Nissan Juke 2020 Philippines Review: Everything you need to know!

Ah yes, the Juke. While the Nissan made subcompact SUV doesn’t have much of a presence here in the Philippines, the several ones that are running around in the country does catch the attention of a lot of people. Be it to criticize its weird quirky appearance or praise it on its uniqueness.

While that’s up to the beholder in the end, we do know for sure that the opinion on the first-generation model’s exterior design choices is divisive. Very divisive.

Aside from the very quirky looks, the XCVT on the 1^st generation Nissan Juke has been documented to have some issues like stalling under acceleration due to an internal bearing collapse. And let’s face it, the CVT specifically on the old Juke, even if it worked right, wasn’t exactly the best.

Nissan Juke comes back with a funky style!

>>> Latest update: 2021 Nissan Juke: Expectations and what we know so far

We can say that because users have reported that there was this strange pause when you floor the gas pedal. To compound this issue, the sport mode didn’t feel sporty at all and it did little to help with the aforementioned issue.

Then there was the 1^st-gen Juke’s interior which many have called sub-par to a lot of other vehicles in its market segment in terms of build quality and the choices of materials.

Those issues however with the exterior styling, interior build quality and with the CVT has definitely become a thing of the past with the recently revealed 2^nd generation Nissan Juke 2020 Philippines

2020 Nissan Juke SUV revealed – everything you need to know | What Car?

As we’ve said before, the old Nissan Juke was very quirky looks-wise. Some really liked it for its uniqueness but a great others also said that it looked like a toad. With the 2^nd generation 2020 Juke however, it seems like the 1^st generation ugly duckling has grown into a beautiful swan.

While it still looks quite unique for a subcompact SUV, the 2020 Nissan Juke exterior has been improved to something sleeker and up to date. From the front, Nissan took out those bulbous looking DRLs and replaced it with a sleeker-looking pair that flows seamlessly towards a v-motion grille.

The round headlights that look a lot like fog lights do make a return but somehow they do not interfere with the look Nissan was going for. Towards the rear, gone are those strange boomerang-shaped tail-lights and are instead replaced by a pair of better looking, angular, squarish ones.

The front fascia of the 2020 Juke is sleeker and sportier than its predecessor

Towards the sides, the Juke’s hidden rear passenger door handle on a blacked-out c-pillar makes it return. Couple that with the roof which slopes down towards the rear and the 2020 Juke looks very much like a coupe even more so than its predecessor ever did. Also noteworthy are the set of new 19-inch alloy wheels. A 16 inch and a 17 inch might also be optional.

The new set of wheels definitely ties up the look

The 2^nd gen Juke has also grown larger with a length of 4,210 mm, a height of 1,595 mm, and a width of 1,800 mm. Despite that though, it actually lost 23 kilograms of weight courtesy of high strength steel.

That material will also make the new Nissan Juke exterior much more rigid and presumably, will make it better at cornering. For a lot of people, better cornering equals a fun driving experience so the changes made on the 2020 Juke’s exterior apart from the visual aspect are indeed very welcome.

Here's a view of the rear. Note the different, less "in your face" tail lights

Wonder how Nissan Juke competes in the Philippines compact SUVs battle, check out our Nissan Juke vs Honda BRV comparo review.

Like the exterior design, Nissan also went out of their way to improve the 2020 Nissan Juke interior. In its predecessor, many have indeed complained that the build quality and the materials used were sub-par in comparison to other vehicles in its class.

With the all-new Juke, despite still having that scratchy black plasticky bits, most of the interior has become a feast not only for the eyes but also for the touch. Many surfaces are now clad in a soft material and there’s even an optional Alcantara leather for the European release. A detail, which of course, we also hope would come with the Philippine spec 2020 Juke if it ever gets released here.

High tech and pretty too! What's not to like?

Moving on, the top of the line Nissan Juke 2020 for the European release also comes with a number of high-tech gadgets. First is the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that’s equipped with a lot of connectivity options like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Also available is the very interesting self-driving mode called the Pro Pilot Autonomous Driving Aid which enables the Juke to steer, brake, and accelerate itself on the highway. And lastly, the steering wheel is now fully adjustable not only for height but also for reach.

As per the increase in dimensions, the 2020 Juke’s rear passenger compartment is now much more spacious than ever before. This is thanks to the vehicle’s increased wheelbase which of course also enlarged its boot space to 422 liters.

Take a look at the 2020 Juke's rear seats. Note the seatbelt for the middle passenger

From its initial release in Europe, the Nissan Juke will get a single-engine option; a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine. The said engine can make up to 115 horsepower and 200 NM of torque. For the European release, the 2020 Juke will get a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic. And yes, Nissan finally ditched the CVT at least for the new Juke.

If we go about rumors from the internet, some say that there’s also a hybrid-powered Nissan Juke in the works but we’ll have to wait a little bit more for Nissan to confirm if that’s true or not.

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As we’ve said in talking about the interior, the Nissan Juke 2020 top variant will get the Nissan Pro Pilot Autonomous Driving Aid. In addition to that, the new Juke will also come equipped with Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility safety suite which we reckon will be like the one already available on the Nissan Terra.

>>> Visit the nearest Nissan Philippines dealerships for further details regarding latest promos, financing options, etc

Q: How does the 2020 Nissan Juke differ from the Nissan Kicks?

Both the Nissan Juke and Nissan Kicks subcompact crossover SUVs have been around for quite some time, although only the first-generation Juke has been made available in the Philippines (since 2015).

Q: Will the 2020 Nissan Juke get an update anytime soon?

The Juke was laucnhed here in October 2015 and it's about time for the current Juke here to get an update. However, whether the revamped Juke or new Kicks e-Power will be brought to our local market is still an open question.

Q: What are the alternatives to the 2020 Nissan Juke in the Philippines?

Currently, the top models dominating the PH subcompact SUV market are the Ford Ecosport, the Mazda CX-3, and the Honda HR-V, which you can consider as best alternatives to the Juke.

Q: How large is the 2020 Nissan Juke compared to the Nissan Kicks?

Coming in at 4,210mm long, 1,800mm wide, and 1,595mm high, the new Juke has increased dimensions than its predecessor, along with a bigger 2,636mm wheelbase.

The Kicks e-Power is longer by 85mm, but is otherwise 40 mm narrower, and 5 mm shorter, apart from having a wheelbase whittled down by 26mm. The Kicks e-Power also has a marginally higher ground clearance of 177mm, compared to 170mm on the Nissan Juke

Upon seeing how Nissan improved the 2^nd generation Juke, we’re convinced that once it gets released here in the Philippines, it will surely do well. Currently, the top models dominating the PH subcompact SUV market are the Ford Ecosport, the Mazda CX-3, and the Honda HR-V.

While these are excellent vehicle’s themselves, a Philippine spec 2020 Nissan Juke equipped with the Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite and the Pro Pilot Autonomous Driving will definitely rock the boat. Add to that the 2020 Juke’s new and much-improved styling and size, we can safely say that it has the potential to become a winner.

Let's just hope that the new 2020 Nissan Juke comes to the Philippines soon.

As of yet, he Nissan Juke 2020 Philippines price is yet to be released even for the Europeans who are getting it first in November. For more news about the exciting new version of the Juke, you’ll just have to keep posted here on Philkotse.com.