Nissan Juke 1.6 DiG-T Acenta + Premium Pack 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The Juke’s turbocharged 1.6 litre petrol engine produces 188bhp and 177 lb-ft of torque. This means 0-62mph in 8.0 seconds and a top speed of 134mph.

The Juke rides very well and is composed through the corners thanks to sharp steering and limited body-roll. However, the engine can be very noisy. There is very little wind noise in the cabin but road noise becomes apparent at speed. The dashboard is a model of common sense and style but there is a distinct lack of rear visibility.

The Juke has a curvy, stylish exterior that looks very contemporary and chic. The interior, however, is a little dark and drab.

Standard kit includes alloy wheels, air-conditioning, electric mirrors, electric front windows, CD player and 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. The premium pack offers a reversing camera and satellite navigation.

There’s plenty of space in the front, but there's a lack of headroom in the back thanks to the Juke's roofline. The boot is pretty small for a car in this class, offering just 251-litres of space with the rear seats up and 830-litres with the rear seats down.

All Jukes have an impressive list of safety kit and the 1.6 DiG-T Acenta comes with six airbags, electronic stability programme, anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, and remote central locking with an anti-hijack feature.

Nissan has an impressive reliability record and the Juke should be very reliable. If anything should go wrong, there is a 3 year/60,000 mile warranty.

The Acenta DIG-T is priced at £17,095, making it one of the more expensive Jukes currently on the market. The running costs are also fairly unremarkable. You should get just over 40mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 159g/km mean that this Juke falls under VED band G. If the Juke was a fully-fledged soft-roader, this would be acceptable; however, it is merely a pumped-up hatchback and, as such, the running costs should be lower.