Nissan is not a manufacturer that shies away from a niche product.
Since abandoning the core fleet heartlands when the Almera and Primera died in 2006, it has carved out a successful run of producing models which do not conform to a particular sector… think Note and Qashqai.
And now it’s the turn of the Cube – a quirky city car which has been hugely popular among those achingly cool Tokyo types since its launch in 1998.
With Nissan on track to sell a million examples in Japan, it is now bringing the Cube to the UK. Initial sales aspirations are modest – it expects to sell 2,000 units in the UK this year, with fleets taking around 600 units.
Nissan GB national corporate sales manager Barry Beeston said: “We see opportunities with Cube among businesses which want a unique proposition – it’s a statement car and one that will have a halo effect on the rest of the range.”
Beeston said there is no push on volume, which discounts any Cubes finding their way to a rental fleet near you.
"Instead, Cubes will be sold to small companies, most notably those operating within the trendy hotspot of east London.
The quirky styling, with its wrap-around rear three-quarter window, hides fairly conventional underpinnings. Power comes from Nissan’s familiar 1.6-litre petrol engine, delivering 110bhp through either a manual or CVT automatic gearbox.
A 1.5 dCi diesel arrives in May.
Inside the Cube offers spacious accommodation for four adults and all the controls are light and easy to use for those inter-urban journeys the Cube will be making.
Verdict
You’ve certainly got to want to make a statement to drive a Cube – it looks like nothing else on the road.
As a promotional vehicle it has its uses, but with prices starting at £14,000 it is a fairly pricey fashion statement.