Nissan Juke review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

Despite its myriad specs, there is only one body style to choose from when specifying your new Nissan Juke. Every version gets five doors and five seats, plus a decent-sized boot and roomy cabin.

The driving position is far more adjustable than before; you sit low, and the steering wheel now moves fore and aft, as well as up and down. Visibility is fine out the front, but the small side windows and rear windscreen can make parking more of a challenge that it needs to be.

In terms of cabin storage, there are some large door bins and a sizeable glovebox, but the cubby between the front seats is only just big enough for a modern smartphone and the small area ahead of the gearlever is little better. In the back, there are another pair of door bins big enough for a 500ml bottle of water.

Size

The second-generation Nissan Juke is 35mm wider and 75mm longer than the original, and it certainly looks more imposing on the road thanks to its raised haunches and bulbous front end. However, at a little over 4.2m long, it’s slightly shorter than a Skoda Kamiq.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

Think of the Nissan Juke as an SUV equivalent of the firm’s Micra supermini, and you’ll get some idea of the space on offer. The boot is bigger, yes, but that sloping roofline means it feels quite dark and cramped in the back seats. That said, adults should be able to get comfortable, with enough headroom for those under six-feet tall.

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Boot

The Nissan Juke’s boot is much bigger than before, and sizes up well in this class. However, while it shares a platform with the Renault Captur, it doesn’t get its trick sliding bench, so there’s no option to extend the 422-litre load bay without lowering the rear seats. Do so and you’ll create a 1,088-litre load area, which should be enough for most jobs.

Worthy of note is the Juke’s wider boot opening. The old model’s tailgate was shaped to make space for the rear light clusters, whereas the new car’s design splits them in two for improved practicality. There’s a moveable boot floor; in its highest setting you’ll sacrifice some space, but the flipside is that you won’t have to contend with any kind of nasty load lip.

The fixed parcel shelf attaches to the bootlid via a pair of strings and lifts out easily, although it feels super flimsy and there’s nowhere to store it. Wiggle it in, and there’s enough space for a road bike in the back.