We review the Nissan Juke from price to economy and all its features

NISSAN seem hell-bent on Marmite motors — cars we either love or hate. But, for the majority, the Juke has certainly tickled the taste buds.

Apart from the rich and famous, almost everyone wants to downsize to save their money on motoring — but we all want to do it with style.

Love or hate ... not everyone will be fans of new Nissan's styling

The Juke is a little car oozing with attitude — and it appears that’s exactly what the British public is looking for.

Nissan have sold more than 7,000 in the UK since it went on sale in September, which is unheard of for a small mainstream car. It’s an instant payback for the firm’s belief that small-car buyers want a style statement.

Nissan took a similar gamble with the Qashqai when they decided not to do another traditional hatchback replacement for the Almera. It paid off big-time, with sales of more than 800,000 and it’s still selling strongly.

But the in-your-face Juke makes the Qashqai look almost normal. A funky combination of part mini SUV and part coupé, it is refreshingly out of the box.

The lower portion is all tough SUV, highlighted by extended ground clearance, rugged, chunky flared wheel arches and sills finished in matte black.

But the top half is pure sports car, with slim, visor-like side windows and a sharply falling coupé-style roofline.

The front lights are split into two elements, the upper ones thin slashes with running lights and indicators, while the lower main headlights were inspired by the round fog lights fitted to rally cars in the Seventies.

At the curvy rear, the tail lights put a new spin on the “boomerang” lights found on the Nissan 370Z coupé.

The interior is also a cool place to travel, with a red centre console shaped like a motorcycle tank and lots of bright colours and patterned trim. It’s funky, not naff.

And yet it’s a totally practical small family hatchback with plenty of room for four. Boot space is a reasonable 251 litres, plus 60:40 split folding rear seats.

It’s fun to drive and the 1.6-litre turbo petrol feels as quick as a Mini Cooper. There is also an economical 1.5-litre diesel and a standard 1.6-litre petrol.

And it’s affordable — starting at £12,795, although the 1.6 Tekna all-wheel-drive turbo version stretches the price to £19,995. If you want to be different, this is the car for you.

What to look out for when buying a used Nissan Juke

There have been few complaints from the many thousands of owners who plumped for a new Juke.

Lower-than-expected fuel economy is cited by some drivers, although that's probably just down to over-enthusiastic use of the throttle. Likewise, comments about high tyre wear is often a combination of kerbing and that heavy right foot.

Nissan has issued a couple of recalls, one for the possibility of a faulty turbo boost pressure sensor and the other for a possible brake fluid contamination, which potentially affected a handful of owners. You can check if your car has been affected by contacting a dealer.