Filed under: LA Auto Show, Economy, Japan, Hatchbacks, Nissan
Officially Official: The new Nissan Cube! (JDM, with U.S. tease)
by Alex Nunez on Nov 18th 2008 at 9:14PM 
Click above for high-res gallery of the US-market Cube. Click here for the JDM car.
Here it is. It's "tomorrow" in Japan, and Nissan has unleashed the motherlode of new Nissan Cube photos – including three showing the U.S.-Spec version that'll be rolled out at the LA Auto Show tomorrow. There's no accompanying press release at the moment, but the Japanese media is running their stories as we speak. JDM Cubes are equipped with a 107-hp/109 lb-ft 1.5L four-cylinder mated to a CVT transmission. Front- and four-wheel-drive versions are available. We'll get a different engine with more power that should deliver fuel economy in the Versa neighborhood. More on that tomorrow from our team in LA.
The three shots of the U.S.-market bodywork show, as expected, the reverse of the JDM car. Kudos to Nissan for doing a second body for left-hand drive markets. Inside, the simple appointments of the current Cube are updated with better shapes and, hopefully, a bigger, more upscale mix of materials. The bench seat returns in the JDM car, and there's no reason to believe we won't see it here as well. A water-droplet theme introduced in that silly teaser video we showed you last week is present in the cupholders and also available as ceiling trim inside the passenger compartment. Check out the galleries below for photos of just about everything, including the Japan-specific Lifecare (disabled access) and Autech Rider versions.
Come back tomorrow, when the gang in LA will deliver live coverage of the U.S. car's debut. We liked the JDM version, and we're really looking forward to trying out the Cube again now that it's been engineered for our market's needs.
Gallery: 2009 Nissan Cube (JDM)
Gallery: 2010 Nissan Cube (US Model)
[Source: Nissan]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Torrent 9:19PM (11/18/2008)
I hate it.
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Andrew 3:24AM (11/19/2008)
Wait until you see it in person, they look awesome!
Easily 10x better than a Scion XB.
Travis 11:44AM (11/19/2008)
Nissan did it's job perfectly then. Funky, love-it-or-hate-it styling, practical, and low-priced. The only thing that remains is for Nissan to be realistic about how many they're going to sell. The xB sold well when expectations were low (~30-40,000/year). Then Toyota got greedy, tried to mainstream it, and lost the people who liked it because it was funky, small and practical.
Assuming that they offer this with a 1.6l or 1.8l and 5sp manual, I bet it'll sell reasonably well for them.
Kotse 12:12PM (11/19/2008)
Nissan Cube.
Hip to be...square?!
Not!
23Cube.com 3:50PM (11/19/2008)
Well if you are a fan of the last generation cube I think you will be a fan of this one. They have made some improvements and the interior I can tell you is definitely better then the last generation.
For more info, pics, video and much more please join us at our enthusiasts forum.
http://23cube.com
and more pics from the La Auto Show
http://www.23cube.com/general-discussion/76-pics-la-auto-show.html
Dustin 9:21PM (11/18/2008)
Mini milk truck, yay!
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Affalterbach 11:39PM (11/18/2008)
I would love to see a Ute-version of this, with some more ground clearance.
Hugh G 9:24PM (11/18/2008)
Can't wait to see the Car & Driver test with this thing against the Pontiac Aztec.
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Bryant 9:28PM (11/18/2008)
Have engines gotten worse over the past 11 years?
I've got a Nissan Sentra XE from 1997 putting out 110hp with 100cc less volume. I mean yeah, engines have become more efficient, gotten more torque out at lower revs, etc. but still... it seems like things have gone a bit backwards.
I'm not too knowledgeable with the physics behind engines (beyond the basics), so I could be missing key points.
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Affalterbach 9:31PM (11/18/2008)
Umm...Tighter emission regulations?
Also, perhaps the CVT in this car eats more of the engine output than the Manual in your Sentra.
Bryant 9:31PM (11/18/2008)
Oops, I got it wrong. I just looked up my figures to double check after the fact (oops) and it's a 1.6L engine putting out 115hp/108 ft lb.
Disregard parent post. Seems like they're just using a slightly trimmed down and updated version of the old Sentra engine for the Cube... which is nice. My Sentra gets roughly 35MPG.
thb_da_one 3:48AM (11/19/2008)
I've driven a car with this engine. It's a pretty good one. Well it's far enough to drive in town.
Affalterbach 9:28PM (11/18/2008)
Even though its boxy like the Scion, I feel Nissan has done a great job.
With some entertaining engines and suspensions, it might even be worth considering for a buy.
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happy_penguin 9:33PM (11/18/2008)
Crap, crap, crap! Hideously ugly CRAP!
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Torrent 10:46PM (11/18/2008)
couldn't have said it better. who the hell thought this was cute?
1970Dodge 11:13PM (11/18/2008)
It's something a villain from Austin Powers would drive...
happy_penguin 12:19AM (11/19/2008)
I wonder how many clowns would fit inside...
fixitfixitstop 9:43AM (11/19/2008)
It may be ugly, but it is not crap. This is a utility vehicle.
Soccer Mom 9:37PM (11/18/2008)
The day is full of news. First, Ford re-releases 2005 Mustang as 2010 model. Then Nissan pimps Scion.
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2o6 2:11PM (11/19/2008)
Nissan had it first........wayyy back in 1998 with the 1st generation Cube.