New Nissan Juke confirmed for Australia in 2020
Nissan's local arm has finally confirmed the second-gen small SUV will join the Qashqai on local shores, around July
Nissan Australia will start selling the all-new (and slightly less polarising) Juke crossover locally from the middle of 2020, ending lingering doubts over whether it would make it here.
When the second-generation Juke was revealed in September, Nissan Australia stopped short of confirming it would be available to us, only saying it was "very interested".
The reasons for this were never made completely clear, though Brexit uncertainty cannot have helped (the Juke will again be made in Sunderland). Plus, it's not easy to import a car from Europe and sell it at an affordable price without forsaking profit.
The confirmation of new Juke for Australia is a real fillip for the brand, which has been starved of new product for some time. The fact it competes in the tightly-contested, big-selling small SUV market only makes it more relevant.
This new model will line up against fellow style-focused small crossover such as the Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-3 and CX-30, and complement the big-selling Qashqai which will itself get some new safety features added in early 2020.
The Juke's design remains edgy but is clearly less polarising than before. Highlights include the more aggressive stance, contrasting roof colour, slim LED headlights flanking a V-shaped grille, pronounced body sculpting, and broad choice of wheels including the fetching 19-inch ones pictured.
Dimensions are now 4210mm in length (up 75mm), 1595mm in height (up 30mm), 1800mm in width (up 35mm), on a 2636mm wheelbase (up 106mm) enabling greater cabin space. It's also 23kg lighter, according to its maker.
For comparison's sake, the Qashqai is 4394mm long, 1595mm tall and 1806mm wide, on a 2646mm wheelbase. Toyota's C-HR is 4360mm long, 1565mm tall and 1795mm wide, on a 2640mm wheelbase.
Circular vents dominate an otherwise by-the-numbers dash design, with an 8.0-inch infotainment display perched atop the centre stack in a similar vein to that of the latest offerings from Toyota, Hyundai and Kia.
Lashings of gloss black finishes are matched to high-contrast soft-touch surfaces in one spec, while another delivers a stealthier look with Alcantara trim and subtle LED ambient lighting.
Features of the international model shown here include Nissan's ProPilot driver assistance package with active cruise control, lane keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring.
There's also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system.
The steering wheel and instrument cluster are familiar fare from the Nissan parts bin. The instrument display behind the wheel is 4.2 inches on base models and 7 inches on up-spec variants.
Interior space in the Juke grows, offering 58mm more rear legroom than before, and slightly more headroom, increasing by 11mm. Boot space is markedly improved though, up from 354 to 422 litres with the rear seats up.
Buyers hoping for a boost in power with the new Juke may be disappointed, although the 86kW and 180Nm of torque (200Nm with 'OverTorque' function) offered by its 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine should provide pep enough for most buyers.
Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, with 0-100km/h times listed at 10.4 seconds for the former and 11.1 for the latter.
Suspension is by a MacPherson design at the front and a torsion beam at the rear.
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