Driver Power: Nissan tops for tech

11 Apr, 2012 9:00am Julie Sinclair Comments

The Nissan Juke has the best in-car gadgets – and the Qashqai and X-Trail are also rated highly

If you want technology in your car, you can’t do better than buying British. That’s the overwhelming verdict of the 29,000 motorists who took part in the 2012 Auto Express Driver Power survey.

They voted the Sunderland-built Nissan Juke as having the most useful, reliable and best-value gadgets of any car on sale.

The Juke topped our new technology category with an impressive score of 92.47 per cent, thanks to in-car kit such as the colour reversing camera, cruise control and steering wheel-mounted stereo controls.

One delighted Juke owner, Susan Gubbins, from High Shincliffe, Durham, told us the Bluetooth wireless connectivity was the biggest hit with her family. She added: “We sync our iPhones and take turns to stream music.”

Other drivers were equally pleased, with many praising the dynamic control, which changes the handling characteristics of the car.

The Juke wasn’t the only Nissan to get the thumbs-up from owners, either – the Qashqai and X-Trail finished in fourth and ninth respectively in our tech chart. Herve Genin, crossover category manager for Nissan GB, said: “The Juke is packed full of useful technology, such as a colour rear- view camera, touchscreen sat-nav, torque vectoring and a dynamic control system.”

For our full report – including best in class cars, category winners and our overall Driver Power 2012 champ – check out the latest issue of Auto Express, out 11 April 2012.

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Submitted by john550i on Thu, 2012-04-12 13:02.

In Your Dreams.

Submitted by yeti3 on Thu, 2012-04-12 16:42.

If this is true why are so many Nissan drivers see using Mobile Phones!

Submitted by Richardcr on Fri, 2012-04-13 00:18.

I've a white Juke! We bought it because it looks great, the stuff within it is amazing for the cost. Nissan's Juke launch deals meant we got free service for 3 years, a lower rate on finance, and a car that carries family and our stuff in comfort on long or short journies.
We love it!
As for the comment above, I can only assume those using their mobile phone while driving a Juke were not shown the simple to use system.

Submitted by cousins11 on Fri, 2012-04-13 01:04.

I v'e nothing against the Juke, or Nissans come to that, in fact I'm a fan of both, but what is it with this daft new category in the Driver Power survey 2012. Some people (including me) dont give a damn if their car has every gadget under the sun. Performance, handling, reliability, build etc are what makes (or breaks) a satisfying car. I have been following the Driver Power surveys since 2002. Am I the only one who thinks this is a silly category in a satisfaction survey?

Submitted by greenlanddock on Mon, 2012-04-16 03:37.

This car reminds me of Steven Fry, neither of them have a single straight line in their body.
I guess the 29000 people who voted for this car bought theirs back in 1990s. How else would you explain people going ecstatic over cruise control, bluetooth, etc?
The bottom line is, you will only enjoy this car if you are colour blind, thats when the colour reversing camera comes handy. Otherwise, its ugly and overhyped.

Submitted by lukekelly12 on Thu, 2012-04-19 16:30.

to greenlanddock:

1. the Juke wasn't on sale in the 1990's so they wouldn't have bought it then.
2. A colour reversing camera makes no difference to someone who is colour blind as they are BLIND TO COLOUR!

Think about what you write in future, you idiot.

The Juke is a well made, great value, stand-out car, and for the money you won't find anything else as well kitted out inside.

Submitted by Drive71 on Thu, 2012-05-10 00:02.

Bit ugly this one, Would buy a quashqui though great tech in those.