Review

Review: Nissan F15 Juke (2013-18)

3 stars

  • Willing 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine
  • Responsive 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine
  • Quiet, well-insulated cabin
  • Light, direct steering
  • Suspension lacks compliance
  • CVT noise (where fitted)
  • Steering lacks reach adjustment
  • Cheap interior materials
  • Cramped rear seats

Review: Nissan F15.I Juke (2013-14)

Overview

Released in Australia in October 2013, the Nissan F15 Series (F15.I) Juke was a compact, five-door SUV. Manufactured in Sunderland, England, the Juke was powered by 1.6-litre naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines. As per the table below, the Juke range consisted of ST, ST-S and Ti-S variants.

HR16DE and MR16DDT Engines

Of the engines,

  • For front-wheel drive ST variants, the 1.6-litre HR16DE four-cylinder petrol engine had chain-driven double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 10.7:1; and,
  • For front-wheel drive ST-S and all-wheel drive Ti-S variants, the 1.6-litre MR16DDT turbocharged petrol engine had direct injection, chain-driven double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable intake and exhaust valve timing and a compression ratio of 9.5:1.

Dimensions and body

Underpinned by Nissan’s B0 platform, the F15 Juke was 4135 mm long, 1765 mm wide, 1565 mm tall and had a 2530 mm long wheelbase. Furthermore, the Juke had a drag coefficient of 0.35 Cd. 

Suspension and steering

The Juke had MacPherson strut front suspension and, for front-wheel drive models, torsion beam rear suspension. For models with Nissan’s ‘All-Mode 4×4-i’ all-wheel drive system, however, multi-link rear suspension was used.

The F15 Juke had speed-sensitive electric power-assisted steering.

Nissan F15.I Juke specifications
Variant Engine Trans. Drive Peak power Peak torque
ST 1.6-litre petrol I4
(HR16DE)		 5sp man.,
CVT		 FWD 86 kW at 6000 rpm 158 Nm at 4000 rpm
ST-S 1.6-litre turbo petrol I4
(MR16DDT)		 6sp man. FWD 140 kW at 5800 rpm 240 Nm at 2000-5200 rpm
Ti-S 1.6-litre turbo petrol I4
(MR16DDT)		 CVT AWD 140 kW at 5800 rpm 240 Nm at 2000-5200 rpm

All-Mode 4×4-i system

Nissan’s ‘All-Mode 4×4-i’ system was a reactive all-wheel drive system which utilised electronically-controlled wet-clutch packs. The engine’s torque was primarily directed to the front wheels in normal conditions though, if traction was lost, the clutch packs would engage to direct up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque to the rear axle.

The All-Mode system also included an ‘AWD-V’ mode which provided torque vectoring for the rear wheels – via two multi-plate electromagnetic couplings – to adjust rear-wheel torque distribution and minimise understeer. 

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Juke included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, active front seat head restraints and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Brakes

The standard braking package for the Juke consisted of 280 mm by 24 mm ventilated front brake discs and 292 mm by 9 mm solid rear discs. The ST-S and Ti-S models, however, were fitted with 296 mm by 26 mm front brake discs.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the Nissan Juke received a five star safety rating which included an 87 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 81 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the offset crash test, structures in the dashboard were considered-18 a risk of injury to occupants and protection for the knees and thighs was rated as marginal.

Under ANCAP’s methodology , the Juke was awarded a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 33.03 out of 37.

Features

Standard features for the Juke ST included 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/55 R17 tyres, a four speaker sound system with a CD player, MP3-compatibility, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod) and Bluetooth connectivity, climate control air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, 60/40 split and folding second row seats, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a tilt adjustable steering wheel, 12 volt power outlet, rear privacy glass, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

Beyond this, the ST-S added satellite navigation with a five-inch colour display, a six speaker sound system, reversing camera, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a proximity key, push-button start and power folding door mirrors.

The range-topping Ti-S was distinguished by its leather seat trim and heated front seats.

Nissan Juke Midnight Edition

In October 2014, two hundred (200) Juke Midnight Edition models were released. Available for the Juke ST and ST-S, the Midnight Edition models were distinguished by their:

  • Black 17-inch alloy wheels;
  • Black headlight finishers and mirror caps (except for Pearl Black models);
  • Black roof spoilers;
  • ‘Juke’ branded carpet floor mats;
  • ‘Midnight Edition’ badge; and,
  • Premium paint finishes (except Pearl Black).

Brochure

Related links

Review: Nissan F15.II Juke (2015-18)

Overview

Released in Europe in mid-2014 and officially launched in Australia in March 2015, the F15 Series II (F15.II) Juke introduced a revised range which included 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engines and upgraded 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engines; the ST-S variants, however, were discontinued.

In October 2018, the Nissan Juke Nismo RS was released in Australia.

HRDDT and MR16DDT engines

Of the engines,

  • For ST variants, the 1.2-litre HRDDT turbocharged petrol engine had an aluminium block and cylinder head, a low-intertia turbocharger, double overhead camshaft (chain-driven), four valves per cylinder, double-cam phasing variable valve timing and a compression ratio of 10.0:1. The HRDDT engine also had a Stop&Start function which enabled the engine to shut down when the vehicle was stationary in traffic to reduce fuel consumption; and,
  • For Ti-S variants, the 1.6-litre MR16DDT turbocharged petrol engine had a higher compression ratio (10.5:1, previously 9.5:1), improved low-rev torque delivery, friction-reduction measures and cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR).

Other changes

Visually, the F15.II Juke could be identified by its new grille, redesigned upper lamps which incorporated daytime LED running lights, more robust trim below the front bumper, door mirrors with LED indicator repeaters, more aggressive rear bumper and ‘boomerang’ tail-lights with LEDs. For the Ti-S, the headlights included xenon bulbs and new lens covers, while the door mirrors included cameras for Nissan’s ‘Around View Monitor’ (AVM). Paint colours for the F15.II Juke were expanded to include Bumblebee yellow, Magnetic red and Ink blue finishes.

Nissan F15.II Juke specifications
Variant Engine Drive Trans. Peak power Peak torque
ST 1.2-litre turbo petrol I4 FWD 6sp man. 85 kW at 4500 rpm 190 Nm at 2000 rpm
ST 1.6-litre petrol I4 FWD CVT 86 kW at 6000 rpm 158 Nm at 4000 rpm
Ti-S 1.6-litre turbo petrol I4 FWD 6sp man. 140 kW at 5600 rpm 240 Nm at 1600-5200 rpm
AWD CVT 140 kW at 5600 rpm 240 Nm at 1600-5200 rpm
Nismo RS 1.6-litre turbo petrol I4 FWD 6sp man. 160 kW at 6000 rpm 280 Nm at 3600-4800 rpm
AWD CVT 157 kW at 6000 rpm 250 Nm at 2400-6000 rpm

Safety equipment

For the Juke Ti-S, standard safety equipment was extended to include:

  • A Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system which used a rear camera to scan blind spots and alert the driver if a vehicle was in that area;
  • A Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system which also used the rear camera to monitor lane markings and would alert the driver if the vehicle unintentionally crossed these markers; and,
  • Moving Object Detection (MOD) which detected moving objects – such as other vehicles – when the driver was reversing and would display the objects on the ‘Around View Monitor’.

Features

For the Juke Ti-S, standard features were extended to include the ‘NissanConnect’ telematics system with a 5.8-inch colour touchscreen, satellite navigation system, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming. The Ti-S was also fitted with Nissan’s ‘Around View Monitor’ (AVM) which used cameras to provide a virtual 360 degree view of objects around the vehicle.

2016 Nissan Juke N-Sport Special Edition

The Nissan Juke N-Sport Special Edition was released in July 2016. Based on the Juke Ti-S, the Nissan Juke N-Sport Special Edition was distinguished by its 18-inch alloy wheels, ‘Magnetic Red’ finishes for the door mirror caps and door handles, and body-coloured roof spoiler.

2018 Nissan Juke Nismo RS

The Nissan Juke Nismo RS was released in Australia in October 2018. Based on the Juke Ti-S, the Juke Nismo RS had more powerful engines due to ECU re-programming and a larger diameter exhaust with revised baffling. Other changes included more durable connecting rods and, for models with manual transmissions, a strengthened clutch cover and dual mass flywheel.

Visually, the Juke Nismo RS could be identified by its 18 x 7.0J ten-spoke ‘Nismo RS’ alloy wheels (with 225/45 R18 tyres), red door mirror caps, ‘RS’ badging and Nismo RS aero package which consisted of unique bumpers, Nismo front grille, side skirts, a rear diffuser and roof spoiler.

Inside, the Juke Nismo RS features Nismo suede sports seats with red stitching, leather and Alcantara trim with red stitching for the steering wheel, leather-accented gear shift knob, gloss black interior finishes (for the centre console, door trim and air vent finishers), black roof liner, carbon-look finish on the head unit and gear shift surrounds, suede door panels and meter hood, Nismo tachometer and ‘Nismo’ branded front kick plates and carpet mats.

Other changes for the Juke Nismo RS included:

  • Lowered suspension;
  • Re-tuned springs and dampers;
  • A reinforced front suspension link;
  • Re-tuned power steering assistance; and,
  • An upgraded braking package which consisted of 320 mm by 26 mm ventilated front brake discs and 292 mm by 16 mm ventilated rear discs.

Australian deliveries of the Nissan Juke Nismo RS were limited to 240 vehicles.

October 2018 update

From October 2018 deliveries, the Nissan Juke was fitted with LED fog lamps as standard and white instrument meter lighting replaced the previous orange lighting. The Juke ST also received ‘premium graphite coloured’ cloth seat trim.

As part of the update, the Juke ST and Juke Ti-S received a darker chrome finish for the ‘V-Motion’ front grille and smoked finishes for the headlights, tail lights and indicators. The Juke Ti-S was also fitted with 18-inch black-gloss alloy wheels.

Three ‘myJUKE Personalisation Packs’ were also introduced for the Juke Ti-S – Power Blue, Energy Orange and Tokyo Gloss Black – which featured colour highlights on the front and rear bumpers, alloy wheel inserts and door mirror caps. Inside, the centre console, side vent and door panel finishers, and instrument cover stitching complemented the exterior highlights colours.

Specifications

Related links

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Stephen Tomlinson
http://AustralianCar.Reviews

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