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Nissan Cube

JDM · Nissan

Nissan Cube: Nissan Cube: The Lopsided Box With a Jacuzzi-Inspired Cabin
Photo: Tennen-Gas / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Nissan Cube: The Lopsided Box With a Jacuzzi-Inspired Cabin

The Nissan Cube is a small, boxy MPV Nissan built from 1998 to 2019. It started as a Japan-only car, was sold in North America from 2009 to 2014 and in Europe from 2009 to 2011, and stayed on sale in Japan until December 2019.

The first Cube of 1998 shared its platform and 1.3-liter four-cylinder with the Nissan Micra, called the March in Japan, and offered a CVT and four-wheel drive as options. Mitsuoka later turned it into the Yuga, styled after a London taxi. The second generation of 2002, previewed by the Chappo concept at the 2001 Geneva show, was more cube-shaped and offered "e4WD," which used a small electric motor to drive the rear wheels when the fronts slipped. A longer three-row version called the Cube³, or "Cube Cubic," went on sale in September 2003.

The third generation, the one most Americans know, was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19, 2008. Its rear window wraps around to the passenger side, so the back of the car isn't symmetrical. Nissan said the cabin was inspired by the "enveloping curves of a jacuzzi," with a water-ripple pattern on the headliner that repeats on the speaker covers and cup holders. North American Cubes used a 1.8-liter four-cylinder with 122 hp and 127 lb-ft and were rated at 28 mpg city and 30 highway with the CVT.

In 2010 Nissan recalled 46,000 2009 and 2010 Cubes in the US for excessive fuel leakage after a rear-end collision. Sales disappointed, and Nissan pulled the Cube from the UK and the rest of Europe in early 2011 and from North America after the 2014 model year.

Frequently asked questions about Nissan Cube

Why is the Nissan Cube asymmetrical?
On the third-generation Cube, the rear window wraps around to the passenger side, so the left and right sides of the back of the car look different.
Why was the Nissan Cube discontinued?
Poor sales. Nissan withdrew it from the UK and Europe in early 2011 and dropped it in North America after the 2014 model year. The Japanese-market Cube lasted until December 2019.
What years was the Nissan Cube sold in the US?
From the 2009 through 2014 model years. Before that, the Cube had been sold only in Japan since 1998.
What engine does the Nissan Cube have?
North American Cubes have a 1.8-liter four-cylinder with 122 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque. With the CVT, they were rated at 28 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.

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