After having electrified the 'big' cars at home, Nissan is now moving on to the cars most devoted to the city.
This is the case of Juke, the smallest of the Japanese company's SUVs, which loses the run-in thousand three cylinders in favor of a power unit made up of a new internal combustion engine, specially developed, supported by an electric motor and a starter/ generator, with a significant increase in power.
ANSA Motori tested the successful Japanese B-suv for a long time in the full hybrid version, and the leap in power is immediately noticeable: the 1.6 hybrid delivers 143 HP compared to the 114 HP of the internal combustion engine.
The new engine maximizes electric driving: it always starts in 100% EV mode up to 55 km/h, with the possibility - in practice - of traveling around town up to 80% of the time in electric mode.
All to the advantage of consumption, reduced by about 40% in the urban cycle and by 20% in the combined cycle, as we also verified in our test.
Going into detail, the Juke's hybrid powertrain is made up of a specially developed new-generation internal combustion engine that delivers a power of 94 HP and a torque of 148 Nm. The main electric motor has a power of 49 HP and a torque of 205Nm.
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Nissan Juke Hybrid
The powertrain is completed by a 15kW high voltage starter/generator, an inverter, a 1.2kWh liquid-cooled battery and the multi-mode gearbox.
This technologically advanced power unit is capable of achieving 5 different levels of hybridization: - 100% EV: the car's wheels are powered exclusively by the main electric motor (the 49 HP one).
- 100% ICE: the wheels of the car are moved exclusively by the internal combustion engine.
- Parallel Hybrid: the wheels are moved at the same time by the main electric motor and by the internal combustion engine.
- Hybrid Series: the wheels are moved exclusively by the main electric motor.
At the same time the heat engine moves the secondary electric motor which regenerates the battery.
- Hybrid Series/Parallel: the wheels are moved at the same time by the main electric motor and by the internal combustion engine.
Part of the heat engine's power is used to drive the secondary electric motor which regenerates the battery.
All this is assisted by the low-friction, clutchless multi-mode gearbox which uses dog couplings instead of traditional synchronizer rings for the 4-speed "ICE" and the 2-speed "EV".
If from an aesthetic point of view we note the "Hybrid" badge, the new front grille and the reprofiled spoiler, in the interior the luggage compartment capacity is reduced to a capacity of 354 liters (from 422), 1,237 with the sofa folded down.
Knee room unchanged at 553 mm.
On the 7" display
When driving, the presence of the battery does not affect the Juke's road holding and handling, despite the 100 kg increase in weight.
The stretch is remarkable, especially in sport mode, with the electric motor that supports the thermal, releasing maximum power.
The multi-mode automatic gearbox makes all the difference: continuously working, eliminating drag and always ready to tackle any driving style.
The technological equipment in the Tekna version under test is extensive.
In addition to the e-Pedal, which allows you to accelerate and slow down the car using a single pedal, it is equipped with Propilot driving assistance, and - among others - the emergency braking system and detection of road signs.
Finally, with the NissanConnect Services application, it is possible to interact with the car via smartphone.
The price of the Nissan Juke Hybrid Tekna starts at 32,860 euros.