The Nissan Juke: We Talk About It

[Rotary Junkie]

I saw a 4WD Escape that had slid off the road into an almost-ditch and all it could do is spin the front tires. I assume because the owner didn't know how to engage 4WD.

 

[niky]

It's on-demand AWD, not switchable 4WD. And the Escape doesn't have limited slip differentials, so it wouldn't be able to dig itself out of a ditch (this is assuming two tires will have compromised traction due to the angle of the ditch banking).

Not to mention the fact that tires (tires, tires, tires) will play a huge role in whether or not it can dig itself out. I've been deep off-roading, and even modified trail rigs with locking hubs can get stuck if they come to a complete stop on a slippery surface.

EDIT: Oh.. re-read... probably didn't have the auto-on switch toggled.

EDIT2: Actually... the Escape is either in "auto" or "on"... so that's kind of weird... but auto only engages when the front-end achieves a certain amount of slip...

 

[Lancia stratos]

Hmmm...

+

=

Micra + unhealthy dose of steroids = Juke?

Wow smallhorses, for a second there, I thought it was botox!

 

[TorqueHappenS08]

Jeep wrangler fighter?

 

[YSSMAN]

More like a "Jeep Panda" Competitor:

Artist Rendering


Jeep apparently has a Panda-based 4WD thingy coming, but it may be a while. The big thing would be a low price and AWD performance, all of that, and decent fuel economy too. No idea if it will actually end up happening, but it would serve Jeep well with the new CAFE standards coming on line soon.

 

[homeforsummer]

The only way I can see it being cheaper to use two suspensions instead of one is if the car was purpose-built to use both in a bolt-on affair, and if the torsion-beam is also used on other cars in the range.

The torsion beam is almost certainly used in the Micra that's built on the same platform. So maybe your assumption is the case.

 

[Philly]

It's on-demand AWD, not switchable 4WD. And the Escape doesn't have limited slip differentials, so it wouldn't be able to dig itself out of a ditch (this is assuming two tires will have compromised traction due to the angle of the ditch banking).

Not to mention the fact that tires (tires, tires, tires) will play a huge role in whether or not it can dig itself out. I've been deep off-roading, and even modified trail rigs with locking hubs can get stuck if they come to a complete stop on a slippery surface.

Well AWD also doesn't help that much once the car is moving. That Escape (if he was on all-seasons) was probably about as good as a FWD car or something because AWD doesn't help much for turning or stopping.

 

[eSZee]

More like a "Jeep Panda" Competitor:

Artist Rendering


Jeep apparently has a Panda-based 4WD thingy coming, but it may be a while. The big thing would be a low price and AWD performance, all of that, and decent fuel economy too. No idea if it will actually end up happening, but it would serve Jeep well with the new CAFE standards coming on line soon.

I don't know how smart that would be. The only thing comparable would be the suzuki sx4 and as far as I know it's not selling all that well. I know it's a suzuki but besides ford none of the US car makers can touch the quality. Small car with AWD that only gets 26-28 mpg? What is the point of that?

 

[YSSMAN]

Jeep has had some moderate success with the Patriot, which is actually a pretty nice compact crossover thingy (with AWD), aside from the shoddy interior. A Panda-based effort will bring in more young people, in urban areas, especially those that receive a bit of snow every year. Something like that, along with the Juke, and the Cooper Countryman are very appealing to people like me. Keep them fun to drive, cheap to operate, and fully-capable when the weather gets nasty.... You've got a winner.

 

[a6m5]

Fiat based Jeep sounds like a trainwreck in a making, but this SUV looks far cooler than SX4. And with the Jeep crowd, I think they are after Jeep brand image over any substance. I'm not talking about their off-road crowd, of course.

 

[homeforsummer]

Well the Panda is fairly capable. Sure, it's not a rock crawler but it's not bad for what it is:

 

[a6m5]

I didn't mean to put it down in any way. Just suggesting that most Jeep customer are after that Jeep + rugged image, or simply just wants something different.

Edit: Just saw the video and I gotta say, what a cool ride! Fiat or Jeep, I'd look at one. I wonder how much the Jeep would go for in the States. I got the Subie vibe from the vid. 👍

 

[niky]

I'd rather see a 100HP version instead of the 4x4, but a Jeep branded Panda 4x4 would be a good boost to the brand.

 

[YSSMAN]

It would be a much-needed shot to the arm for the bottom line, frankly. The entry price on a Wrangler, let alone a Patriot, is still pretty high for a lot of people. The small, cheap 4X4 segment is one that I'd like to see active again.

 

[eSZee]

They would have to drill into people's heads that they need 4wd in small cars. They're doing a good job with bigger cars. Everyone and their mom thinks that 4wd makes them as good of a driver as McRae.
The number of young people interested in small 4wd/awd, let alone 4x4 cars, is very very limited. I don't see any reason to make them but I do want to hear what you think the reasons are. I have a friend who bought a awd SX4 but that's only because he couldn't afford a wrx wagon.
I'm coming off as a 4wd hater aren't I? I'm not.

 

[a6m5]

After the snowstorms in the East this year, it should sell like hotcakes.

 

[niky]

AWD and cheapness (fuel costs... upfront price) don't go hand in hand... so it's a hard sell. If you can convince kids that 4x4s are the next big thing in the car scene, then you've got half of the job done. With increasing restrictions, both legislative and technology-wise on aftermarket modifications for the streets, off-roading may be the last frontier for tuners and adventurous young drivers... although a pro-environment administration might also start limiting access to off-road sites deemed wildlife preserves.

 

[eSZee]

After the snowstorms in the East this year, it should sell like hotcakes.

yeah, and when people buy them and see that the car can't move in 3" of snow cause of the stock tires, then what? Sales plummet?

 

[YSSMAN]

I don't see any reason to make them but I do want to hear what you think the reasons are. I have a friend who bought a awd SX4 but that's only because he couldn't afford a wrx wagon.

A small, all-wheel-drive car makes perfect sense to those of us who live in the part of the country that receives snow for 35% of the year. Most of us don't need the large trucks or sedans that are typically packaged with the system, so why not go for something smaller? Especially when we are looking for a car that is (typically) more fuel efficient, has a lower emissions rating, is easier to park, and is generally less of a hassle than the other outrageously large options. Furthermore, the Nissan would likely be a hoot to drive. Probably moreso than the Countryman. If they're going to be kicking these things out the door for $15K, its just about perfect in my book.

Generally speaking, North America is one of the only regions in the world that does not receive these kind of cars. Correct me if I'm wrong international people, but are these things not at least "fairly popular" in other parts of the globe? I mean, if it weren't the case, I'd imagine that BMW (MINI), Audi, Suzuki, Subaru, Nissan and Honda wouldn't make these things...

 

[homeforsummer]

Generally speaking, North America is one of the only regions in the world that does not receive these kind of cars. Correct me if I'm wrong international people, but are these things not at least "fairly popular" in other parts of the globe? I mean, if it weren't the case, I'd imagine that BMW (MINI), Audi, Suzuki, Subaru, Nissan and Honda wouldn't make these things...

I've had a little look to see what we've got along the "small AWD" lines over here. I've come up with the Daihatsu Terios, Fiat Sedici, Fiat Panda 4x4, Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti, Suzuki Jimny and Suzuki SX4. Not a bad selection. I've not seen any 3008s on the road, nor many Yetis, but there are reasonable numbers of the others going about. Qashqais are everywhere, but most are probably FWD anyway.

The Juke, Countryman and hopefully DS4 will be joining this crew in the not too distant future. What they offer over all of the above is a good compromise. They're smaller than the Qashqai, 3008 and Yeti, and more car-like than the Terios and Jimny. Really, the Sedici and SX4 (both essentially the same car) are the only direct competitors to the new trio, but those cars aren't as sophisticated as the new ones.

I think there'll be a good market for the newbies. As I mention, they're a good compromise. Small on the outside, larger on the inside, decent luggage capacity, funky looks, good equipment levels, good traction in dodgy conditions, economical, and decent fun to drive. Like most niche vehicles, you find yourself asking "what's the point?", but when you compare them to the more mundane cars they're invariably based on then they make a lot of sense. A Juke is a Micra for young people. A Countryman is a MINI for people who need more space. Etc.

 

[Jondot]

I've not seen any 3008s on the road, nor many Yetis, but there are reasonable numbers of the others going about. Qashqais are everywhere, but most are probably FWD anyway.

I have, and they're frigging gigantic compared to the likes of the Yorkshire Terios.

Admittedly I've only seen 3, and two of them were in France, but apparently they're not half bad. To me they just look like Lisa Riley in a tracksuit, but what do I know.

 

[TiJayLFS]

...How can the company behind the 350Z, Skylines and GTR come up with that ****?

 

[homeforsummer]

I have, and they're frigging gigantic compared to the likes of the Yorkshire Terios.

You're right though, they seem quite big. In pictures, anyway. They're really a Qashqai rival rather than a Terios/Jimny rival.

Admittedly I've only seen 3, and two of them were in France, but apparently they're not half bad. To me they just look like Lisa Riley in a tracksuit, but what do I know.

They look like Rick Waller in a wetsuit to me. Or the shark from Finding Nemo.

...How can the company behind the 350Z, Skylines and GTR come up with that ****?

We get it, the styling is an acquired taste. Anyway, 350/370Z aside, Nissan aren't exactly known for their great subtlety and pretty designs. At least they try something interesting though, which is what the Juke manages to be.

 

[niky]

...How can the company behind the 350Z, Skylines and GTR come up with that ****?

Don't you mean the company behind the 370Z, the Maxima and the Murano? I don't see the styling disconnect.

Wait... you're calling the GT-R stylish? Love the car, but paragon of style, it is not.

-

Juke shows up at Geneva. Looks just as funky in the flesh.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/02/nissan-juke-geneva-debut-2011/

Seems like it truly is a compact/subcompact. Not quite digging the profile... the roofline doesn't mate up well with the rest of the design.

Interesting:

The compact CUV will be made in both front- and all-wheel drive configurations, the latter being a newly developed torque-vectoring system dubbed ALL-Mode 4x4-i that is capable of splitting power 50:50 from front-to-rear as well as side-to-side.

 

[homeforsummer]

I can't remember where I read it, but apparently Nissan have given the car the roofline from the GT-R. Which you can definitely see. And the rear lights inspired by the 370Z.

I'd like to see one in person. As it is, it's quite appealing to me. After commenting in another thread that Nissans did nothing for me and that I preferred Toyotas, Nissan have come on in leaps and bounds these last few years. The 370Z is a much nicer looking machine than the 350Z, the GT-R isn't pretty but it's very well proportioned and undoubtably capable, and now the Juke is so much more interesting than any of Nissan's other mainstream cars save for perhaps the Murano.

I like the look of the interior too. Semi-decent boot - probably Micra-sized but with a better loading access and I presume those rear seats flip completely flat. The centre console looks better when it's matched to a car with a decent shade of exterior paint - in the promo images the red console looked a bit much but silver is a lot better.

It's a dynamic design and pulls off the trick of looking much bigger than it is.

 

[Jim Prower]

I agree (for once.) I dunno, I kinda get it's style. the only thing that might annoy me is if I'm driving my usual, fairly low car, and those headlights come the opposite direction. Though, now that I look at it, it'll still probably be better than the TERRIBLY designed headlights (as far as blinding people goes) on the Chevrolet Silverado.

 

[niky]

Who knows? The top lights might be for high beams only... or they could be the world's biggest turn signals.

 

[Jondot]

Yup, that boot is definitely Micra-sized. As is the rest of the interior. My only complaint is that those door handles have come straight out of a PT Crusier. And that I suspect any rear passengers are going to feel like they're being driven around in a post box.

 

[eSZee]

A small, all-wheel-drive car makes perfect sense to those of us who live in the part of the country that receives snow for 35% of the year. Most of us don't need the large trucks or sedans that are typically packaged with the system, so why not go for something smaller? Especially when we are looking for a car that is (typically) more fuel efficient, has a lower emissions rating, is easier to park, and is generally less of a hassle than the other outrageously large options. Furthermore, the Nissan would likely be a hoot to drive. Probably moreso than the Countryman. If they're going to be kicking these things out the door for $15K, its just about perfect in my book.

Generally speaking, North America is one of the only regions in the world that does not receive these kind of cars. Correct me if I'm wrong international people, but are these things not at least "fairly popular" in other parts of the globe? I mean, if it weren't the case, I'd imagine that BMW (MINI), Audi, Suzuki, Subaru, Nissan and Honda wouldn't make these things...

The sx4 has all you're asking for yet the mpg are poor compared to small cars like Yaris, Fit, even corolla and civic. Nothing you mentioned requires a 4x4. $15k will get you a crap awd system that most SUVs under $30k have, FWD with on demand 4wd. Of course by the time the rear wheels kick in the fronts lose traction and it's almost too late for anything.
I don't understand these cars. Get a Golf, lift it 3" and put on snow tires. You're set. But as I said, put a AWD badge on anything and people will probably eat it up.
I just don't understand these cars. I wanted them maybe 3 years ago but now they don't make sense to me and we've had snow on the ground here non stop since novemeber.

 

[buickgnx88]

Actually the SX4 has switchable AWD, which means it can be in FWD, auto AWD, or 50-50 split. So if you know conditions will be bad, you can make sure the AWD is on before you will need it. Yes people are dumb with AWD, but if you're one of the smart ones, you put snow tires on your AWD! Yeah there's the issue of ground clearance, but it's not like a FWD with snow tires is any better off (in fact in some cases the AWD is slightly higher off the ground). But hey, we won't change each others mind on the issue so why keep arguing about it?