POOTLING around the lanes it is all too easy to be lulled into a false sense of economy with Nissan’s newest Juke.
It will happily while away the hours on the electric motor so when you switch off back at home the hybrid has barely used any fuel and registers an incredulous 70mpg.
Knowing you don’t have to try to get decent economy isn’t necessarily a good thing because when I stop and go all gangsta on the throttle the fuel consumption almost doubles – that’ll teach me to clog it on the way home, enjoying the combined and spirited performance of internal combustion engine and electric motor. Ouch – 37mpg, now that’s a tad painful.
More careful use of the throttle sees fuel figures rise to the 50s – now that’s more like it – and even on the motorway it hovers around the 44mpg mark.
What this means is that the Juke Hybrid is well suited to the slower motoring of country lanes and the urban environment but is still capable of getting you places quickly. And it does all this with inimitable charm and the dynamism of a car that loves to be driven.
It’s amazing to think that Juke is only in its second incarnation after all these years. The first was a radical take on the ubiquitous SUV and I still have happy memories of the first launch at Pinewood Studios where, for the sake of 24 hours, I would have met Harry, Hermione and Ron, who had been on set the previous day by all accounts.
All these years later Juke still possesses a touch of magic made even better by the addition of a hybrid powerplant.
In two-tone magnetic blue with a pearl black roof the Nissan is as striking as ever with unique looks, excellent proportions and wind-cheating 19in alloys. The changes from the original are subtle enough but very effective in making the latest Juke fresh faced.
The compact interior is equally splendid with shapes, forms and textures that delight the senses. There’s a lot of info coming from that dash – some would say it’s cluttered – but very soon you learn where to look for what you need from the clocks and relatively small touchscreen.
What I do love is the fact that the superb Bose stereo comes complete with a set of speakers either side of the headrest which offers supreme quality when you get your Spotify belting.
Road manners are peerless too. Juke gets under way on electric, before being joined by the 1.6 litre petrol and it is fast and smooth. The steering is quick with bags of feel and the ride and handling are exemplary. It is swift and a whole lot of fun to drive.
A ‘D-Mode’ switch allows drivers to switch effortlessly between three levels – Standard, Eco and Sport – to adjust the response of the car depending on the road or the driver’s mood. It’s Eco all the way for me because I’m a penny pincher.
E-pedal offers the option of one pedal control, so you can actively accelerate and decelerate through the accelerator. You only need to touch the brake when you decide to stop and the regenerative braking feeds power back to the battery. The petrol engine only steps in when you need it making trips more efficient with up to 21 per cent lower consumption compared to a Juke automatic petrol engine.
Interior space is limited but it is comfortable and well-appointed while the boot has two levels and is nice and accommodating.
Safety features abound and include intelligent emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, intelligent speed assist, traffic sign recognition, intelligent lane intervention, rear cross traffic alert, and blind spot intervention.
New Juke Hybrid is a magical car in many ways and with a bit of care will help the cost of motoring disappear.
Fact File
Nissan Juke Hybrid Tekna +
Engine: 1.6 petrol with electric
Power: 143PS
Top speed: 103mph
Transmission: automatic
0-60mph: 10.1secs
Combined miles per gallon: 56.5
CO2 g/km: 114
Price: £30,320.00
