By Khulekani Dumisa

Nissan has taken the covers off its second generation Nissan Juke. Having been introduced nearly 10 years ago, the Juke is the founder of the subcompact SUV segment and a market success for Nissan having sold over 1 million units in Europe since introduction. The previous generation was showing its age and also facing some tough competition from the likes of Renault Captur having arrived on the scene. New entrants like the Volkswagen T-Cross are also aiming for a share of its supper. Nissan thinks it has the answer with a sleeker, bigger and more technologically advanced Juke.

Looks

The new Juke has been redesigned inside out. The exterior drops the rounder look for a more angular design. Distinctly Juke elements are retained however. These include slopping roofline, door handles in C-Pillar and circular headlamps that now come with a new Y-shaped signature. The Juke drops the bulging lights at the top of the bonnet for slimmer lights. Rounding up the exterior look is the prominent Nissan V-Motion grille and standard full LED technology.

A bigger Juke

The previous generation Juke was often criticized for cramped rear legroom and compact boot space. Nissan addresses these issues as dimensions are now up by 4,210 mm in length; 1,595 mm in height; with a width of 1,800 mm. These numbers mean that rear seat knee room is increased by 5.8 cm, rear head room by 1.1 cm and the boot capacity by 20% to 422 litres thus providing more storage room. The growth in size does not mean a heavier Juke as the new Juke sheds a whole 23 kgs in weight.

Interior

Inside is another place where Nissan has heavily revised the Juke. Gone are the hard plastics and a dated centre console with an aged infotainment system. Nissan has invested in soft touch materials that look pleasing to the eye. A floating 8-inch touch screen has been introduced with buttons retained for the climate control. With the new NissanConnect infotainment system, customers can use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to mirror their favourite smartphone apps. Drivers can also access TomTom Maps & Live Traffic or activate their In-Car WiFi to allow passengers connecting their laptops or tablets. We do not know if these additional features will be offered outside of Europe.

A Bose Personal Plus sound system also makes its way to the Juke. It comes with eight speakers, including two sets of Bose UltraNearfield speakers integrated into both front seats headrests.

Your own Juke

Understanding the individual needs of customers, Nissan is offering the Juke with an all-new N-Design grade package. This allows customers to personalise their Juke. This styling package offers multiple colour combinations for body, roof and interior upholstery. Exterior personalisation is also offered, with customisable bumpers, side sills and 19-inch alloy wheels. Additionally, an exclusive body colour, Fuji Sunset, now completes the line-up of 11 colours.

Performance

The new Juke is 1.0-liter three-cylinder DIG-T turbocharged petrol engine with 87 kW. The engine is paired with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch (DCT) paddle-shift transmission.

Safety

Nissan’s advance ProPilot technology, which offers electronically assisted steering, acceleration and braking, is available in the Juke for the first time. Designed for highway use in single-lane traffic, the ProPilot system accelerates and slows downs for the driver to maintain the right distance and speed and also keeps the car centred within the lane. In addition, the Juke offers a full package of safety technologies, including Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Recognition, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Lane Intervention, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Blind Spot Intervention as a Nissan premiere that is unique to the segment.

Local availability of the new Juke is yet to be announced.