Nissan Juke 2016 Urban Suv

Nissan Juke 2016 Urban Suv google doc

Maybe you're looking for a sporty small car, and you think that standing out from the crowd is a good thing, you'll want to consider the 2016 Nissan Juke. The Juke has always been an outsider—a small crossover, with its priorities in a very different place than pretty much every other model on the market.

That has become more apparent with the recent additions of several competitors to the subcompact crossover segment, including the Honda HR-V, Chevrolet Trax, Fiat 500X, Jeep Renegade, and Mazda CX-3. Those models are all much more mainstream, while the Juke is quirky and sporty. But with its bold styling and a competitive feature set, we think the Juke will continue to find a lot of buyers willing to make some sacrifices for a vehicle that looks, feels, and is surprisingly edgy.

The Juke remains a genre-bender, blending a portion of adventurous urban crossover with a pinch of unusual performance car, seasoned with many dollops of wild design verging on modern sculpture. While it's nominally a subcompact hatchback with optional all-wheel drive—rally-racer inspired in some ways—it's also pressed to its hot-hatch potential in top NISMO RS form. And lest you forget, it's still pretty practical.

The Juke's exterior still seems futuristic several years on. The slanted-back roofline and pert tail design all add up to a vehicle that can look coupe-like from some angles, thanks in part to the "hidden" rear door handles.

Inside, the motorcycle-inspired gauges, shiny nylon upholstery, and colorful inserts bring a look and feel that's also quite out-of-the-ordinary. To some it's those details, and the color-shifting seat upholstery, for example, that are verging on the gimmicky and cartoonish. That said, the layout and switchgear are straightforward.

With subcompact proportions and a taller roof, you might think the Juke would pack in some useful space, but there's simply not as much passenger or cargo space as that exterior suggests. It's not any more useful than a lower-riding, mainstream hatchback. The front seats have a nice, upright driving position despite the somewhat confined quarters, but in back space is extremely tight even for two (officially there are three seating positions). 

Those back seats are probably best left folded down to open 35.9 cubic feet of cargo space. Overall, we find the interior to be price-appropriate, though the very firm ride and still rather noisy cabin make it an acquired taste.

Like the looks, performance is tough to pigeonhole. It's part crossover permanently hamstrung by a teensy cockpit and a stiff, almost sports car ride. But it's also a far more practical take on what the younger set wants in a coupe, a step more practical than the (three-door) Hyundai Veloster.

All these contradictions keep coming in the driving experience. Most versions are powered by a 188-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with either front- or all-wheel drive, and a continuously variable (CVT) transmission. A six-speed manual is also offered. Keep in mind the all-wheel drive here isn't for off-roading, rather for performance, handling, and all-weather traction

The powertrain, with the CVT, can be oddly ponderous for use around town; but drive it hard and the combination somehow adds up to something more rewarding. Beware, however, that gas mileage isn't anything to beam about. But the Juke's handling—and more specifically, its light, quick steering—redeem the package, provided you're into the performance side. If you're not, we could see the Juke's rather hard ride, which bounces and bounds at times, easily becoming a reason to pass in favor of one of the Juke's softer (and blander) rivals.

Nissan Juke 2016 Urban Suv google doc

Those who want to get the most amped-up version of the Juke should go for the Juke NISMO or, better yet, the NISMO RS—with both of those performance version still offering a manual gearbox. The NISMO RS gets a top-performance version of the same engine, making 215 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. NISMO models also add nearly 100 other revised components, including exclusive lightweight alloy wheels, a specially tuned suspension, more downforce, and more aggressively bolstered sport seats.

All but the base Juke S include Nissan's I-CON control system, which lets you choose drive modes affecting the attitude for steering boost, throttle response, and CVT behavior (if so equipped) to either improve fuel economy or make it more responsive. Climate controls are changed with the same screen, and it works quite well, as do all the controls in general. Overall, the materials and design are sharp and modern, with price-appropriate, though plasticky, finishes.

The Juke is offered in S, SV, SL, NISMO, and NISMO RS models. Pricing for the S model starts at about $22,000. Standard features include 17-inch wheels, an AM/FM/CD sound system with auxiliary input, Bluetooth, Intelligent Key with push-button start, a backup camera, a split-folding 60/40 rear seat, and the NissanConnect system with Mobile Apps and a text message assistant. For 2016, it also adds Siri Eyes Free control of iPhones.

Both Juke NISMO models add sport bucket seats, sport trim throughout the interior (with a different shift knob and door switch panels, for instance), red stitching for the rear seats, a black antenna, 18-inch wheels, and lots of other NISMO-exclusive aero and cooling improvements for the body. The NISMO RS tops off the lineup, at abut $31,000 in AWD form. It steps up to four-wheel vented disc brakes, a helical limited-slip differential for front-wheel-drive models, Recaro sport seats, special upholstery with leather and synthetic suede, and carbon fiber interior trim.

Factory options for the 2016 Nissan Juke are limited to an SV Technology Package (the upgraded infotainment, Around View Monitor, and Rockford Fosgate audio), an SV Cold Weather Package (heated front seats and mirrors), and premium paint.

Nissan also offers a long list of port-installed options, including gunmetal or black 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear roof spoiler, a stainless exhaust finisher, an interior illumination package, and front-seat armrests.

Interior

Nissan Juke 2016 Urban Suv google doc

The Juke ties in the rough-and-ready looks of an amped-up rally racer with some of the utility and styling of today's smallest crossovers. Nissan calls it "a bold urban sport cross," and that's right in sync with what we see. It's futuristic, and polarizing, yet it's gained a loyal following.

The look of the Juke is all hips and bulges, swells and angles. It could even be called cartoonish. The tall, swooped fenders up front, the low-mounted headlights, blade-like turn signals, and the predatory grille all add up to something completely different than what's offered elsewhere on the market. The slanted-back roofline and pert tail design create a vehicle that can look coupe-like from some angles, thanks, in part, to the 'hidden' rear door handles.

Nissan Juke 2016 Urban Suv google doc

Inside, the design features motorcycle-inspired gauges, shiny nylon upholstery, and colorful inserts. In total, the look is quite out of the ordinary. To some, those details, and the color-shifting seat upholstery verge on the gimmicky and cartoonish. That said, the layout and switchgear are straightforward.

Nissan also offers a Juke Color Studio on program that gives buyers more ways to customize their vehicles, with bright colors for the wheels, rear spoiler, door handles, headlamp trim, side sills, and fascia trim. These trims are sold individually, at the dealership, but can be included in vehicle financing.