If there were a prize for the strangest towing gear, the Nissan Juke would win by a mile. The towbar mounts several inches to the right of centre, but fits at an angle so that the ball lines up with the centre of the car.
The odd towbar isn’t the reason the Juke finishes third in its class. In the lane-change test the caravan was tugging at the back of the car on high-speed runs. With just 177lb ft to call upon, the Juke laboured from 30-60mph in 23.1 seconds. On damp Tarmac it proved easy to spin the front wheels, and the hill start needed a careful balance of clutch and throttle to reach the top.
Style takes precendence over practicality, so don’t expect a lot of space in the back or the boot.
It’s not all bad news, though. The Nissan Juke may have been unsettled in the lane-change test, but on MIRA’s mile-long straights it tracked true with little input from the driver. It’s also a fun car to drive, and our practicality testers were impressed by the standard-fit reversing camera – great for hitching up on your own.
