2014 NISSAN JUKE NISMO RS
Model tested:
- 2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS
- 1.6L 4-Cylinder TURBO engine (215HP)
- 6-speed manual transmission
- Seating Capacity: 5
- Road Test Terrain: 50% city, 50% highway
- Tested MSRP: $28,598 CAD
You can spot the Nissan Juke a mile away – this crossover definitely has its own style! We had the opportunity to road test the Turbo version of the 2014 Nissan Juke – really, how could we turn down more power? The Turbo engine offers 27 more horses, and yes we need all of them! Here’s what we noticed about the 2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS:
Exterior Design
The Nissan Juke stands out in its design, with lots of curves and circular shapes in its design. Our Nismo RS upgrade got us the coloured side mirrors with matching red trim and factory painted brake calipers. Also stepped up were the wheel size to 18” and Nismo rims to match the sports styling.
The rear doors have hidden door handles, which add to a streamlined side profile. The front headlamps are interestingly seperate from the turn signals. Traditionally, these two lights are incorporated into one headlamp assembly.
Interior Design
From the outside, the Juke looked like it would have more interior space than was actually there. The overall feel of the crossover when sitting inside though was quite sporty. The dash and centre console repeated the circular design theme and the Nismo badge’s red accent was carried throughout the interior of the car, from the seats to the steering wheel.
The navigation system was easy to use and came with a 5.0” touchscreen colour display. The climate control panel doubles as a driving mode control – so on one screen you can set your temperature preference and switch over to the next screen to pick which driving mode you’d like. Your options are normal, eco or sport mode. When we put the Juke in sport mode, the display shows the torque value and we could feel the difference in the drive. More responsive handling and a tighter feel on the steering. That was a fun mode to be in!
The NismoRS upgrade also got us front Recaro bucket seats. The seats looked great and were comfortable to sit in but we honestly couldn’t find a graceful way to get in and out of them! The seat bottom curves up on the sides and because the Juke sits higher than a car, getting in and out of the bucket seat wasn’t easy.
Trunk space was more than enough for our daily errands. A nice touch of the Nissan Juke is the storage compartment located underneath the trunk panel. It’s nice and deep, so you can store booster cables and miscellaneous items. This storage compartment lifts out to give you access to the spare tire.
Under the hood
The engine bay is well laid out with easy-to-read fluid reservoirs and the battery is also located up top in case you need to boost the vehicle. It is a compact area though and most components are located close together.
Child car seat
Installing a rear-facing child car seat in the rear bench of the Juke should be easy with its seat bottom nice and flat. The UAS latches are very accessible and when installing a forward-facing child car seat, the headrests sit relatively flush with the seatback – you may or may not need to remove them to keep the car seat flush with the seatback. Lastly, the tether anchor is located directly behind the rear seats.
Our time with the Nissan Juke Nismo RS went fast! If you want more power, tighter and more responsive handling, definitely go to the Turbo version! Base price for the 2014 Nissan Juke starts at $19,998 CAD.