Nissan Australia hasn’t committed to releasing an electrified version of its compact Juke crossover as yet – despite surging local demand for hybrid vehicles – but it remains under evaluation for our market.
Asked about the prospects of the Juke Hybrid joining the local lineup as part of the facelifted 2025 range, Nissan Australia told us the electrified compact SUV variant is still being considered.
“We are constantly reviewing our product lineup and ensuring we have the right product offering for the market. We will continue to evaluate the opportunity and suitability for Australia of Juke Hybrid,” a Nissan Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.
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Overseas models shown
It seems the Japanese auto brand hasn’t moved the dial much on the Juke Hybrid since its previous local director said two years ago that it was something the company was “looking at”, but the lack of a flat-out ‘no’ suggests it’s still a possibility to become a rival for the popular Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid and upcoming MG ZS Hybrid+ here.
The Nissan Juke Hybrid teams a 69kW/148Nm 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 36kW/205Nm electric motor and 1.2kWh battery pack. Nissan’s UK division quotes system power of 143PS, the equivalent of 105kW.
Drive is sent to the front wheels via a ‘multi-modal’ automatic transmission that employs dog clutches in place of conventional synchroniser rings to shift the four ‘ICE’ gears and two ‘EV’ ratios. All vehicle takeoffs are 100 per cent electric, and Nissan says the transmission is designed to reduce friction and mitigate the “rubber band” sensation of hybrids equipped with e-CVTs.
As you’d expect, the Nissan Juke Hybrid offers regenerative braking, including an e-Pedal mode that will decelerate the vehicle at 0.15g and slow the Juke to “creep speed”, or around 5km/h. Unlike the Leaf electric hatch, which debuted the e-Pedal system, the Juke Hybrid won’t come to a complete stop – similar to the X-Trail e-Power.
According to the manufacturer, the hybrid drivetrain provides a 25 per cent power bump over the non-hybrid three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, while reducing fuel consumption by 40 per cent on the urban test cycle, and 20 per cent in combined tests.
WLTP figures for the UK show combined fuel use of 4.8-4.9L/100km and CO2 emissions of 109-110g/km. For reference, the local model’s 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine uses a claimed 5.8L/100km on the combined cycle.
The same hybrid drivetrain is offered in the related Renault Captur E-Tech Full Hybrid, with which the Nissan Juke shares its Alliance CMF-B architecture.
Additionally, Nissan says the Juke Hybrid can complete up to 80 per cent of travel in urban settings as an EV, aided by first ‘gear’ being electric-drive only.
Demand for hybrid vehicles continue to grow in Australia, with sales up 83.3 per cent so far this year, based on the most recent VFACTS sales figures for October 2024.
Toyota continues to lead the charge with its extensive range of petrol-electric hybrid models, and earlier this year made the call to make core models like the Yaris, Yaris Cross, Corolla, Corolla Cross, Camry, RAV4 and Kluger hybrid-only.
By comparison, the Nissan Juke remains something of a niche player in the light SUV class, with 1496 units registered year-to-date, accounting for a 3.2 per cent share of the segment. In comparison, the Toyota Yaris Cross, which went hybrid around mid-way through 2024, has notched up 6829 registrations for a 14.7 per cent share.
Still, the Yaris Cross remains the only player in the segment with an electrified option, with the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic, Mazda CX-3 and Suzuki Jimny all still being exclusively petrol-powered in Australia.
Would you consider a Juke Hybrid if it was offered Down Under? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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