Should You Buy? 5 Pros & Cons of Nissan Juke 2019

The Nissan Juke is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured by the Japanese company Nissan. The Juke was introduced in 2010 and is currently in its second generation from 2019.

The 2019 Nissan Juke is available in base S, mid-spec SV, and top-spec SL trims. S stands for “Standard’, SV for “Standard Value”, and SL for “Standard Luxury”. In other markets, they are further broken down into five trims starting from the base Visia, followed by Acenta, N-Connecta, Tekna, and finally the premium Tekna+.

Standard entry-level equipment found on the Visia includes LED headlamps, a 4.2-inch instrument cluster display, manual air-conditioning, and 16-inch steel wheels. The Acenta adds an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and voice recognition, a roaming Wi-Fi hotspot, a rear-view camera, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The mid-range N-Connecta trim adds LED fog lamps, a leather-trimmed shift-knob and steering wheel, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, TomTom navigation, rear privacy glass, automatic climate control, an ambient interior lighting system, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, an electronic handbrake, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, parking sensors all-round, and a pair of heated and electrically adjustable side mirrors. The Tekna adds heated front seats, a heated front windscreen, an eight-speaker Bose surround sound system, a 360-degree camera, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The premium Tekna+ trim adds two-tone metallic paint, a satin finish front skid plate, pearl black trim inserts for the crossover’s bumpers and side skirts, and 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.

What’s New?

The 2019 Nissan Juke is built on an all-new CMF-B platform. This new platform is based on high-strength steel which offers better performance, stability, and cornering capabilities, while also shedding 23 kg compared to the previous model.

The 2019 Juke’s rear-seat knee room grew by 2.3 in, rear headroom grew by 0.4 in, and boot size is now 422 liters. 

The 2019 Juke has also adopted a new dash layout that features a ‘floating’ central display, it also features a new multifunction steering wheel and a reduced number of center console buttons.

In this review, we will briefly take a look at the 5 Pros and 5 cons of the 2019 Nissan Juke and eventually provide our verdict. Our ratings will be based on the practicality, driving experience, running cost, and interior.

5 Pros

Unorthodox Exterior Design

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The exterior of the Juke has gained notoriety due to its unique unorthodox looks. With its relatively dense nature, it became a favorite to both young buyers who appreciate its styling, and older motorists who enjoy its light controls and high driving position.

The 2019 Juke has maintained its divisive and distinctive looks but with some refinements compared to the original model. Its distinct trademark design cues that feature upside-down projector beam headlight configuration, hidden rear door handles, and wheels at each corner have all been carried over and enhanced.

Cheap to Run

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The Juke is generally cheap to run due to the efficiency of its engines. The 2019 model has bettered that with improved efficiency from its 1.0-liter engine.

The 2019 Nissan Juke comes fitted with a turbocharged 1.0-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine with 113 hp and 147 lb-ft of torque as standard. This engine is mated with a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

There’s little to lament for with regard to the turbocharged 1.0-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine. When mated with a 6-speed manual transmission, it will return a claimed 20.3 km/l, while when mated with the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic claims19.68 km/l.

Intelligent Safety

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The 2019 Juke was built with safety in mind, with a grown list of standard safety features. Apart from the basics such as seatbelts and airbags, there is also an abundance of standard safety features that include hill start assist, intelligent automatic lane-keeping assist, emergency braking, and cruise control while higher trim levels get the ProPilot system that combines steering assist and intelligent cruise control technologies that enable it to take control of the steering, braking, and throttle under certain conditions. There is also the availability of driver-assist technologies that come bundled in the name of the Nissan Safety Shield Philosophy. It consists of the following technologies: Moving Object Detection, Intelligent Lane Intervention, and Vehicle Dynamic Control.

It’s Relatively Inexpensive

The Nissan Juke has a starting price of £17,395. It doesn’t sound cheap, but if you consider the whole features package you’ll agree it’s not. The presence of Nissan’s functional Integrated Control (I-CON) system that allows you to select driving modes depending on road conditions and personal preference is a big bonus. But there’s also the presence of the features such as futuristic cabin design, touchscreen infotainment, advanced safety systems, and more. With all these considered, the Juke is worth every penny paid for.

Modish Infotainment and Tech

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The infotainment display is placed high and within reach. It’s nice, bright with large clear buttons that are easy to use. Unlike most modern cars whose climate control buttons are hidden in the menu, the 2019 Juke’s buttons are physical dials, that are easy to control while driving.

Aside from infotainment and driving modes, Nissan’s I-CON system also manages drive information, the air conditioner, and the heater for easy toggling. The integrated control (I-CON) system is basically an operating system (OS) that enhances the overall driving experience, encapsulating all car functions in one system.

Other tech features found in the Juke include sat-nav, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. Also included is a phone app that enables the pre-loading of destinations and settings into the sat-nav and also allows you to lock and unlock the car, furthermore, it can also remotely monitor tire pressure and fuel level. If you are tech-savvy, you can also access this via a Google Home smart speaker, that allows you to ‘talk’ to your vehicle via your home.

5 Cons

Cramped Backseat

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The 2019 Nissan Juke doesn’t offer much in terms of interior space, and like many subcompact cars, the second row is cramped, and the back seat is only desirable for small children.

Its 422-liter boot is an improvement compared to the previous model, but still leaves much to be desired. If interior space is your priority, then you better go for the roomier Nissan X-Trail or other larger subcompacts.

Unique Exterior Styling

The Nissan Juke is famous for its unique unorthodox styling, but like any product, there are some people who appreciate its uniqueness, and there are many that loathe it. Also, Juke’s discrete looks do attract a lot of attention, which doesn’t bode well for owners that detest attention.

Not Your Average Utility Vehicle

Some cars are made for work and play, the Juke is not one of them. The Juke is not an all-around vehicle, it’s an urban-focused car that was built for style and not utility. And to sum it up, the Juke has a very low towing capacity.

So if you are looking for a utility vehicle, the Juke is not the right car for you, you better look elsewhere.

Shaky Ride

The 2019 Juke comes with a 12 hp and 244 lb-ft from a turbocharged 1.0-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine. That is enough power and torque to get you from point A to B. This engine is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

Moving from 0 to 10km/h with this combination can time and again result in a stagger if you need to accelerate quickly.

This lack of power is more evident when you attempt to overtake on single-lane roads. You’ll have to carefully plan to safely overtake and return to your lane again.

Apart from starting off from a stop in traffic and overtaking, the 2019 Juke does not shy away from delivering its power.

Unfriendly Boot

The 2019 Juke’s 422-liter boot is a welcome as it’s decently sized. But at a time when automatic tailgates are the order of the day, this Juke does not offer an automatic tailgate instead you have to make use of a manual hatch to access the boot. After you open the boot,  you’re greeted with a large drop to the cargo floor, which makes the loading and offloading of goods arduous, especially the large ones.

Split fold the rear seats in a 60:40 split and you gain an extra 883 liters of boot space (1305 liters in total). But the seats do not fold flat, and as a result, they create an extra drop between them and the boot. This further complicates the usefulness of the boot, with options such as seamlessly cargo sliding within the boot impracticable due to the boot floor being just too uneven.

Final Verdict

Since the Juke started off the crossover craze, the segment has arguably become the most fierce around. With the release of the 2019 model, it’s almost 10 years since the Juke was introduced, and we think that it’s high time for the car to be completely revamped. There are things that we like about the 2019 Juke – its urban driving responsiveness, the improvement, and the smooth turbocharged petrol power plant.

We at BE FORWARD have a stock of 350+ used Nissan Juke’s listed for sale. Check out our stock for your next car.

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