There’s a saying that goes like this: You are what you wear. Or , clothes make the man. Some people express their uniqueness in the form of fancy clothes, or pricey wristwatches or a collection of rare pairs of shoes. These types of people come to my mind upon seeing the Nissan Juke in all its full glory.
Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) pulled out all the stops and shepherded motoring writers for a trip up the surfing capital of the North, — San Juan, La Union — for some downtime with the Nissan Juke. With 20 fresh off the boat Jukes, motoring scribes started the road trip to La Union from the Nissan North EDSA dealership.
Officially launched October last year, the Nissan Juke has received quite a good market response considering the flocks of unit reservations NPI received prior to the actual sales. This reception is probably because the Nissan Juke is something new to the Philippine automotive market, specially in the segment of compact crossover vehicles. The curvy body lines, the radically new front-end design particularly the distinctive roadheadlight layout, truly capture one’s eye and imprint an exceptional characteristic that would get into you.
Fun to drive
There’s nothing more exact in describing the driving feel of the Nissan Juke than labelling it as a fun and enjoyable drive. Basically, the Nissan Juke has the body rigidity of its bigger Nissan brothers but it surely did not lack flexibility as it gives out a sporty driving feel as well. Driving the Nissan Juke will make one feel the eagerness to step on the accelerator to squeeze as more fun from it but feel secured as well. Another reason for this is the high-sitting layout that the Nissan Juke has which is more SUV-like that gives a better road visibility.
The cockpit is something to be commended as well for the Nissan Juke. The sporty bolstered seats which body-hugs passengers on drive as well as the motorbike-inspired instrumental panel give this extra touch of sportiness to the Nissan Juke. Aside from its active side, the Nissan Juke has a sense of practicality to offer as well, for a compact crossover vehicle, the Nissan Juke has spacious interior that could be used in various lifestyle activities.
Techs
As funky as it looks, the Nissan Juke has technological offerings for driving convenience. The new Integrated Control System (I-CON) which allows driver to choose modes from which the Nissan Juke could drive on. I-CON has 3 modes: Normal, Sports and Eco. The modes are quite explanatory but are definitely efficient to use.
In command of the pulling the Nissan Juke’s curvy body is the HR16DE 1.6L DOHC engine mated to a new generation Xtronic CVT transmission.
For the Philippine market, the Nissan Juke is available in 4×2 variant.
Overall, the Nissan Juke is a practical compact crossover machine that serves as a sporty weekend warrior and a late night party mobile suited for the younger set.
And this Nissan, pardon the pun, is no joke at all.