New Nissan Juke facelift goes upmarket to take on the best-selling Ford Puma

The Nissan Juke is one of the UK’s best selling cars, finishing well within the top 10 overall in 2023. But the brand thinks it’s time to give its small SUV a mid-life refresh, to keep it competitive with the all-conquering Ford Puma.

Improving the second-generation Juke’s interior is Nissan’s number one priority – both in terms of quality and connectivity. Nissan says it has refined the fit-and-finish and added new materials for the Peugeot 2008 and Kia Niro rival. 

But the most noticeable change is the redesigned dashboard, with its new 12.3-inch central touchscreen – a significant increase over the current eight-inch display. It’s been angled towards the driver to make it easier to reach, and the infotainment system itself has been upgraded by way of a more intuitive home screen that drivers can customise using widgets for key functions. 

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard now too, while the voice recognition apparently boasts more ‘natural language understanding’ capability. Nissan says you can also play video content on the central display via USB connected devices when the car is stationary.

Behind the steering wheel, which is wrapped in a new, smoother faux-leather material, select models feature another 12.3-inch screen. Drivers get a choice of two layouts: Classic, with two dials on either side, and ‘Enhanced’ that devotes more screen space to other information like mapping, fuel economy or music.

The previous 0.3 megapixel rear-view camera has gone too, replaced by a higher-resolution 1.3 megapixel unit, which is now standard-fit on every Juke. A birds-eye view system is fitted to higher-spec models. The Juke also comes as standard with ‘Intelligent Driver Alertness’ now, and lane keep assist is available as an option, and included on top-spec cars. 

Other upgrades include both USB-A and newer USB-C charge ports for both front and rear occupants, and the Juke’s wireless charging pad can accommodate the largest of today’s smartphones, says Nissan. The glovebox is now bigger, the central armrest has been redesigned to be more supportive, and new seats offer improved comfort.

The outgoing car’s bold exterior styling hasn’t changed with this