I have something to confess. I had never driven a Nissan Juke. Yes, it was launched in 2010 and there is already talk about its successor that will appear in 2018. But until now I had never had the opportunity to be behind the wheel of one of the main responsible for the rise of the B-segment compact crossover.
And it continues to be a model that divides opinion about its appearance like few others, both today and when it was launched. According to the “mini poll” carried out by me, Juke seems to be more in the favor of female audiences than males. As for me, despite enjoying the original concept – remember the Qazana? -, the transition to reality left many problems: the proportions are perfectible, it is quite sensitive to the angles from which we observe it and lacks finesse in the execution of some elements or sections.
Henry Ford: "A customer can have a car painted any color they want, as long as it's black"
The name of this special edition is “Black Edition” and it couldn't do the name better justice: black bodywork, black wheels, black interior. Black everywhere. The result: the notion of Juke volumes and surfaces is lost a lot, which for many is good news. Despite everything, Juke, after all these years, doesn't seem dated and maintains a dynamic and, above all, playful appearance.
Juke Black Edition is a special edition limited to 1500 units. In addition to the monochromatic choice (the bodywork is also available in grey), it stands out for its adoption of a Focal sound system where the speakers and tweeters saw their power increased to 120 and 100 watts respectively, a considerable leap from the 40 watts face. to the original audio system.
Other “sweetness” of the interior of this Black Edition can be seen in the use of sporty design pedals and the seats partially covered in leather. And it's impossible not to notice the 18-inch wheels surrounded by generous 225/45 R18 tyres. The same measurements used in the Juke Nismo RS. But in the case of the Black Edition they only have to deal with 110 or 115 hp (Diesel and gasoline, respectively) and not with the 218 hp of the Nismo RS.
Could the little Nissan Juke surprise me too?
Admitting that the invasion of the market by SUV, pseudo-SUV and crossover doesn't tell me anything – I would hardly choose this type of vehicle for personal use – I have no problem admitting that I was already surprised on the positive side. Whether it's the pragmatism of the great Skoda Kodiaq or the enthusiastic driving and dynamics of the latest Mazda CX-5.
But Juke is not only a segment below, it has a long career in the market. Surely the competition has already surpassed you at all, right? Well, not really.
It didn't take many kilometers for the Juke to captivate and excite. Its driving seems to be in perfect harmony with its playful appearance. It's agile, changes direction enthusiastically and I ended up driving it almost like a hot hatch. Although we sit on a higher plane, it doesn't seem to suffer from a higher center of gravity. It only asked for a little more lateral support from the seats.
Juke clearly favors dynamism over comfort, but it's never uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, when we explore Juke on degraded floors at livelier rhythms, it is capable of absorbing in a competent way all the abuse we inflict on it.
We have an engine, but where did the voice go?
As we've already mentioned, the Juke Black Edition is available with a petrol engine and a diesel engine. Our unit came with the well-known 1.2 DIG-T with 115 hp. And it has established itself as the ideal partner for Juke's dynamic skills. Always responsive and prompt, minimal turbo lag. But it doesn't stop there.Juke has two driving modes and when you engage Sport mode, the engine seems to be injected with a dose of adrenaline – the response is more immediate from lower revs and maintains vibrancy at higher revs. Contributing to the playful effect, the sound of the wastegate valve is always present, but never annoying. You take your foot off the accelerator and there appears the typical whistle.
And we can only hear it clearly and distinctly because this engine has no voice. It seems mute, to the point of making us doubt whether we're actually driving a car with an internal combustion engine or whether there's actually a hidden electric motor in there… – and it's the only complaint I can really make about the engine.
Interior more consensual than the exterior
Inspired by the world of two wheels, despite the years, the interior of the Nissan Juke is a pleasant place to be. Definitely more consensual and pleasant than the outside. Some details continue to captivate both today and when it was launched: be it the central tunnel shaped like a motorcycle tank, and painted the color of the bodywork, or the frames that serve as door handles. It also has a robust construction and the apparent quality is at a good level.
But the age of the project reveals itself in places like the infotainment system, with Juke not only needing a higher resolution screen but also an updated interface. Despite that, a positive note for the solution found for the commands in the center console. They take on multiple functions depending on the chosen mode: Air conditioning or Driving Modes. A practical solution capable of effectively reducing the number of buttons in the cabin.
The cabin lacks poor rear visibility as well as limited space in the rear seat. A criticism that I also made to the new Nissan Micra and in both it is justified by the exuberance of its exterior design, which hinders the use of interior space.
Priorities
That said, taking advantage of the mention of Micra and even considering my personal disdain for SUVs and similar creatures, I would more quickly opt for a Juke than a Micra. Yes, objectively, Micra is superior to Juke in the most varied aspects. Its latest design allows access to more and better equipment and security, for example.
But I'm sorry, the Juke, despite being taller and heavier, captivates much more in its use, that is, when we drive it . Be it the engine, "leagues" above the 0.9 IG-T - and it has nothing to do with the 25 hp that separate them -, and the ability to entertain like few others. It makes us an integral part of the process, when the norm in the industry increasingly seems to be isolating and anesthetizing. It's a personal preference and has to do with the aspects we value in a car. You may have others and nobody has anything to do with it.
Okay, now I'm going to sit in a corner and review all my caring beliefs...
