Striking, bold and curvaceous, Nissan has been brave with the Juke. But is it naughty enough? We drive it to find out.

Photos: Low Fai Ming

If you haven't heard of the Nissan Juke, it's an unique-looking Sports+SUV crossover that has captured attention of the world's press since it's announcement. In Singapore, there're two models to choose from, the 1.6L and the turbocharged 1.6L DIG-T.

Power and torque figures for the 1.6L are 114hp and 158Nm, but the turbo version we tested is blessed with 187hp and 240Nm. It doesn't feel blazing fast, but it's brisk enough to perform overtaking manoeuvres on the highway.

The Xtronic CVT that's mated to the engine is a smooth shifter. Controlled from the Integrated Control Display (I-CON), it offers three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sports. If you like a spirited drive like we do, leave it in Sport (and manual override for the gearbox) for the open roads and leave Eco or Normal for your daily shuttle. Why, you may ask?

The power delivery in sport mode can be a little sudden. It accelerates normally, followed by a surge when the turbo kicks in. We do love the explosive acceleration but in heavy traffic, it's a bit hard to drive smoothly unless you leave it in Normal, or Eco mode which has the least throttle responsiveness, but delivers the smoothest drive.

The display changes too according to the mode you put it in. In Sport, it shows the boost levels, while it shows the torque levels in Normal and fuel consumption figures in Eco mode. The climate controls take over the entire panel when you hit the Climate button.

Factory fitted 17” alloy rims shrouded with 215/55 tyres provide a good amount of grip through the corners and makes the Juke feel agile. It has a sporty ride quality, but the body roll and lack of steering feel does slightly dampen the Juke's sporty capabilities.

For those moments when you feel a bit naughty on the road, Nissan has fitted the Juke with excellent seats that hug you well. The black interior is nicely accented with colours scattered through the cabin to liven things up.

The buttons and switches feel chunky and overall fit and finish is good. They're easy to understand and use too. The JVC 7-inch DVD head unit player comes with a reverse camera and can play files off USB memory drives.

In all, it drives well with surprisingly good handling capabilities. The best part of this “hot hatch”-SUV crossover? You can't call this bland.