Nissan Juke 1.6 DiG-T (2010) CAR review

Based on a Micra... How does the new Nissan Juke drive?

This precise spec of car rapidly shows its true colours. The new 1.6 turbo is a strong performer, offering punchy acceleration at almost any engine speed (peak torque is generated from 2000-5200rpm) and it's quiet enough about its business, although lacking in character.

What lets the side down is the CVT transmission. Nissan's pioneered this for years and I remember the hoopla over the stepped 'gears' offered on the late 90s Primera. Well the tech's still here and it's improved, yet it does this engine few favours, the car mooing and lurching somewhat as the gears expand and stretch while a computer works out what your right foot's signalling.

Slip into manual mode and things improve, but then if you want to change gear yourself, surely you'd pick the front-drive manual turbo? There are no paddles, either, so you end up banging the large gearlever back and forth. We didn't drive the manual turbo, but the stick-shift diesel had a pleasingly precise and speedy action.

Juke: ride and handling

The new Nissan baby crossover rides very well. The 4x4 version tested here is the only model to get Qashqai-derived independent rear suspension and it smothers road scars better than the torsion beam of lesser models.

What's most striking is the speediness of the steering. The Juke's rack is fast-geared and the car responds like a greyhound to changes of direction. This will appeal to Mini owners and lends the car a pointy, agile feel.

However, the rest of the chassis lacks the polish of a Mini. While it rides well most of the time, the Juke doesn't feel as composed through corners as a Mini rival. In extremis, the Nissan can lurch a little – almost as if the nose is moving so quickly and the rest of the car can't catch up. The 4x4 comes with torque vectoring, and either rear wheel can do all the driving during hard cornering, feeling like a skier pirouetting on his edges during hard, low-speed corners.

Verdict

This is not the best Juke, and we'll be running separate drives of the other versions we've driven. Yet on first acquaintance, Nissan has turned out a really interesting alternative to a Mini Countryman, Audi A1 or Alfa Mito. At least, those are the cars that it wants to compete with.

The styling will make or break the Juke and there are bound to be people out there for whom a crazily styled, look-at-me wagon will be spot-on. This is a very expressive car and while many will be deterred, we can't help feel that a small slice of target customers will find a really interesting alternative here.

Yet another quirky Nissan.