Nissan Juke 1.5 dCi Tekna

Going against the crowd is a brave thing to do, but Nissan hopes that supermini buyers after something different will do exactly that, and embrace its controversial new Juke. Look beyond its outlandish styling, and you’ll find a practical five-door cabin and sensible diesel, so there’s more to this pseudo off-roader than meets the eye.

The Juke’s looks clearly split opinion, but it’s nothing if not eye-catching. Those shallow side windows, the raked rear screen and lights similar to those on the 370Z sports car contrast with a raised ride height, bulging wheelarches and body cladding typically associated with a 4x4. 

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Nissan Juke

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Thanks to the jacked-up stance, from the inside it feels more like a compact SUV than a coupé. Unfortunately, the driving position isn’t as adjustable as the MINI’s, as its sporty steering wheel doesn’t provide reach movement. Still, Tekna models feature plenty of standard kit, including cruise control, sat-nav, leather seats, climate control and keyless go. To spec the Clubman to the same level would hike the price considerably. 

How has Nissan done it? Well, material quality inside isn’t up to the MINI’s standards. The switchgear feels cheap and some of the backlighting is ineffective – especially for the climate control. 

While trim quality is lacking, plenty of effort has been put into the cabin design. The transmission tunnel is fashioned to look like a motorcycle fuel tank and can even be finished to match the body colour, rather than the boring grey of our test car. 

One element that stands out inside is the D-Mode computer. It shares its buttons with the climate system (you toggle between them to decide which you want to use), and provides everything from g-force readings to fuel consumption data. With a higher roofline and more steeply raked windscreen, the Juke feels larger than its rival, and the pair of conventional rear doors make it the more practical choice. 

Once inside, though, rear passengers don’t have as much headroom as in the Clubman. The boot doesn’t measure up, either – its 251-litre capacity trails by nine litres. There’s no 12V power socket, luggage net or hooks – all included in the MINI – although it does have a split-level floor.

On paper, the Nissan should easily match the Clubman for pace, yet this is where it disappoints the most. The 1.5-litre dCi diesel delivers 240Nm of torque – that’s 30Nm less than the Cooper D. Shorter gearing helps to combat this, but at 70mph the Juke is pulling 2,400rpm, which is 400rpm more than its rival. 

Not only does this hamper refinement, it makes a difference at the pumps, too. And even with its short-ratio gearbox, the Nissan trails in terms of pace. At the track, it took two seconds longer to sprint from 0-60mph, with a time of 12.2 seconds. Even more worrying was the car’s braking. We encountered significant dive during our emergency stops, and the light rear end didn’t inspire confidence. In the wet conditions of our test, the Juke stopped from 70mph in 55.3 metres – that’s 4.7 metres more than the Clubman. 

Comfort isn’t a strong point for either of our contenders. The unyielding Cooper D is far from perfect, but the softer Juke isn’t much better, as it bounces its occupants around over bumps and rolls through bends. 

The driving experience can be improved using the D-Mode computer to sharpen steering and throttle responses, but this doesn’t affect the dampers. And it isn’t enough to give the Juke the precision of the MINI. 

What’s more, the Nissan has to make do without its rival’s efficiency-boosting hardware – and as a result, emissions of 134g/km trail the Clubman’s by 31g/km. The script continues at the pumps.

In our hands, a fuel return of 44.7mpg is reasonable, but the MINI recorded 49.3mpg.

The Juke is likeable, and if you want the most head-turning car in the class, it’s the obvious choice. But hit the road, and its appeal wanes in the face of the more fun and frugal opponent in this test. Does its more practical body and lengthy kit list do enough to compensate?

Details

Chart position: 2
WHY: If you want a distinctive car, the Juke is ideal. Five doors, frugal diesel and fun interior add interest.