rear - and all of that torque can, at the system's command, be sent to one rear wheel. The benefit is, as usual, far better cornering behavior and less apparent understeer.
The Juke will come standard with front wheel drive, and in that configuration, either with the aforementioned CVT or a six-speed manual, which we didn't have the opportunity to sample. Front-drivers also lose the AWD's multi-link rear suspension in favor of a torsion beam setup.
Even sending half the torque to the rear wheels, the Juke suffers from considerable torque steer, especially at low speeds and over broken pavement. In its defense, the 1.6 does produce a considerable amount of torque - the Juke feels much quicker than 180 hp suggests. However, that wheel-tug warfare doesn't bode well for the front-wheel drive version.
In fact, the AWD system features a switch that can lock the system in FWD mode - and doing so changes the Juke's handling dramatically. Wheelspin is a constant struggle on wet pavement, and in the dry, the Juke's front wheels scramble for traction any time you're hustling.
In all-wheel drive mode, though, the Juke is surprisingly good on curvy mountain roads. Body motions are exceptionally well controlled given the car's tall stance, especially body roll, which was nearly imperceptible from the driver's seat. A very supportive seat, at that. Steering feel isn't quite up to, say, Volkswagen levels, but the system is accurate and well weighted. Unfortunately, the tilt wheel doesn't telescope, and it's a long reach away, eliminating any chance of the Juke feeling like a sports car from the driver's seat.
Happily, the brakes didn't complain at all on the way back down the mountain. And with somewhere north of 3000 lb to contend with, that's impressive. Cornering grip is great, though the pre-production mule we drove featured V-rated high-performance all seasons that might be more aggressive than the tires on the production version.
The optional upgraded stereo sounds nice, with a thumping, powered Rockford-Fosgate subwoofer in the trunk. Nissan's navigation system works well, too. Sadly, the Juke's standard USB and auxiliary audio inputs are out in the open on the dash, meaning you'll have to disconnect and hide your iPod every time you park the Juke.
The Juke will be available with an optional i-CON system, which is a driver-selectable chassis tuning system like Audi's Drive Select. It offers three settings that tailor throttle response, steering effort, and CVT behavior. There's an ECO setting for people who want their Juke to feel like someone ripped out the turbocharger; Normal is for boring people; and Sport not only reduces electric power steering assist and firms up the throttle, but instructs the CVT to perform a pretty nifty imitation of a conventional automatic. It still varies the ratios as you drive, but occasionally fakes a "shift" by changing the ratio suddenly. It may seem like a gimmick - and would probably cost the Juke a small amount of time in a drag race - but it goes a long way to mask the moaning that plagues other CVT cars. (Cube, we're talking to you.) Everyone we spoke to preferred the Sport mode.
The coolest feature about i-CON, though, is the interface. Press a key and the automatic climate control labels disappear from buttons on the dash and are replaced with chassis control buttons. It almost looks like each button has a mini LCD panel in it to display different label, and it's one of the most clever ways we've seen to add additional controls to the dashboard without creating clutter or requiring overcomplicated joystick controllers.
Happily, the brakes didn't complain at all on the way back down the mountain. And with somewhere north of 3000 lb to contend with, that's impressive. Cornering grip is great, though the pre-production mule we drove featured V-rated high-performance all seasons that might be more aggressive than the tires on the production version.
The optional upgraded stereo sounds nice, with a thumping, powered Rockford-Fosgate subwoofer in the trunk. Nissan's navigation system works well, too. Sadly, the Juke's standard USB and auxiliary audio inputs are out in the open on the dash, meaning you'll have to disconnect and hide your iPod every time you park the Juke.
The Juke will be available with an optional i-CON system, which is a driver-selectable chassis tuning system like Audi's Drive Select. It offers three settings that tailor throttle response, steering effort, and CVT behavior. There's an ECO setting for people who want their Juke to feel like someone ripped out the turbocharger; Normal is for boring people; and Sport not only reduces electric power steering assist and firms up the throttle, but instructs the CVT to perform a pretty nifty imitation of a conventional automatic. It still varies the ratios as you drive, but occasionally fakes a "shift" by changing the ratio suddenly. It may seem like a gimmick - and would probably cost the Juke a small amount of time in a drag race - but it goes a long way to mask the moaning that plagues other CVT cars. (Cube, we're talking to you.) Everyone we spoke to preferred the Sport mode.
The coolest feature about i-CON, though, is the interface. Press a key and the automatic climate control labels disappear from buttons on the dash and are replaced with chassis control buttons. It almost looks like each button has a mini LCD panel in it to display different label, and it's one of the most clever ways we've seen to add additional controls to the dashboard without creating clutter or requiring overcomplicated joystick controllers.
Despite its raked roofline, the Juke is both spacious and comfortable (if a little narrow) in back, and those rear seats fold completely flat for additional cargo room. At no time does the Juke's cabin seem like a stripper subcompact - and especially not in our mule, which was outfitted with red-stitched black leather wrapped around the heated seats. The deep, glossy painted center console is a really neat styling element. Outward visibility is great (once you get used to looking past those alligator eyes sticking up out of the hood), but a rear-view camera is available.
Dynamically, the Juke is a big step ahead of its platform mates. It seems to suffer from none of the sensitivity to crosswinds that plagues the Cube, and the huge boost in torque helps keep the revs down, adding to refinement. In fact, the only other gripe we have about the Juke is turbo lag.
The CVT, which admittedly will be the transmission most Jukes will come with, does a brilliant job of masking the lag in normal driving. In fact, if it didn't have a manual mode, we might have not noticed it on our drive. It won't be concealed in manual-transmission cars, though, and drivers will need to learn to keep the revs up. The single-scroll turbo takes its sweet time generating boost, especially under 3000 rpm, where pressure is almost completely elusive.
Attempting to get off the line quickly means having patience for a second or so until the boost builds. And at more typical city driving rates of acceleration, the Juke pulls off the line smoothly, but then boost comes on strong around 3000 rpm, tossing your head back just as you'd think the power should start tapering off.
It's only a minor annoyance with the CVT, and it's something the engineers can probably fix before the Juke goes into production. We imagine, however, that the front-wheel drive versions will suffer the most - by leaving the line slowly and then spinning the front wheels unexpectedly when the boost comes on.
Which brings us back to the Juke's stated mission. Despite its playful handling, supportive seats, and Turbo/DI horsepower credentials, we don't see the Juke as a car for performance-minded enthusiasts. Or "aggressive attention seekers," for that matter. Especially since the drivetrain configuration that would appeal to that sort of guy - the manual with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive - won't be available. We see it as a distinctively styled, quick, fun-to-drive alternative to the Suzuki SX4. It might even step in for a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4 when it goes on sale this November. But we definitely won't be recommending it to any twentysomething young dudes who are considering a used sports coupe.
Dynamically, the Juke is a big step ahead of its platform mates. It seems to suffer from none of the sensitivity to crosswinds that plagues the Cube, and the huge boost in torque helps keep the revs down, adding to refinement. In fact, the only other gripe we have about the Juke is turbo lag.
The CVT, which admittedly will be the transmission most Jukes will come with, does a brilliant job of masking the lag in normal driving. In fact, if it didn't have a manual mode, we might have not noticed it on our drive. It won't be concealed in manual-transmission cars, though, and drivers will need to learn to keep the revs up. The single-scroll turbo takes its sweet time generating boost, especially under 3000 rpm, where pressure is almost completely elusive.
Attempting to get off the line quickly means having patience for a second or so until the boost builds. And at more typical city driving rates of acceleration, the Juke pulls off the line smoothly, but then boost comes on strong around 3000 rpm, tossing your head back just as you'd think the power should start tapering off.
It's only a minor annoyance with the CVT, and it's something the engineers can probably fix before the Juke goes into production. We imagine, however, that the front-wheel drive versions will suffer the most - by leaving the line slowly and then spinning the front wheels unexpectedly when the boost comes on.
Which brings us back to the Juke's stated mission. Despite its playful handling, supportive seats, and Turbo/DI horsepower credentials, we don't see the Juke as a car for performance-minded enthusiasts. Or "aggressive attention seekers," for that matter. Especially since the drivetrain configuration that would appeal to that sort of guy - the manual with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive - won't be available. We see it as a distinctively styled, quick, fun-to-drive alternative to the Suzuki SX4. It might even step in for a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4 when it goes on sale this November. But we definitely won't be recommending it to any twentysomething young dudes who are considering a used sports coupe.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,545
Likes: 0
From: MO
Another review. Car & Driver
2011 Nissan Juke - First Drive Review
And now, Nissan builds a Rogue for the boys.
BY AARON ROBINSON
May 2010
Top Competitors
* Kia Soul
* Nissan Cube
* Scion xB
* Scion xD
* Toyota Matrix
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $19,995
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Power (C/D est): 190 bhp
Torque (C/D est): 175 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, continuously variable automatic with manumatic shifting
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 99.6 in Length: 162.4 in
Width: 69.5 in Height: 61.8 in
Curb weight (mfr’s est): 2950–3150 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 7.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.0 sec
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 28–30/32–34
Besides being a type of box that exchanges money for music, “juke” is a football term, a fake-out in which a runner seems to go one direction when actually he’s headed in another. Juking is man’s work, and the little Nissan Juke crossover is likewise targeted towards men because, well, the similarly priced Nissan Rogue crossover just isn’t.
Based on Nissan’s global B platform, which is under the Nissan Versa and Cube and Renault Clio (remember, Nissan and Renault are one), the Juke was designed primarily by Nissan’s European studio and is a product mainly targeted at Europe. There, the B segment is red hot and sales volumes can support all sorts of experimentation. The Juke is also wanted in China, where the small-car segment is growing faster than mold on month-old fruitcake. Nissan’s U.S. operations decided to take the Juke as an experiment to see if a new sub-segment could be chiseled out of the already crowded crossover market.
The Other Compact Nissan Crossover
Yes, Nissan already has a four-cylinder cute-ute called the Rogue, which competes in a viciously contested segment with the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, and others. But that machine attracts mainly women, especially those in a family way, says Nissan’s head of U.S. product planning, Larry Dominique. In contrast, the Juke, available in S, SV, and SL trim, is after “aggressive attention seekers.” Read: men who are still pretty much boys (and may always be so) and who star in YouTube videos opening with the line, “Watch this!”
The Juke, which will start within a few dollars of $20,000, or just over a grand less than the Rogue, is somewhat smaller and pitched at buyers of the Mini Cooper S, Mazda 3, and Scion tC. The wheelbase is 6.3 inches shorter than the Rogue’s and the overall length is 20.5 inches shorter, with a substantially smaller cargo area. The downsizing is most noticeable in the rear seat, which is fairly snug. But there’s generally only one circumstance in which guys worry about back-seat space, and that one’s rare anymore.
Party in the Front
Guys like interesting hardware specs, and the Juke has them. There’s only one engine headed to the States: a feisty (single-scroll) turbocharged and direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder. Transmission choices are a continuously variable automatic or a six-speed manual, the latter available only in front-drive vehicles.
It’s a small engine for a car whose lightest version starts at around 3000 pounds, but output will be “over 180 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque,” says Dominique. The company won’t reveal the official power numbers until closer to the car’s on-sale date in October. One thing we can reveal is that the Juke doesn’t feel slow. In fact, the all-the-bells-and-whistles version we drove with a CVT and all-wheel drive jukes through traffic with a punchy throttle and a welcome lack of turbo lag. The driver can select from normal, sport, and econ modes with the optional “I-CON” or “Integrated Control” mode selector, which tunes the throttle and transmission response and steering weight to the setting.
What’s in a Name?
The Juke can handle a corner as well. Although the seating position and center of gravity are ratcheted up, the Juke feels stable and eager to change direction. It shares a floor pan with the Versa, but not its rear suspension. The Juke’s rear is supported by a tangle of steel multi-links. The suspension works in concert with a sort of performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system that uses two separate electronically controlled wet clutch packs on the rear axle. The clutches distribute engine torque left or right for sharper steering response when a brace of sensors monitoring steering angle, lateral g load, and yaw rate report that it’s needed. All-wheel drive will probably cost $1200 to $1600 extra, with a fuel-economy penalty of 1 to 2 mpg compared to the 30-mpg expected city/highway combined number for the front-driver.
On dry roads, the clutch packs on either side of the aluminum-case rear differential are clamped tight for a 50/50 torque distribution (a dash switch allows you to disable the system for two-wheel-drive running). In corners or when starting off from a dead stop, the system clamps and unclamps the two sides as needed, shifting more engine torque to the outside wheels to help push the nose in the desired direction. Just as it is in the upscale SUVs with similar systems, the net effect is a livelier helm and a distinct lack of understeer. Nobody who loves a Mini’s hyper-reactive steering will think it anything special, but a Mazda 3 owner might.
Like a Mini, the Juke is highly stylized. The interior theme is “robo-biotic” says Nissan, meaning a fusion of organic and mechanical. Maybe, but the best aspects are the motorcycle cues, such as the center console that looks like a crotch rocket’s fuel tank. The best thing the Juke has going for it is its unique package. A small pseudo-crossover with extroverted styling, satisfying power, and competent handling at a relatively low price is territory that hasn’t been explored yet. We see a compelling combination.
2011 Nissan Juke - First Drive Review
And now, Nissan builds a Rogue for the boys.
BY AARON ROBINSON
May 2010
Top Competitors
* Kia Soul
* Nissan Cube
* Scion xB
* Scion xD
* Toyota Matrix
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $19,995
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Power (C/D est): 190 bhp
Torque (C/D est): 175 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, continuously variable automatic with manumatic shifting
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 99.6 in Length: 162.4 in
Width: 69.5 in Height: 61.8 in
Curb weight (mfr’s est): 2950–3150 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 7.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.0 sec
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 28–30/32–34
Besides being a type of box that exchanges money for music, “juke” is a football term, a fake-out in which a runner seems to go one direction when actually he’s headed in another. Juking is man’s work, and the little Nissan Juke crossover is likewise targeted towards men because, well, the similarly priced Nissan Rogue crossover just isn’t.
Based on Nissan’s global B platform, which is under the Nissan Versa and Cube and Renault Clio (remember, Nissan and Renault are one), the Juke was designed primarily by Nissan’s European studio and is a product mainly targeted at Europe. There, the B segment is red hot and sales volumes can support all sorts of experimentation. The Juke is also wanted in China, where the small-car segment is growing faster than mold on month-old fruitcake. Nissan’s U.S. operations decided to take the Juke as an experiment to see if a new sub-segment could be chiseled out of the already crowded crossover market.
The Other Compact Nissan Crossover
Yes, Nissan already has a four-cylinder cute-ute called the Rogue, which competes in a viciously contested segment with the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, and others. But that machine attracts mainly women, especially those in a family way, says Nissan’s head of U.S. product planning, Larry Dominique. In contrast, the Juke, available in S, SV, and SL trim, is after “aggressive attention seekers.” Read: men who are still pretty much boys (and may always be so) and who star in YouTube videos opening with the line, “Watch this!”
The Juke, which will start within a few dollars of $20,000, or just over a grand less than the Rogue, is somewhat smaller and pitched at buyers of the Mini Cooper S, Mazda 3, and Scion tC. The wheelbase is 6.3 inches shorter than the Rogue’s and the overall length is 20.5 inches shorter, with a substantially smaller cargo area. The downsizing is most noticeable in the rear seat, which is fairly snug. But there’s generally only one circumstance in which guys worry about back-seat space, and that one’s rare anymore.
Party in the Front
Guys like interesting hardware specs, and the Juke has them. There’s only one engine headed to the States: a feisty (single-scroll) turbocharged and direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder. Transmission choices are a continuously variable automatic or a six-speed manual, the latter available only in front-drive vehicles.
It’s a small engine for a car whose lightest version starts at around 3000 pounds, but output will be “over 180 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque,” says Dominique. The company won’t reveal the official power numbers until closer to the car’s on-sale date in October. One thing we can reveal is that the Juke doesn’t feel slow. In fact, the all-the-bells-and-whistles version we drove with a CVT and all-wheel drive jukes through traffic with a punchy throttle and a welcome lack of turbo lag. The driver can select from normal, sport, and econ modes with the optional “I-CON” or “Integrated Control” mode selector, which tunes the throttle and transmission response and steering weight to the setting.
What’s in a Name?
The Juke can handle a corner as well. Although the seating position and center of gravity are ratcheted up, the Juke feels stable and eager to change direction. It shares a floor pan with the Versa, but not its rear suspension. The Juke’s rear is supported by a tangle of steel multi-links. The suspension works in concert with a sort of performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system that uses two separate electronically controlled wet clutch packs on the rear axle. The clutches distribute engine torque left or right for sharper steering response when a brace of sensors monitoring steering angle, lateral g load, and yaw rate report that it’s needed. All-wheel drive will probably cost $1200 to $1600 extra, with a fuel-economy penalty of 1 to 2 mpg compared to the 30-mpg expected city/highway combined number for the front-driver.
On dry roads, the clutch packs on either side of the aluminum-case rear differential are clamped tight for a 50/50 torque distribution (a dash switch allows you to disable the system for two-wheel-drive running). In corners or when starting off from a dead stop, the system clamps and unclamps the two sides as needed, shifting more engine torque to the outside wheels to help push the nose in the desired direction. Just as it is in the upscale SUVs with similar systems, the net effect is a livelier helm and a distinct lack of understeer. Nobody who loves a Mini’s hyper-reactive steering will think it anything special, but a Mazda 3 owner might.
Like a Mini, the Juke is highly stylized. The interior theme is “robo-biotic” says Nissan, meaning a fusion of organic and mechanical. Maybe, but the best aspects are the motorcycle cues, such as the center console that looks like a crotch rocket’s fuel tank. The best thing the Juke has going for it is its unique package. A small pseudo-crossover with extroverted styling, satisfying power, and competent handling at a relatively low price is territory that hasn’t been explored yet. We see a compelling combination.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,208
Likes: 220
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Nissan Design America chief Bruce Campbell was blunt in his assessment of the current state of car styling: There's too much sameness.
On the thread topic, as far as the Juke (or is it the "Joke"?
) is concerned, I don't think it's any uglier than the Murano. I've never liked the Murano's looks. But, given the positon of the current Cube and Rogue in the Nissan line-up, I also wonder if the Juke is even needed. Isuzu, some years ago, tried sticking the oddly-styled VehiCross into the middle of its more-conventional Axiom, Rodeo, Trooper, and Amigo line, and the Vehicross went nowhere (I did know one person who had one, though...a co-worker of mine).
Last edited by mmarshall; May 31, 2010 at 05:44 PM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: South FLA
Wow!!! At least you can't say there's anything else out there that looks like it! The rear glass angle and tail lights remind me of the Volvo C30 coupe.
Call me crazy, but I kind of like the interior. Nothing I would want in a luxury car, that's for sure, but I think it's fitting in the Scion, Element, Soul type of vehicle.
Call me crazy, but I kind of like the interior. Nothing I would want in a luxury car, that's for sure, but I think it's fitting in the Scion, Element, Soul type of vehicle.
