Those of us lucky enough to get a new car to test drive every Monday also get to see various parts of Dublin city and county on Monday mornings. Last Monday the weather was beautiful; I got a lift from Sandyford to Toyota headquarters on Killeen Road close the Seventh Lock of the Grand Canal.
It was such a beautiful summer’s day I decided to walk along the Grand Canal from the Seventh Lock to the Eight Lock towards Nissan’s offices in Park West where a Juke Hybrid awaited me. It was so relaxing, I had time to stop and watch the Eight Lock being filled up to allow an early season tourist pass through in their boat.
As I walked along, the thought that I was picking up a Hybrid car reminded me that I was playing a small part in trying to protect the environment. The scene reminded me of the opening lines from a poem called Leisure by William Davies that I learned in school:
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
I have driven a few white-coloured Nissan cars in recent weeks, the e-power versions of the X-Trail and the Qashqai and the Juke Hybrid also came in white, with a black roof which was really attractive. I suppose the Juke could be described as a smaller version of the Qashqai and it will forever remind me of summer time.
Last week was very warm and 12 months ago Nissan took group of motor writers to Milton Keynes in England to have a first drive in the Juke Hybrid. It was one of the warmest days of the year. Milton Keynes is close to Nissan’s design centre in Cranfield and we got to drive the new car around the roads and roundabouts where the Juke Hybrid had been tested.
At first glance, the new hybrid is much like the old model which was introduced in 2010. The rear door handles are discreet and at first you might think it’s only a two-door car. Externally there are a few subtle changes like a new badge and a dark strip over the grille. There are few other small external changes.
The Juke Hybrid uses a 1.6-litre four cylinder petrol engine, 1.2kWh battery and a 36kW electric motor. Power is up to 143hp in the hybrid versus 114hp in the 1.0-litre petrol Juke. The car starts in electric mode, moving off silently. It’s not a plug-in hybrid and doesn’t require charging to get the best efficiency from the vehicle.
I think you will enjoy the high driving position, all my family did. Overall it’s a very neat motor. Inside the controls are well laid out and it’s good to see old-fashioned style knobs on the infotainment screen on the dash to control the radio volume and select the stations, but the hand-brake is a modern one. In the back seat there is plenty of head and leg room.
While the standard Juke petrol has an excellent boot volume of 422 litres, the hybrid loses some of that volume to accommodate the battery. But you do get a proper spare wheel, which is a rarity nowadays.
We are often told that Hybrid is the best way for motorists to get used to fully electric cars, but that means worries about charging. Nissan already has two electric cars, the Leaf and the Ariya. I read recently that Sweden are working on the first-ever electric road where car batteries will be charged as you drive along.
The new e-motorway is being built along a 13-mile stretch between the towns of Hallsberg and Orebro and should be completed by 2025. It reminded me of the old Toyota ad where the advertising line was “I saw your Toyota outside the Mart.” Maybe someday in the future we will hear an Irish person say something like “Was that you I saw driving up the Electric Road in your new Nissan?”
Prices start at €34,600 for the SV version, while the SVE model I drove will cost you €37,600. Take a test drive, I think you will be impressed. Road tax is €190.
