1 Apr 2015
NISSAN’S controversially styled Juke has been relaunched in Australia with a raft of improvements and unique features that the company hopes will push it front and centre of compact SUV buyers’ shortlists.
Out goes the base ST 2WD (front-drive) manual’s 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine for a 1.2-litre turbo with significantly more torque, gaining stop/start tech, daytime driving lights, door-mirror indicators, tyre-pressure monitors, and 17-inch alloy wheels along the way.
Additionally, alongside the subtly altered nose cone featuring boomerang-shaped headlights with LEDs, restyled bumpers and revised tail-light lenses, perceived quality improves with the fitment of an altered centre console while a 40 per cent larger boot addresses one of the previous Juke’s biggest flaws – at least in 2WD models. Involving a redesigned rear floor area, it now measures in at 354 litres.
Other changes included the dropping of the old ST-S for a better-equipped Ti-S, the availability of Xenons and LEDs, digital radio, Smartphone app connectivity, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, Moving Object Detection and an Around-View Monitor with rear-view camera as part of Nissan’s ‘Safety Shield’ system, while all 2WD cars gain a 40 per cent larger boot thanks to a redesigned floor pan. Only the flagship Ti-S AWD sticks with the meagre 207L luggage volume.
