Nissan Juke 1.6 DiG-T Tekna 4WD 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The Juke’s 1.6 litre petrol engine churns out 188 bhp and 177 lb-ft of torque, making for a top speed of 124 mph while and a 0-62 mph time of 8.4 seconds.

The Juke rides and handles very well thanks to sharp steering and the stiff suspension which limits body-lean but still allows for a comfortable ride.

The turbo petrol engine can get a little noisy and is a little bit underpowered in a car of this size. Wind noise, however, is well subdued although there is a little noise from the road at speed. Rear visibility is an issue.

The Juke has an impressive amount of standard equipment including alloy wheels, air-conditioning, electric mirrors, electric front windows, CD player, MP3 connectivity, Bluetooth, climate control, cruise control and Nissan’s Dynamic Control System, which gives the option to tweak the steering and accelerator settings to be sporty or eco-friendly. Also included are leather trim, satellite navigation, a reversing camera and a keyless entry system.

The Juke looks very stylish although its looks are likely to be an acquired taste. The interior is a little dark and dinghy, however.

Headroom is limited in the rear seats and the Juke's boot is quite small, with just 207-litres on offer with the seats up and 786-litres on offer with the seats down. Boot space is compromised by this model's four-wheel drive system which necessitates the fitment of more complex and bulky rear suspension.

Nissan has an impressive reliability record and the Juke should not disappoint. The car comes with a three-year warranty for 60,000 miles.

There is an impressive list of safety kit, including six airbags, electronic stability programme, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, and remote central locking with an anti-hijack feature. Lateral torque-vectoring (varying the amount of power from side to side) stabilises the car and reduces understeer through bends.

The Tekna DIG-T is priced at £20,295, making it the most expensive Juke currently on sale. It does not represent good value for money and the cheaper Jukes arguably make much more financial sense.

The running costs are very high for a car such as this too. You'll struggle to top 37mpg and you'll be paying steep road tax costs under VED band H thanks to CO2 emissions of 175g/km. There are cars out there which offer similar levels of practicality and style for a lot less money.