CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA
Why we fell in love with this unconventional mini crossover
Some may love it, others may hate it. But what’s clear is that the Nissan Juke is an attention grabber.
Yup, this mini crossover vehicle doesn’t look like your typical SUV but for some insane and incomprehensible reason, one can easily fall in love with the Juke.
My love story with it began one Friday afternoon when the Gateway Group, which handles the Nissan Cebu-South, Nissan SM Seaside and Nissan Palawan dealerships, lent Cebu Daily News a pretty yellow Juke unit.
I must admit, the Juke failed to impress at first sight. When I initially saw the Juke up close in a mall display late last year, I thought this car is weird.
Well, to be fair, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. I know a lot of others who harbored the same reservations as I did.
The thing is, we also were one in saying that we learned to love it as time passed.
Those J-shaped taillights are uniquely attractive. (CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA)
How’d that happen?
Well, first of all, believe it or not, the exterior is one of the main selling points of the car.
It may be weird at first but because of its distinctive and unique design, the Juke grabs one’s attention and refuses to let it go.
It’s up front where the Juke really stands out with its three pairs of lights. The first houses the signal and parking lights and it bulges from the hood. The other is a huge circular pair that are actually the main headlights and the last is the driving lights on the lower part of the bumper.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA
Really this kind of set-up is unusual but then the Juke begins to grow on you as that very same weirdness that attracts eyes made us learn to appreciate how Nissan turned something out of the box into an awesome sight. Then you fall in love.
The overall shape of the vehicle is actually cool, which again is another point of attraction for onlookers.
The rear taillights, like the signal lights up front, are like boomerangs and when they are lit, a J-shaped illumination is immediately distinguishable.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA
Inside, the Juke sports one of the nicest instrument binnacles in a car of this price (sub-million). The interior sports a circular motif, from the gauges to the air-conditioning vents and the buttons on the center console.
Other highlights include the transforming buttons that allow you to switch from climate to drive modes. There’s also a display in the middle of those button switches that show gauges when driving either in normal, sport or eco mode.
We also like the steering wheel-mounted switches and the standard cruise control. Remember, cruise in a sub-million car is always a winner.
The lone variant boasts of a 1.6-liter engine paired with a smooth Continuous Variable Transmission. The engine produces 114 horsepower and 154 newton meter of torque.
CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA
The Juke’s engine isn’t that powerful but it is decent. The important thing is that it does do around 10 kilometers per liter based on our very own computation in city driving.
The Juke also does corners well because of its short wheelbase.
Capping off the list of positive features are engine start/stop push button and 17-inch alloy wheels.
So were all these features enough to convince me this crossover is worth the money? Well if all these were in a conventional crossover, I wouldn’t gamble on it. But then the weird look really got me. It’s that look that made me want to keep the test unit a little while longer.
And that’s how I know I’m in love with something.