By Felix Tjozongoro
ONGWEDIVA – The new 2015 Nissan Juke is set to reach dealers at the end of January and promises to repeat its sales success with redesigned front and rear styling and a significant upgrade in luxury specification.
The refreshed Juke retains many of its favourite elements, such as the sporty sloping roofline, SUV stance and hidden rear door handles, while updating many other elements to align with the current popular Nissan crossover design language.
Viewed from the front, all three levels of lighting have been given more prominence, starting with the fog lights that nestle in a newly designed black air intake and redesigned colour-coded bumper. The rounded fog lights with new clear lenses take centre stage and flank a new grille with grated design and a bolder SUV-style Nissan badge. This badge cue is repeated in the centre console instrumentation and at the back of the car in the diffuser design.
The most dramatic and visually enticing change is found in the uppermost-lights that have been completely redesigned and which joins the family of modern Nissan crossovers with its boomerang shape and integrated daytime running lights – a standard feature across the entire Juke range.
On the flanks, the new side mirrors with turn signals are squared off and bolder, and in the Tekna specification integrate, wide-angle cameras that link to the rear and nose camera to offer 360 degree visibility when manoeuvring the Juke.
New alloy wheels complete the packaged and have been inched up from 16” to 17” on all but the 1.2 DIG-T Acenta model and from 17” to 18” on the Tekna models.
The rear of the Juke has been given a similarly dramatic upgrade with a new luggage door with wider number plate area, and the new diffuser and rear air dam have been redesigned to create a wider and more purposeful stance for the Juke.
Other changes to the rear of the car include the new roof-mounted aerial, completely redesigned rear lights that mirror the front lights and pay homage to Nissan street-stars such as the 370Z, redesigned rear reflectors and an exhaust pipe that takes pride of place with new chrome detailing on the Tekna models.
Step inside and the Juke has retained all of the playful elements that have made it a top seller. The centrepiece remains the painted transmission tunnel, which is inspired by the radical lines of an Italian superbike and hints of the Juke’s nimble road manners.
Designers have also retained the speed-sensitive sport steering wheel with satellite controls the contoured front seats and the large, easy-to-read circular gauges that require a mere glance from the driver to see all the necessary vehicle information.
The centre cluster has, however, received a rethink and has been upgraded to offer a more premium feel. Drivers familiar with the original Juke will still find the I-CON system at hand, which controls vehicle set-up and performance settings, but will notice the premium treatment of every element that falls to hand, just as Nissan has recently done with the new Qashqai and X-Trail crossovers.
The driver will also notice that the entire range has received a specification upgrade. Even the entry-level Acenta model has Bluetooth phone integration, cruise control with speed-limiting capabilities, Stop/Start technology and full climate control. All models in the range also have vehicle dynamic control (VDC) and six airbags, key elements to the Juke’s five star Euro NCAP rating.
However, the upgrade is not only focused on design elements and specifications. Nissan engineers have redesigned the luggage storage area and lowered the space saver spare wheel to increase the luggage space by no less than 40 percent from 251 litres to 354 litres. This applies to all models, except the 4WD model, which has to house a rear differential and multi-link rear suspension system.
The new engine offers the added benefit of improved fuel consumption of 5.6 litres/100 km, a figure made possible by the standard fitment of Stop/Start technology
The engines are mated to a choice of direct-shifting six-speed gearbox or Nissan’s XTronic constantly variable transmission, depending on the model and engine choice. The XTronic gearbox has been upgraded to offer 17 percent greater ratio speed and 40% percent less internal friction, which promises to make this transmission even more popular among traffic-weary city dwellers.
The Juke retains the unique driving control system in the Nissan I-CON system, which allows the driver to select and customise driving modes, with pre-set options for Normal, Sport and Eco driving. The 2WD Tekna model is also fitted with the new NissanConnect system, with 5.8” touch screen and full smart phone integration.
The Juke has carried a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating since its introduction, and Nissan has not compromised on its high level of safety specifications with the upgraded model, which includes front, side and curtain airbags and vehicle dynamic control (VDC) across the whole range. The entire Juke range is also fitted with electronic brake-force distribution, brake-assist and anti-lock braking (ABS).
The Juke is secured with a Nissan immobiliser, an alarm system and the Nissan DataDot identification system, which Nissan pioneered and which has now become a regulated fitment to all new vehicles sold in South Africa.
Adding to the long range of safety features is the Nissan Safety Shield. This system is fitted as part of the NissanConnect system on the 1.6 DIG-T 2WD Tekna model and offers Around View Monitor – a full bird’s eye view on all sides of the vehicle thanks to four integrated cameras fitted in the nose, side mirrors and rear spoiler. Interestingly, the rear camera offers a 180 degree viewing angle and given its position on the luggage door can detect when the lens is dirty and clean itself.
The Safety Shield system is capable of detecting and warning the driver of moving objects around the vehicle whilst manoeuvring the vehicle at parking speeds. Once at cruising speed, the system shifts to provide lane departure and blind spot warning systems.
All Juke models are sold with a 3-year / 90 000 kilometre service plan and a 3-year / 100 000 kilometre mechanical warranty. Prices include VAT. Prices starts from N$254 900.