They like to kick a bit of life in the brewery at Nissan. That is why the new Juke is just as delirious as its predecessor. However, with distinctively designed competitors such as the Skoda Kamiq and Renault Captur, it is busier than ever in the expressive corner of the B segment.
One of the reasons we include the second generation of the Juke in our endurance garage is that the original model is one of the founders of a segment that has exploded in recent years: the compact crossover. As with the Qashqai, Nissan was very early in this segment. In addition, it did not shy away from the controversy, because the first Juke was one of the most striking cars of its generation.
Where many brands have just launched their first entry for this segment, Nissan is already ready for the second. Alliance partner Renault was also early in this part of the market, which is why the Captur is also just entering the second round. Skoda first looked the cat out of the tree. The remarkably stylized Yeti was at the forefront, but it topped the market segment. Only last year, the Kamiq, as the last of this compact trio, appeared on the MQB platform of Volkswagen. He is thus almost a full generation behind his two opponents of today.
INFLATED SCALA
Skoda still doesn’t seem fully convinced of the need for a true mini-SUV. Just look diagonally from behind and from a somewhat lower point of view at the Kamiq and it looks like an inflated Scala. Compared to its competitors, the Kamiq is less high and the seat behind the wheel is much more reminiscent of a hatchback than the other two. The dashboard also shows strong similarities with the Scala. It looks sleek and neat, although the materials are certainly not the most beautiful we know. However, the digital components, from multimedia system to digital counters, look extremely sleek and the screen refreshes at lightning speed. Even at full throttle, the tachometer goes up in a smooth sprint. Unless you choose not to have a tachometer in view, of course; after all, the instruments have several display modes. In the back seat, an adult of 1 meter 80 sits better than in the other two cars. Head and legs are free and for this segment you experience quite a bit of freedom of movement. In addition, there is an adequate luggage space and of course the entire Simply Clever bucket with handy gadgets. Think of the well-known ice scraper cum tire profile meter behind the tank flap and the collar on the filler neck of the windshield washer fluid reservoir. Skoda even stole a knack from Ford, known as edge protectors. These are plastic strips that unfold when opening the door to prevent parking damage.