New Nissan Juke Hybrid priced from £27,250

• Up to 56.5mpg promised
• 80% of urban journeys can be completed on electric power
• Prices starting £27,250

The new Nissan Juke SUV will receive a small increase in fuel efficiency with the launch of its electrified powertrain this summer. It offers a claimed economy figure of up to 56.5mpg.

Prices will start at £27, 250 for the hybrid model, which is £1,730 more than the non-hybrid engine equivalent in N-Connecta specification. Nissan plans to have a fully electrified range of vehicles on offer by 2023; the new Juke and the recently introduced mild-hybrid Nissan Qashqai represent big steps along that road.

The new hybrid system has been designed to make the Juke feel as though it is an electric car, despite the electric-only range being quite short. As part of this, the new Nissan Juke will always start on electric power; selecting EV mode then keeps the car in battery-only mode at low speeds. This could prove useful for those regularly caught in traffic or driving past emissions-sensitive areas, such as schools or hospitals.

New Batman-inspired Nissan Micra Kiiro joins Juke Kiiro

Nissan says that the Juke Hybrid can run on battery power for up to 80% of the time around town. You can reach speeds of up to 34mph without the petrol engine kicking in, and the car even has regenerative braking like you get on the Nissan Leaf EV - although you can't come to a complete stop without using the brakes. The electric motor collects energy lost when slowing down and feeds it back into the 1.2kWh battery.

10

The introduction of the Juke Hybrid will be marked by a ‘Premiere Edition’ going on sale with a limited run of 750 vehicles. All will be based on the N-Connecta trim but gain 19-inch black wheels and black headlight surrounds. A trim piece along the lower half of the sides will be either white or black depending on the body colour chosen and inside gains gloss black trim along the centre console. The limited-edition model for the launch of the Juke hybrid will be priced at £28,250. The range topping Tekna + will be priced at £30,150.

Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes feature, with the latter getting a higher level of brake regeneration to enable more electrical energy to help with acceleration.

The powertrain consists of a 93bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine, mated to a 48bhp electric motor and a 20bhp starter-generator borrowed from sister company Renault. The Renault Clio E-Tech hybrid gets a similar setup. Combined, the total output is 141bhp, which is around 25% more power than the Juke’s existing 1.0-litre 112bhp petrol engine. Nissan states that the hybrid is capable of up to 56.5mpg, although final economy figures are yet to be verified.

New instruments show driving information for both petrol and electric components, and there’s a mode that shows the flow of the energy you’re using. Because of where the battery sits, the boot is over 65 litres smaller than the petrol-powered Juke; its 354-litre space is roughly the same as the Hyundai Kona, and around 50 litres more than the hybrid Clio E-Tech. 

10

Signifying the Juke Hybrid are new badges, a new Nissan logo and a grille with a smaller opening and a different mesh design. The hybrid doesn’t need as much cooling as the petrol engine, so Nissan has fitted an extra trim piece and an automatically opening grille shutter to make it more aerodynamic.

The car’s spoiler has been reprofiled for greater efficiency, and 19-inch aero wheels inspired by the electric Nissan Ariya will be available. A new set of 17-inch alloys is also being introduced alongside the hybrid engine.

Read our guides to the best small SUVs and the best hybrid cars to buy this year.