Nissan Juke 2021: ST-L+ grade and ‘Energy Orange’ interior added

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Nissan has expanded the range of its funky 2021 Juke small SUV with a new top-end variant and a ‘Energy Orange’ interior trim option that will be refreshing for some and a bit much for others.

The Juke launched in Australia in May 2020 with four grades which has now expanded to five with the arrival of the ST-L+ slotting in behind the top-spec Ti and above the ST, ST+, ST-L variants.

All variants of the Juke are powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine sending 84kW of power and 180Nm of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to the front wheels.

Nissan’s small SUV is arguably the most distinctive in its class, with standard LED daytime running lights flaring out from the grille to the wheel arches matched with the round automatic LED headlights positioned down below. 

The entry-level Juke ST costs $27,990 (before on-roads) fitted with a healthy amount of equipment including an eight-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto matched with a 4.2-inch digital driver’s display.

While the interior is trimmed in cloth the driver still gets six-way manual adjustability for the driver and four-way for the front passenger, along with other niceties such as auto-folding mirrors.

Safety is another strong suite of the Juke, which arrives standard with a five-star ANCAP rating and extensive driver aids including rear-cross traffic alert, front AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring and lane departure assistance. 

If you’ve still got a few grand burning a hole in your pocket the Juke ST+ grade ($30,740 before on-roads) tacks on a few more niceties including LED fog lights, heated front seats, digital radio and satellite navigation along with front parking sensors to navigate those hostile supermarket car parks.

The Juke ST-L grade pushes the price out to $33,940 (before on-roads) and swaps the 17-inch wheels out for large 19-inch offerings and throws in a few more handy features such as adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera.

Inside is where you’ll see the biggest change, with the seats and steering wheel now selectively appointed with leather and the manual handbrake is tossed out for a more compact electric park brake.

Nissan gives the tech a boost as well with a larger 7.0-inch driver’s display, a six-speaker audio system and USB charging ports fitted in the rear.

The Juke ST-L+ is the new entrant to the range priced at $35,140 (before on-road costs) which upgrades the audio system to an eight-speaker Bose Personal Plus system and fancy upholstery.

Specifically, that means you gain seat trim made out of a combination of black cloth and white leather, with the latter also used on the knee pad, door trim, front armrest and across the dashboard. A smattering of black chrome also dotted around the Juke’s interior.

Stepping up to the top-trim Juke Ti is not a huge leap at $36,490 (before on-roads) and offers more subtle styling with the interior trimmed with black Alcantara on the dash as well as touchpoints on the door trim, front armrest and knee pad.

Buyers also gain a set of 19-inch Akari alloy wheels as well as a shark-fin antenna and privacy glass along with black chrome implanted in the door trim and headrests. 

But if that all sounds a bit gloomy buyers can now opt for the ‘Energy Orange’ interior pack which swaps out the Alcantara for a combination of orange and black leather for no extra cost – which may prove to be just the right amount of eccentric or a bit on the nose depending on your taste.

Nissan Juke 2021: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

• Juke ST: $27,990
• Juke ST+: $30,740
• Juke ST-L: $33,940
• Juke ST-L+: $35,140
• Juke Ti: $36,490