Nissan Juke Ti Energy Orange long-term update 2: Town Mouse
On the face of things, the Juke looks to be a street smart city dweller. Dig a bit deeper though, and there’s an Achilles heel.
- Plenty of space
- Handy features for both convenience and safety
- Good urban ride
- That. Gearbox.
- Cold start stutters
- Stop/Start system hesitancy
We’ve had our 2022 Nissan Juke Ti Energy Orange long-termer for a few months now.
I’d like to say that it was always the intention to hold off on our updates until we had a full Funk & Wagnalls encyclopediac knowledge of the little Nissan, but as much as a steady diet of Juke content was originally planned, here we are.
In a way though, it has worked to better understand the most diminutive of Nissan’s SUV lineup and while we will address our Town Mouse or Country Mouse premise set in our initial long-term introduction, we’ll go further than Aesop and explore a third metaphor that may better summarise the Juke.
So much so that in our extended ‘ownership’ experience, it starts to cross over a suitability line of black and white and move into a realm awash with colour. A place where you begin to work with the car, rather than against it, essentially counteracting any initial barriers to acceptance.
Note too that other than spilling Emma’s drink on the dash, this ‘zone’ is the only time we’ll link the Energy Orange name to anything remotely tangible.
But that is all to follow, as for here and now, in our city-bound Town Mouse update, things don’t start out all that well.
Let’s cut to the chase. The 84kW 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission do not strong friendships make, especially low in the rev range and even more especially, first thing in the morning.
There’s nothing strange about having a small-capacity, double-digit power plant in a light SUV (1225kg). The Ford Puma packs a similar setup (92kW), as does the Peugeot 2008 (96kW) albeit with a traditional automatic gearbox.
And, to be fair, the Juke whistles along quite happily, for the most part, it’s just the first part where we’ve found some challenges.
| 2022 Nissan Juke Ti Energy Orange | |
| Colour | Ivory Pearl White |
| Price (MSRP) | $36,490 plus on-road costs |
| Options as tested | Premium paint – $595 Roof cross bars |
| Servicing costs | $1338 (3 year) / $2184 (5 year) |
| ANCAP safety rating | Five stars (tested 2019) – ANCAP report |
| Warranty | 5 years/unlimited km |
Basically, the elastic latency of the dual-clutch system, paired with a low onset of torque below 2400rpm, means the Juke feels sluggish and almost hesitant off the line. Match this with early morning cold-start behaviour, and the performance is not unlike rousing a teenager from bed before the rooster has cocked its first crow. Reluctant.
Further, it’s as if the car knows this and then tries to compensate for that lack of initial response when it bursts forward at full 180Nm torque from 2400rpm onward.
While things warm up eventually, the transmission’s performance from a standstill does not.
Parked on an incline? Expect a delay between your pedal-based request and the car’s wheel-based action. Your car will roll forward or backward unless you mitigate with a little tap on the brake, at the same time as balancing the throttle.
Oh for the good-old-days and cable handbrakes.
Come to a stop at an intersection? Same thing, only this time cars are heading toward you.
Spot a gap, stab the throttle, wait for the car to respond, then leap excitedly into traffic to clear the gap with the level of bluster you almost expect from a ‘funky’ looking car like our Nissan.
Spoiler alert though, we do get used to this, but I’ll save the nuances for the exciting final chapter.
While we’re piling on to the little Juke, those slick-looking 19-inch wheels and 45-profile Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres don’t offer much in the way of rubberised shock absorption.
It’s not critical, and as if to tease the next instalment, they do come into their own eventually, but if your Town Mousery is of primary concern it’s worth knowing that 19-inch alloys are fitted to all but the low-spec ST and ST+ Juke (which wear 17-inch wheels).
Surely a set of 18’s on the ST-L would be a nice compromise?
While all this may seem to cast a bit of a downer on the little Nissan, there is still plenty of Juke to like, even in an urban setting.
The infotainment is well-featured and easy to use, which is the same regardless of population density based story constructs, but the active safety systems work particularly well around town, balancing a need to intervene with a level of trust in the organic part of the system (ie: you) which worked well for our use.
| 2022 Nissan Juke Ti Energy Orange | |
| Length | 4210mm |
| Width | 1800mm |
| Height | 1595mm |
| Wheelbase | 2636mm |
| Boot volume | 422L / 1305L |
| Towing capacity | 1250kg braked, 648kg unbraked |
There’s decent space in the back and the boot, as well as little things like the heated-seat function staying on between ignition cycles (meaning you don’t need to constantly turn them on each time you are in the car) which bode well for runabout use.
Ironically too, one of the car’s most well-thought-out features comes into play at the same time the frustrating stop/start system does.
On a warm day, there is nothing worse than a car’s emission-saving idle-stop system shutting down all the functions of the car, air conditioning compressor included. Looking at you Mazda.
The Juke though, knows it is a hot day, and will advise you that it’s not turning off in traffic so as to keep you nice and comfortable. As soon as the mercury dips back into the 20’s, all bets are off, but at least you stay cool when you need it the most.
That said, we’ve still managed to save over 15kg of carbon-dioxide emissions, as dutifully reported by the car when you switch it off. That’s not a small amount, even over a few months, so it’s fair to say all the constricting and reducing is done for a good cause.
However, it’s also worth noting that the combination of a small engine and a steadfast focus on emission reduction does not immediately equal a fuel-efficient little car.
The Juke has a claimed combined cycle consumption of 5.8L/100km, but we never see anything close to that. Even the urban-only claim of 6.8L/100km feels mostly out of reach, with a ‘regular’ urban trip generally tipping into the 8L/100km range.
This is basically a byproduct of the small engine and reluctant response.
| 2022 Nissan Juke Ti Energy Orange | |
| Engine configuration | 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol |
| Power | 84kW @ 5250rpm |
| Torque | 180Nm @ 2400rpm |
| Transmission | Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Weight (kerb) | 1274kg |
| Key competitors | Mitsubishi ASX | MG ZST | Ford Puma |
For the most part, you tend to drive around these shortcomings, which simply makes the engine work harder and thus, drink more fuel.
If any second-year thermodynamics lecture material has stuck (which it mostly hasn’t), this would suggest that we’re working the Juke outside of its optimal efficiency zone, and that a larger engine would actually prove more efficient as you don’t need to work it so hard.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 5.8L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 46L |
Like any story arc, by Aesop or otherwise, our hero is about to discover their true calling and through a path of greater learning, will in due time find redemption for their initial failing.
If it all sounds pretty bad for our Town Mouse, don’t worry.
Or, to paraphrase, the Nissan Juke has plenty to offer as a compact SUV, but if a short, urban drive is all you’re going to test it against… you’re missing the best part.
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