Nissan Juke: Say hello to yellow again!

A striking yellow paint option, significantly revised interior and enhanced in-car technology are among a host of changes designed to keep the popular British-built Nissan Juke ahead of the competition.

For its mid-lifecycle refresh, Nissan’s designers and engineers have made significant changes to the Juke’s interior, including a redesigned centre console and instrument panel, to elevate the ambience of life on-board.

The interior also benefits from new materials, trim and upgraded fit and finish. And the car’s connectivity has been updated with a larger touchscreen and additional features.

The mid-life upgrade also sees the introduction of an additional grade called N-Sport, which emphasises the Juke’s dynamic qualities both on exterior and interior details.

Nissan is also reintroducing a yellow exterior colour option on its Juke urban crossover, following its popularity on the first-generation Juke. A slightly paler shade than the original, the new yellow delivers a modern and impactful look.

When specified in the new N-Sport trim, the visual impact is heightened by the contrast of the yellow with the black roof, wheels, door mirrors, wheel arch inserts, grille and A- and B-pillars. The overall effect elevates the Juke’s natural visual impact, with an added splash of swagger and attitude.

Andrew Humberstone, Managing Director of Nissan GB, said: “The latest generation Juke was launched in 2019 and continual improvements, including a new hybrid powertrain, have ensured it remains popular with UK customers in a fiercely competitive sector.

“2023 was the current generation Juke’s best-selling year and these latest updates retain its distinctive style while enhancing connectivity, quality, interior design and safety to ensure it stays ahead of the competition.”

Interior updates bring added quality and connectivity

Inside, the first change that existing customers notice when they get behind the steering wheel is the increased size of the central infotainment screen.

It’s now 12.3 inches from corner to corner and it has been inclined towards the driver by 8 degrees to bring the touch controls at the far edge of the screen to within comfortable reach, but also to enhance the cockpit-feeling which Juke customers really like.

As the driver gets comfortable behind the wheel, they will appreciate the new, smoother, leather-like material from N-Connecta models, which looks cleaner and also feels more satisfying to the touch.

Beyond the steering wheel, the combimeter, which houses the dials showing the Juke’s speed and other key information, is now 12.3-inch digital TFT screen on N-Connecta and upwards. The hi-resolution screen (1920 x 720 pixels) allows the driver to configure the display to show the combination of information according to their preferences.

The appearance of the combimeter can be cycled between two different basic layouts, with the classic layout showing two dials and a central space containing additional information.

Alternatively, the “enhanced” layout presents the road speed and engine speed which are displayed on a pair of dials which are inclined and give a three-dimensional perspective. This allows a larger central display area where additional information can be displayed.

In the central section between the dials, the driver can display navigation directions, including a map, as well as fuel economy, audio information, eco-drive performance, tyre pressures and other key information. The controls for the display are located conveniently on the steering wheel.

The upgraded infotainment system comes with a more intuitive home screen which allows the user to tailor the screen to include the “widgets” for the functions they use the most frequently, much like they would with the home screen of their smart phone.

Additionally, the infotainment enjoys improved voice recognition and “natural language understanding” capability. This endows the system with a wider range of phrases and expressions that the system can understand as a command, ignoring hesitations or pauses. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also now available.

Other new features include speed camera information and fuel price information that can be displayed in the navigation map and the infotainment system can now play video content from USB connected devices when the car is stationary.

Revised range with new styling-led N-Sport grade

Reflecting the addition of the eye-catching exterior yellow, the N-Sport interior features a matching yellow highlight which is boomerang-shaped and runs across the top of the instrument panel, before angling down and framing the base of the new central infotainment screen and finishing at the air-vents.

The N-Sport seat continues the eye-catching theme, with yellow recycled Alcantara inserts to match the new exterior paint which cover the top outer portion of the seat, cutting into the centre of the seat at the side bolsters.

The base and seat upright are quilted in a distinctive pattern, while “Juke” is embossed at shoulder-height on the seat-upright. Yellow stitching completes the bold effect.

There are also new seats with improved comfort. The new N-Connecta seats feature a new fabric called Kira Melange which consists of PVC with fabric accents to complement the roller patterned inserts.

On the Tekna models, the new material is a black PVC with PVC accents and a quilted effect inserts on the base and back of the seat. The seat aperture which gives the interior a sporty feel is situated behind the passengers’ head is lined in a piano black finisher.

“Juke is Nissan’s bold, confident family member. The number one purchase reason is its design – customers love its style and assertive personality. We’ve loved working with our colleagues at Nissan Technical Centre Europe and the team at the Sunderland factory to develop a new yellow for Juke which will make an even bolder statement – we think it will give the Juke an extra ‘bang’. It brings a fresh flavour to the line-up – every member of the design team is looking forward to seeing the first one on the road,” said Matthew Weaver, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe.

Improved interior convenience

Starting from N-Connecta grade, all versions are now equipped with a wireless charging pad which can accommodate a smartphone as large as an iPhone 12 Pro Max. In addition, there are both USB-A and USB-C sockets for use by front occupants.

And tech-savvy kids (or adults) in the rear will appreciate the addition of both USB-A and USB-C charging points to ensure their gadgets are fully powered throughout their journey.

Other updates to the interior of all Juke grades includes an enlarged 6.6-litre glovebox for RHD versions (29% larger than previously). The armrest has been redesigned to be more supportive, with an asymmetric design that increases the reach by 25mm without compromising the cupholders.

The armrest lifts to give access to a centre storage cubby, as per the previous Juke, but the lid now features a clip which can hold three credit cards.

All grades of Juke are now equipped with an electric handbrake, ensuring maximum space and convenience in the space between the front seats. On the Hybrid version, the e-Pedal and EV Mode buttons have been relocated for greater convenience.

New exterior colour options

Other changes to the exterior palette options include a new Pearl White, with more metallic flakes for a greater pearlescent effect.

Equally, the new Pearl Black is a revised formula. The new paint is richer and darker. This is achieved by using more carbon black pigment and replacing the metallic flake with a glass flake, which has the effect of generating a higher degree of “sparkle”.

New wheel trim options are now available on Juke across the top three grades in the range. The standard wheel on N-Connecta and Tekna+ are all new and each has a five-spoke design, but the designs are unique to each grade, with a different technical, angular appearance.

There is a new low-resistance rolling tyre option for the 17” wheel option which is available on the Hybrid version at Acenta Premium and N-Connecta grades.

Additional driver assistance technology

With the update of Juke comes the standard fitment of Intelligent Driver Alertness. Lane Keep Assist is an option, and standard on the Tekna grade upwards.

It monitors the Juke’s position in the lane on a highway, for example, and if the car moves too close to the limit of the lane, as defined by the white lines, it will trigger a vibration in the steering wheel to attract the driver’s attention. Without correction, the car will intervene and correct the direction to maintain the car’s trajectory in the lane.

Taking advantage of the high-definition central screen, the resolution of the rear-view camera has also been increased from 0.3 to 1.3 megapixels. This means reversing manoeuvres can be taken with even more confidence thanks to a clearer image, especially in low-light situations.

The rear-view camera is standard on all grades of Juke, while the Around-View Monitor – which combines the view from four cameras around the car to create a “bird’s-eye view” of the car’s position for parking manoeuvres – is available from N-Connecta grade up (and is standard from Tekna).

In the case of hard braking due to an unexpected sudden stop from the car in front, the brake lights will now flash to alert the driver behind.

Unchanged powertrain line-up

The Juke is equipped with two powertrain options. The electrified option is Juke Hybrid – now available from Acenta Premium spec (previously N-Connecta upwards) – which consists of a Nissan internal combustion engine specifically developed for working in a hybrid powertrain application. It produces 69kW (94hp) and 148Nm of torque.

On the electric side, the main electric motor produces 36kW (49hp) and 205Nm of torque, which is supported by a 15kW high voltage starter/generator, which runs via an inverter and 1.2kWh liquid-cooled battery.

The net result is a powertrain providing 25% more power (143ps vs 114ps) than the current petrol engine option, with a fuel consumption reduction of up to 37% in the urban cycle, and up to 20% over the combined cycle (DCT Tekna+ vs Hybrid Tekna+).

Under the bonnet of the non-electrified engine option for JUKE is an efficient 1.0-litre three-cylinder DIG-T turbocharged petrol engine. It is compact and lightweight, imbuing the Juke with a fun-to-drive nature that owners expect. It produces 114PS and 180Nm of torque (200Nm with over torque function).

Available with an engaging 6-speed manual or sporty 7-speed dual-clutch (DCT) paddle-shift transmission, and a driving mode selector (Eco, Standard, Sport), drivers can effortlessly match their driving style to any driving scenario for maximum fun on the road.

“The updated Nissan Juke builds on its well-established strengths. Its stunning design is loved by our customers – and its attraction can only be increased by the return of the yellow paint option.

“With the new materials inside, as well as the enhanced connectivity, comfort and convenience, Juke’s position as the pioneer and icon of the city crossover segment is stronger than ever,” said Arnaud Charpentier.

Thirteen years of UK production

The updated Juke is now in production at Nissan Sunderland Plant, where more than 1.3 million units have been built since the original was launched in 2010. The car will be built on the plant’s second production line, alongside Qashqai.

Adam Pennick, Vice President, Manufacturing, at Nissan’s Sunderland Plant, said: “It’s a proud moment for our team to see the latest Juke going down the line – and it’s particularly exciting to see flashes of the famous yellow in production for the first time in six years.

“I know our world-class manufacturing and engineering teams are looking forward delivering the car to the high quality levels that our customers love and expect.”

Juke is now the fourth most manufactured model at Sunderland Plant, behind Qashqai, Micra and Primera. Last summer the plant built its eleven millionth vehicle since production began in 1986.