2016 Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

Nissan’s Juke always played the oddball card in the compact crossover world—wedged awkwardly between a city hatch and something you might actually want to take on gravel. On paper at least, the Juke promised more style than sense, and that’s exactly who bought it. It was never going to outsell the EcoSport or the Captur, but if you wanted something that looked like nothing else in the Pick n Pay parking lot, you gave it a second glance. The current listings, all used of course, span from 2011 to 2019 and only come with petrol engines: the familiar naturally aspirated 1.6 and the punchier 1.2T turbo. Transmission choices are either manual or Nissan’s much-maligned semi-auto, so choose wisely. Pricing is pure “opportunity buy” territory now—R118,500 up to R199,900, with the sweet spot at R144,725. That’s budget motoring, not a carefully weighed used car decision. It’s a bit of an eyebrow-raiser to see the 1.6 DIG-T Tekna at R118,500, since that engine was meant to be the driver’s pick back in the day. Most of the 1.2T Acenta variants cluster higher, from R159,500 to just under R200k, but they’re all pushing an average of 119,000 km, so you’d better be ready to replace some bits soon. The Juke always had a tighter, more composed feel than the Captur, and if you pack smart, the interior’s just about usable for a couple of adults with light baggage. Styling is still as divisive as ever—some will call it funky, others will just shake their heads. No new stock is coming, so what’s listed is all there is. That matters, because once these are gone, that’s the end of Juke’s run in South Africa.