Nissan Cube : THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

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The Nissan Cube is here at last but will British buyers get it? Steve Walker takes a look.

Under the usual rules of car design, sleek and curvy is good but square and boxy is bad. You might have already guessed which camp the Nissan Cube slots into but somehow this cheeky Japanese MPV manages to tinker with the conventions. The dimensions of the car live up to its name but it's the cute design and quirky detailing that made it a massive hit in its home market. Now motorists are getting the chance to buy one here but will they be willing to follow the Cube's lead in thinking outside the box?

The Cube has been around for well over a decade in Japan and although the car has enjoyed a relatively high profile in the UK, popping up in magazines and on enthusiast websites from time to time, the clamour to import it through official channels was always resisted by Nissan. Perhaps they thought we weren't ready. It's true that the Cube has always been a wilfully leftfield proposition, even in Japan where the small and cute holds a particular fascination, but the car we're getting is the third generation model. We're told that by this stage the designers have chamfered off many of the Cube's odder eccentricities but that does make you wonder just how weird it was before. Power for the Cube will come either from Nissan's 1.5-litre dCi common-rail diesel engine or the 1.6-litre petrol unit but it's the design features of the body itself that create what Nissan calls the Cube's `stress free driving experience'. Visibility out of the Cube has been a central concern of the designers. The windscreen is mounted far more vertically than is the fashion nowadays and together with the upright driving position, this minimises the `invisible length' of the stubby bonnet. The `invisible length', we're told, is the area of the bonnet that the driver is unable to see and is forced to guess at when parking or judging gaps in traffic. Further assistance when manoeuvring is given by a narrower D pillar on the passenger side. This is a product of the Cube's unique wraparound side window that's joined with the rear screen and minimises the blind sport when reversing or changing lanes.

"A lot of people wanted the Nissan Cube imported to the UK. Now they've got their chance to put their money where their mouth is"

The Cube has an unusually large wheelbase as a proportion of its overall length which bodes well for handling stability. The car measures 3980mm from nose to tail which is similar to a supermini but 2,530mm of that is accounted for by the wheelbase. This means that the overhangs at the front and rear of the Cube are tiny and should produce a miniscule turning circle further easing parking headaches. The Nissan Cube's quirkiness is at least partially explained when you learn more about the people behind it. The design team apparently spent most of their time pooling thoughts and ideas rather than embarking on a more regimented process as favoured with other models. Out of this brainstorming hotchpotch emerged a cartoon of a bulldog wearing sunglasses and around this `incognito canine' the Cube's look was formed. It really does take all sorts. The Cube's elongated headlamps that spread right across the grill joining in the middle are the sunglasses while the chunky shape and foursquare stance do give it a suggestion of bulldog if you squint a bit. What's definitely noticeable is that the Cube is devoid of sharp edges. Despite its boxy look, its extremities end in soft curves which help create its cuddly persona. At the rear, the door is side hinged and opens like a fridge so you can access cargo even in tight spaces that would restrict a top hinged tailgate. Once you get inside, the design comes over more curvy still but the theme remains geometric, inspired by the circular ripples that spread when a drop hits a pool of water. Nissan claims to have created a `casual lounge' interior with the sofa-style rear bench arranged in a `jacuzzi curve'. It all sounds very luxurious and looks a long way removed from traditional car interior design. There's practicality too. Thanks to the Cube's boxy dimensions and long wheelbase, space is generous and Nissan has incorporated a range of storage options. Cup holders, detachable hooks, shelves, even multi-coloured rubber bands that secure items on the door arm rests, there's a lot of detail built in that adds to the Cube's user-friendly nature. The Cube is certainly different but where does it fit in to the UK market? The logical positioning for it is alongside the supermini MPVs like Renault's Modus and Vauxhall's Meriva. It fulfils a similar role but it's far more of a fashion statement than these formulaic small family runabouts. Nissan is hoping to tap into the fashion-conscious urban market, people who want a compact, economical and manoeuvrable car to use around town but who also want to stand out in the traffic jams and multi-storey car parks. Toyota's iQ and the Smart Fortwo are far smaller than the Cube but they're pitched at a similar demographic. Daihatsu's Materia is an equivalent size and looks to have been influenced by the Cube's styling but it hasn't the same kudos and isn't as well executed as the Nissan. The Cube's designers claim to have formulated something unique and for the time being, there isn't anything else quite like it. A lot of people wanted the Nissan Cube imported to the UK. Now they've got their chance to put their money where their mouth is. The third generation car is the first to make it to these shores through official channels and it couldn't come from anywhere else but Japan. The Cube is perfectly suited to the urban environment with its short overhangs and excellent visibility. It's practical too making good use of every inch that its boxy shape affords. The key to whether you'll want one will be how you view the cute looks and eccentric design and whether you feel it really is hip to be square. Manufacturers have been paying more attention to the image and styling of their small cars and that could have been what prompted Nissan to import the Cube to the UK. Growing urban congestion and the trend for downsizing and has led people to look at more compact models but many still want their car to have some individuality and make a statement. The Cube certainly does that.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Nissan Cube
PRICES: £11,000-£14,000 - on the road [est]
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-6 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 136-156g/km [est]
PERFORMANCE: [1.6] 0-60mph 10.7s / Max Speed 114mph [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.5 dCi] (urban) 49.6mpg / (extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 57.6mpg [est]
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS with EBD [est]
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3980/1560/1700mm [est]