Renault Captur vs Nissan Juke: crossover clash

We’re pitting the Renault Captur and Nissan Juke face-to-face to help you figure out which compact crossover is best. These two SUVs share a platform and engines but couldn’t look more different if they tried.

Put either the Renault Captur or the Nissan Juke in our car configurator to see how much carwow could help you save. Want to see more crossover options? Check out our list of the best small SUVs and crossovers.

Styling

The Captur is a handsome looking vehicle thanks to its stylish curves inherited from the smaller Clio on which it’s based. The Juke, on the other hand, is altogether a more striking proposition, with sharp lines and distinctive creases. This makes the Juke instantly recognisable because it’s unlike anything else on the road.

Other distinctive differences are the inclusion of a more raked roofline on the Nissan Juke compared to the Captur. This may help the Juke look more sporty but it compromises rear headroom somewhat.

Interior

The Captur looks classy when you step inside thanks to the minimalist layout coupled with some pretty high quality materials. The Juke is a bit more characterful on the inside. For instance, the centre console, air vent surrounds and interior panels can be specified in your colour of choice which makes it a very vibrant place to sit.

The Captur has more interior space for passengers primarily because its roofline isn’t as steeply raked as the Juke’s. In the Juke, rear passengers struggle for headroom – and the rear windows are small making the back feel a little claustrophobic.

Driving

Compact SUVs have a raised driving position which, ultimately, gives you a better view of the road – both the Captur and Juke offer this advantage. They also share similarly light controls making town driving an absolute doddle and both are quiet and refined meaning they’ll be useful to take on long journeys.

Neither is as fun as traditional hatchbacks when going down a twisty back road. Their taller bodies mean increased body roll. The Captur is the more comfortable machine and the Juke has slightly firmer suspension which ‘jiggles’ over rough surfaces.

A key difference between the Captur and Juke is that the Renault is only available with front-wheel drive while the Nissan can be specified with an optional four-wheel-drive system. It can only be applied to models with the 1.6-litre turbocharged engines.

Engines

Between the Captur and Juke, the former is the more efficient. For instance, the most economical diesel engine in the Capture’s line-up averages 76.4mpg and 95g/km of CO2 compared to the Juke which musters just over 70mpg.

Petrol units are great in both cars, with the most efficient in the Captur achieving 56.5mpg. The 1.2-litre turbo petrol in the Juke is especially good thanks to being extremely smooth and quiet. It achieves around 50mpg, too.

The Juke is the only one to offer a performance variation. Called the Nismo RS, it’s powered by a 215hp 1.6-litre petrol and achieves a 7.9 second 0-62mph time while achieving just shy of 40mpg on average.

Practicality

The Captur is the more practical of the two. It holds 377 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,235 litres with them folded flat. You can expand the boot to 455 litres if the rear bench is slid forward. Comparatively, the Juke with the false boot floor in its lowest position holds 352 litres expandable to 1,189-litres with the seats folded.

Four-wheel drive Jukes don’t have the option of that variable floor because the rear differential eats into the boot. Space in the boot for four-wheel drive versions is a disappointing 251-litres.

Verdict

Both these crossovers are talented so your decision comes down to which car’s styling you prefer. For the UK’s motoring journalists, the Captur is the more impressive vehicle as demonstrated by our aggregated wowscores – 7.2 for the Capture and 6.9 for the Juke. For some extroverted buyers, however, the Nissan Juke has a distinct appeal that the Captur cannot begin to replicate.

There isn’t that much between them in terms of price either so, again, it’s simply down to which car you see yourself driving.

What next?

Put either the Renault Captur or the Nissan Juke in our car configurator to see how much carwow could help you save. For more options, visit our deals page or, if you’re still struggling to pick your next car, check out our car chooser.