Nissan Juke VS MG HS

The Juke is a small SUV in the true sense of the word, sitting below the Qashqai which is more like a mid-sizer these days in terms of dimensions.

However, it’s quite cleverly packaged on the inside and is more useful than it first appears.

The front seats, for example, offer heaps of headroom and a surprising amount of width, and while the seats are manual, they’re pretty adjustable. I was able to find a great seating position.

There are big pockets in the doors with an integrated bottle holder suitable for even the largest bottles, although the centre console area is a bit less versatile, choosing its funky design over additional storage.

It features two good bottle holders, but a tiny armrest box and a shallow tray with one 12V socket and a USB-A outlet, as well as an auxiliary audio input under the climate controls.

On the topic of climate controls, I love the fact the Juke maintains a dedicated ventilation panel complete with buttons and dials for all the core functions. No touchscreen nonsense here.

The media screen, as mentioned, is a tad small, and falls victim to glare easily.

The stock Nissan software is a massive upgrade on the brand’s previous-generation products, but while it’s functional it’s far from the prettiest or the fastest on the market.

The back seat offers more space than you might assume, but it’s not as well thought-out as the front of the cabin. At 182cm tall I fit behind my own driving position with just enough space for my knees and just enough headroom.

There are decent bottle holders in the doors, and a further two small ones in the drop-down armrest. The backs of the front seats are clad in that synthetic leather material, which is nice, and have soft pockets, too.

The back of the front centre console offers just a single USB-A outlet and a small cubby. There are no adjustable air vents for rear passengers. It also feels a little claustrophobic back there thanks to the black trim on everything and smaller windows.

Boot capacity for the Juke is impressive for an SUV in this class, with 422 litres on offer, which is close to the volume we’d expect from something a size-bracket up, and 1305L with the second row folded down. There is a space-saver spare under the boot floor.

Access and space for both rows would have to be class-leading and you don't feel like you're in a 'mid-sized' SUV.

When it comes to comfort you're bang out of luck, though, as the front seats aren't the most comfortable, even on shorter trips.

The driver's side is the better of the two (the front passenger seat isn't as wide) but both are too hard, narrow and the front passenger side sits too high. Limited adjustments are available and you miss out on lumbar support, which is crucial on a longer trip.

The and higher than drivers side and no height adjustment is available on the passenger side.

The back seats are marginally better with more padding under the butt but there's still a bench-seat element in cornering, which means you'll be jostled in turns.

The back seat is wide, though, so you can take advantage of the three top-tether points if you have a few tots in tow.

Storage is average for the class and the cabin lacks some of the clever cubbies competitors feature but the glove box and storage bins are XL and there is a dedicated phone tray up front.

Four cupholders, two drink bottle holders and two map pockets round out the individual storage.

The boot now offers 507L of luggage capacity and that’s plenty big enough for a decent grocery haul but it is on the lower end for the class.

You get a temporary spare tyre under the floor but no powered tailgate, and the lid is heavy to open and close.

The technology isn't great despite looking flash because the touchscreen on the multimedia system is slow to respond and most systems are accessed via the menu screens with limited physical buttons available.

That means its a punish to access climate control or music while on the go.

Climate control is a bit dodgy as the AC function seems to dip in and out and will just blow air occasionally despite the car not having an auto start/stop function which might have explained it.

The built-in satellite navigation is clear, however, and easy to use but it alerts loudly whenever you enter a new suburb and in the city, that means it chimes a lot.

Coupled with all of the other alerts this car bangs out, which I'll get to in the Safety section, it’s a bit much.

You only get wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means a messy cable in the cabin and charging options are basic with four USB-A ports and a 12-volt socket. Big brand rivals have it beat on that front.