SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you can get at home.

*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.


We meet Nissan’s diesel-driven Juke 1.5 dCi Acenta+ for 2014

The fox in the hen house

Posted 11th May 2014

Enough now: Everybody is either smitten or grouchy about the way it looks. We called it a Kermit-cute little frog back in 2012, but that’s because we rather like it. The point is: Are you avant-garde or boring, pilot or passenger, slinky fox or one of the hens?

Love it or hate it, the good news for 2014 is that the two versions of its 1600 cc petrol engine have been joined, at last, by a 1500 diesel. Thankfully this isn’t the 1498 cc, 47 kW wooden (as in wouldn’ go) device dumped into the unfortunate Micra, but a tweaked and fettled version of the 1461 cc Renault K9K motor lifted from the Duster.

Then it was given a single kW more power, but the blower was turned up to extract an extra 20 Nm of torque. And the gears in its six-speed ‘box were rearranged slightly; first and second a bit shorter for sprinting away from the blocks and the upper four lengthened for top speed and economy.

We loved the way the diesel Duster just kept on pulling, but were disappointed with its acceleration. The added torque in this version turns the Juke into not yet a racer, but nonetheless a decently liveable little crossover. It saunters along at about 2200 rpm in sixth gear at 120 km/h but offers pleasantly strong roll-on ability because it’s still within its 1750-2500 rpm maximum torque band.

What that means is that you can keep going strongly up hills or easily get by that truck displaying wanderlust body-English before it pulls out to overtake the one in front of it; forcing you to drop back to let it in.

This diesel version comes in only one trim grade, Acenta+, but it’s the median level, so almost all the good things are standard. Consider 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, keyless entry and push-button start/stop, an immobiliser, electrically adjustable and folding door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, electric windows all around, a multi-function leather-bound steering wheel, a multi-info trip computer, Bluetooth for hands-free telephony and audio streaming, a four-speaker audio system with USB and iPod integration, cruise control with speed limiter, the Interactive Driver Control system and dual tone suede-touch upholstery.

Safety equipment features ABS with EBD and BAS, Vehicle Dynamic Control, six airbags, ISOFix child seat anchor points and an immobiliser. We dealt with its driving modes and accommodations in our 2012 review of the 1600cc DIG-T Tekna, so there’s no need to repeat them here. It’s rumoured that the 2015 update, due later this year, will address the issue of confined rear quarters and narrow doorways, so we hope for the best. In the meantime, averagely sized owners with small-to-average friends or children should be perfectly comfortable.

Diesel Juke: Its performance is willing if not electrifying, fuel economy is good, standard equipment is as expected for this price level and its toys are fun. Its designers seemed to run out of space once they had attended to the needs of those in front, but you will never blend in with the flock. The fox in the hen house will always be you.

Test car from Nissan SA press fleet

To read our review of the 2012 Nissan Juke 1.6 DIG-T Tekna click here

The numbers
Price: R267 800
Engine: 1461 cc, Renault K9K, four-cylinder, turbodiesel
Power: 81 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 260 Nm between 1750 - 2500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11,2 seconds
Maximum speed:  177 km/h (UK test)
Real life fuel consumption: About 6,5 l/100 km
CO₂ rating: 109 gm/km
Fuel: 50 ppm diesel
Tank: 46 litres
Luggage: 251 litres
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 3 years/90 000 km; at 15 000 km intervals

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
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