Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Nissan Cube.

Let's just get this out of the way right now: this blogger is going to buy one of these cars when they come to America. And I'm a die-hard 385-plus-horsepower sports car owner for years now. And I live in LA. But the Cube is just that great. So Nissan, don't pull a bait-and-switch, please...

The Cube is basic, and makes no attempt to dress it up. In fact, not only is the car not gussied up, but the entire interior of the car I drove was beige. And it was still hot. It's basic done completely right, with tons of cubbies and comfort in an enormous (relatively speaking) cabin and a unified design theme inside and outside that ties it all together.

The 1.5-liter, 107-HP engine has got the giddy-up-and-go, and the car is so much fun to drive that you'll cackle like an old hen every time you throw it around a corner. I admit I won't be buying one in sky blue, and it won't have the third row -- that row is more than a bit optimistic -- but I will have no problem showing everyone I know that "cool" is now spelled "cube."

You can check out the Nissan 360 event site for more details on all the vehicles in Nissan's lineup. In the mean time, be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res photos below.



Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

Click image for a high-res gallery of the turbocharged Mitsubishi i

I'm the resident kei car obsessive here at Autoblog. That means I'm the guy who actually thinks, "That is awesome," when he reads the (Google translated) announcement of yet another Suzuki Wagon R variant. Hell, I did two posts on the one-off Hello Kitty Mitsubishi i. Keis are cool. So, you can imagine how happy I was to see that Mitsubishi brought along a small fleet of its i minicars to the New York Auto Show this year.

Mitsubishi's focus at the show was squarely on the the all-electric i MiEV, which goes on sale in Japan next year and will be tested in North America this fall. The gasoline-powered version was on hand, too, though. I drove the i MiEV for AutoblogGreen, and was a passenger in a black i Turbo. Head over to AutoblogGreen for driving impressions of the i MiEV, and note that many of the observations there apply to both the electric and gasoline-powered cars.

The i Turbo you see here is powered by a 660cc 3-cylinder that delivers around 64 horsepower. It's got around half the torque of the electric i MiEV and it's buzzier-sounding (obviously), but it felt just as well-suited to city driving in New York as its battery-powered counterpart. It can comfortably transport four adults and a bit of cargo, too. Try doing that in a smart.

Mitsubishi is monitoring public reaction to the cars this week, so if you go to the show and like what you see, make sure to let them know. Me? I'll happily take one in black -- with a DAMD kit for optimum not-exactly-badassedness.

Head to AutoblogGreen for a full i MiEV review and video.



All photos Copyright © 2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.

Click image for photo gallery

We love it when the Japanese auto manufacturers take the box of Alpha-Bits, empty it onto the floor, and then make a car name out of the resulting clutter. Subaru is the current world champion in this regard, having produced the tongue-twistingly wonderfully named WRX STi Spec-C Type RA-R last year. This week, the automaker got busy again, releasing an update to its home-market kei car: the Stella Custom RS S-Edition.

No, it's not compatible with Google Reader. It's really just a new dress-up trim level for the Stella Custom RS. The tall microwagon gets a shot of color inside and some STI-sourced appearance upgrades. It ends there, since upping the performance would take it out of kei car specification. The RS S-Edition is limited to 500 units and includes the following:

• STI chin and roof spoilers
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• STI logo on shifter
• Sport pedals
• Carbon fiber interior trim
• HID low-beam headlamps
• 14" gunmetal aluminum wheels

We have no doubt whatsoever that this will sell out in limited-edition-obsessed Japan. And truthfully, it's kinda cool anyway.

[Source: Subaru]

click above image to view high-resolution gallery of the Mitsubishi i

Beginning on July 1st, Brits will be able to purchase the iconic i kei car from Mitsubishi. The i is a big hit in Japan, having won numerous awards for its futuristic styling and clever engineering while racking up big sales in the home market. Mitsubishi has spent the last year shopping the i around Great Britain at the Badminton Horse Trials, the British Motor Show and some select Mitsubishi dealerships, and the response from the public was positive enough to convince management to sell the car on the Queen's isle. It will be available only in one configuration powered by the JDM spec 660cc turbo three-cylinder engine producing an economical though not entirely thrilling 64bhp. Initially, however, only 300 units will be made available for sale at the price of £8,999 ($17,577 USD).

With the success of the MINI Cooper and the impending arrival of the smart fortwo in the U.S., we wonder if there are talks within Mitsubishi to bring the i to the U.S. They'll no doubt be watching sales of the fortwo closely. Check out the official press release after the jump and a high-resolution gallery of the Mitsubishi i.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Another day. Another kei. This time, it's Daihatsu, which has released a redesigned version of its Move minicar. Available as the subdued Move or the more sporty-looking Move Custom (above), the car follows the usual kei formula: tiny outside, maximized space inside. In fact, the new Move boasts the longest cabin length and width available in a Japanese minicar.

The Move's softer lines appear to be geared more towards women, while the Move Custom has a more masculine flavor to it. Incidentally, this appears to be the case with almost every kei car. Two versions, one soft, one sporty, with the sporty version offering an optional turbocharged engine. The same holds true here.

The Move and Move custom are both available with a 660cc normally-aspirated engine putting out around 58 horsepower and getting 54 mpg peak fuel economy. The Move Custom can also be had with a 660cc turbo that nets an additional 6 horses or so. All models are available with either 2WD or 4WD, and transmission choices include a 5-speed manual, 4-speed auto, or CVT depending on the individual trim level selected.

(Photos, press release after the jump)

Honda announced yesterday that they would recall 270,000 vehicles throughout Japan and China. The two vehicles affected by the recall are the Odyssey minivan and Life kei car.

In the case of the Odyssey, a problematic electrical circuit in the windshield wiper unit has resulted in two minivans catching fire. Of the approximately 117,000 affected Odysseys, 85,000 are in Japan and the rest are spread throughout China, Australia and New Zealand.

The Life kei car (pictured) is also suffering from electrical maladies that can cause the engine to shut down suddenly. So far 104 cases of engine failure have been reported and Honda is expecting to recall 153,000 examples of the popular city car.

[Source: Today Online]

Mitsubishi Toppo


Alex Nunez is the resident Kei car fanatic here at Autoblog, so this RR of the Day selection goes out to him. It's a Mitsubishi Toppo, exact model year unknown, that was submitted by Flickr member Eddie Does Japan. Scanning Eddie's Flickr page (check out that first shot!) revealed that he's an American who is living in or has lived in Japan, and he obviously fell in love with these federally subsidized sub-sub-sub-compacts. For those who don't know the exact definition of what a kei car is, it's a car no less than 3.4 meters long, 1.48 meters wide, with an engine no larger in size than 660cc. The Japanese government gives tax breaks to these vehicles to encourage the purchase of smaller, more efficient vehicles.

The Toppo is a tall, MPV-like version of the Mitsubishi Minica, and this one appears to be a mid-to-late-'90s Q3 model. It's actually a predecessor to the Mitsubishi eK Wagon on which we posted yesterday.

Eddie's Toppo manages to move him around Japan with only 36 horsepower under hood, and everyone knows what kind of car is coming thanks to the mandated black-on-yellow license plate for Kei cars. Check out more pics of Eddie's Toppo after the jump.

If you'd like to see your own ride featured here, simply upload photos of your ride into our Flickr group. We select one image to highlight each week day, and on the weekend let you vote for a RR of the Week. Detailed instructions can be found after the jump.

New kei cars are fun to cover. The impossibly small yet practical Japanese minicars manage to cram a lot of style and usability into a tight package. Mitsubishi's eK Wagon series has been a strong seller since its introduction in 2001, and the redesigned version (on sale today across Japan) looks to build on that success.

The new eK boasts a power sliding door on the driver's passenger side, a first for "bonnet-type" minicars. ("Bonnet-type" simply means the car's nose protrudes in the traditional sense.) The system uses hidden door rails, keeping the small exterior nice and tidy. Obviously, with small, tall wagons, there's not a lot you can do, stylewise, but Mitsubishi does a good job, giving the eK Wagon a clean look with friendly face. The eK Sport gets sterner features up front, and muscles up with front and rear spoilers, sill extensions, and 14" alloys.

Inside, the staid eK Wagon gets a grey and beige interior, while the eK Sport gets done up in all black. Optional Recaros can dress up the Sport even further. Both cars can be fitted with upgraded stereos, nav and other convenience features.

(Continues after the jump. Pics, press release follow as well)

[Source: Mitsubishi]

An unlikely visitor made the trip from Japan to London for the British Motor Show. Joining the rest of Mitsubishi's lineup at ExCeL is one of Mitsubishi's "i" kei cars. Mitsubishi UK is in the final stages of a feasability study as to whether or not there's a market for the "i" in Britain.

The automaker is conducting surveys nationwaide to gauge demand, and if you're in London, you can make your voice heard at the Mitsu stand as well. In Japan, the "i" is equipped with a 600cc MIVEC DOHC 3-cylinder engine that's good for 64 horsepower. It's mated to either a 2WD or AWD drivetrain. Current speculation is that if the "i" is exported to the UK, it'll use that powerplant and be a 2WD-only vehicle.

Given that small city cars are very practical and popular in Europe, and that the "i" is a uniquely stylish little car, there's probably a good chance that our British friends will be seeing them on local roadways in due time.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Mitsubishi]

On Tuesday, Mitsubishi followed up the i (eye) Play with a second special edition of its nifty new kei car.

The i Limited comes in nine possible paint colors and features a grey interior with darker grey cloth seating surfaces. AM/FM/CD 4-speaker audio, air conditioning with a deodorizing filter, UV-reducing privacy glass, keyless entry, power windows, 15" wheels with styled covers, and ABS are all included in the package.

The keyless entry system allows remote operation of the windows.

As with all i models, power comes from a 660cc MIVEC turbocharged 3-cylinder. Prices are 1,197,000 Yen (2WD) and 1,323,000 Yen (4WD).

(Interior photo after the jump)

[Source: Mitsubishi Japan]