New Nissan Juke revealed in full
When it arrived on the scene nine years ago, the Nissan Juke was the only car of its kind, defining a new market segment, the compact crossover. Nowadays, compact crossovers crowd our roads and the all-new Nissan Juke for 2020 will duke it out with rivals like the Hyundai Kona, Renault Captur, SEAT Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross.
Bold exterior styling
The 2020 Nissan Juke may be all-new, but it does retain some of the original's quirky styling. The bold frog-like face of the old Juke has been toned down and the front end looks a lot more modern and purposeful. The 'V-Motion' grille sweeps outwards and joins with the slim LED daytime running lights underneath.
Beneath these are the signature round low/high beams, which are carried over from the previous model, but this time they feature a Y-design and are LED as standard. The grille and lights appear more integrated and flow nicely into the sculpted bonnet, which in turn seems to sweep up towards the double-bubble roof. The design of the roof improves the Juke's aerodynamics, apparently, as does the new integrated rear spoiler.
Better quality interior with more space
Around the back, the big change is the bumper, which is now almost flush with the tailgate. This new, less bulky, bumper design has allowed for a 20 per cent increase in boot space, taking capacity up from 354 litres to 422 litres, putting it ahead of many rivals.
It's not only the boot that has grown, as the new Juke is taller, longer and wider than the previous generation, yet it is 23kg lighter. Furthermore, a 10cm increase in wheelbase means that interior room has improved. There is more head-, leg- and knee room all-around. This is most noticeable in the rear where passengers gain 5.8cm more knee room and 1.1cm more headroom.
Apart from the improvement in space, the interior also benefits from a new design that feels a lot more mature and includes nicer materials, the latest technology and more safety systems. The sweeping dash is less chunky and features soft touch materials, fewer buttons than before, a slimmed-down centre console and turbine-style air vents.
The mono-form sports seats come as standard and add a premium feel to the cabin. Those soft-touch materials and redesigned wing mirrors have, according to Nissan, helped reduce the noise levels by two per cent. On top of that, there is a new eight-inch Nissan Connect infotainment system that features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as having its own Wi-Fi hotspot and in-built satnav.
Advanced safety on board
The new Juke also comes with Nissan's ProPilot technology. This means the car will assist with steering, acceleration and braking when in single-lane traffic. There are plenty of other safety aids onboard too, including Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Recognition, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Lane Intervention, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Intervention. There are 11 exterior colours available, three roof colours and three interior colour options. Alloy wheel designs vary in size from 16- to 19 inches.
Modest launch line-up
From launch, the Nissan Juke will be available with just one engine, a 117hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit. This is the same engine found in the current Nissan Micra, but it has been tuned specifically for the Juke. This engine is also found in the new Renault Clio, as it was developed as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
Buyers will be able to choose from either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch (DCT) automatic gearboxes. The new Juke also has three drive modes: Sport, Eco and Normal. Production of the new Nissan Juke begins at the Sunderland factory in the UK in October 2019 with first deliveries expected mid-November. Prices have not yet been confirmed for the Irish market.