X

2012 Nissan Juke (pictures)

Nissan's odd little SUV uses some surprisingly good performance tech, but the cabin electronics do not measure up.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
35364810_OVR.jpg
1 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The Juke is an oddity in the Nissan lineup, a small SUV with funky styling and a unique power train.
35364810_FT.jpg
2 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
Turn signal and parking light casings form a sculptured ridge at the top of the front fenders, a cue that seems to be taken from the Nissan Leaf. The round headlights are an odd counterpoint to the other shapes at the front of the car.
35364810_SS01.jpg
3 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The 1.6-liter engine benefits from direct injection and turbocharging to make 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque.
35364810_SD.jpg
4 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The handles for the rear doors are camouflaged by the rear pillars. The front seats are comfortable for two, but the rear seats do not have nearly so much room.
35364810_SS02.jpg
5 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The Juke can be had in front-wheel drive, as is this one, or with an all-wheel-drive system.
35364810_SS03.jpg
6 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The rear cargo area is compromised by the rake of the rooflines toward the rear, and how the sides come in from the fenders.
35364810_SS04.jpg
7 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
With the rear seats down, the cargo area opens substantially.
35364810_INT.jpg
8 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The cabin of the Juke uses cloth and hard plastics, not deviating from the car's economy segment.
35364810_SS05.jpg
9 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The Juke uses an electric power-steering system. It felt well-tuned, with resistance toward the lock points.
35364810_SS06.jpg
10 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
Fuel and temperature gauges occupy the small monochrome screen between the tachometer and speedometer.
35364810_SS07.jpg
11 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The Juke can be had with a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT) in front-wheel-drive versions, while the all-wheel-drive version can only be had with the CVT. Nissan's CVT delivers very good performance, acting like a high-performance transmission in Sport mode.
35364810_SS09.jpg
12 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The Juke's Bluetooth phone system integrates with a paired phone's contact list, and enables calling by name through voice command.
35364810_SS10.jpg
13 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The stereo supports iPods, but few other digital audio sources.
35364810_SS12.jpg
14 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
At the bottom of the stack sits this color climate control screen and controls.
35364810_SS15.jpg
15 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
Pushing the D-Mode button turns the climate control screen into a drive mode screen, also affecting the surrounding buttons.
35364810_SS16.jpg
16 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET
The Juke's Sport mode sharpens acceleration, tightens the steering, and puts the transmission into a power mode.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos