Nissan Cube
Encyclopedia
The Nissan Cube is a Mini MPV
produced by Nissan for the Japan
ese market since 1998, and now sold in export markets such as North America
and Europe
.
as the Nissan Micra (known as the March in Japan and Southeast Asia), as well as the same 1.3 L engine
. A CVT
gearbox and four-wheel drive
were optional. The Cube covered the gap in the Nissan lineup between the March and the Sunny
. The first generation was sold only in Japan, though they have also been privately exported to the United Kingdom
, Australia
, and to Hong Kong
.
engine. The model included the "e4WD" system as an option, which transfers power to the rear wheels when the front wheels spin via a small electric motor on the rear underside of the floor. The electrically powered system allows for reduced drivetrain drag when only driving in FWD mode.
A CVT transmission was optional, and was made available in a stretched wheelbase version with seven seats, called the Cube³. With a CVT equipped Cube, the steering wheel button controls and the sport wheel button on the dash panel are located next to the hazard.
In mid 2005, the cube had an optional upgrade with the new HR-series 1.5 L engine from the Nissan Tiida
.
All Cube models have optional extras including an Ion filter for cleaning the air and Nissan's 'smart key' which allows the driver to enter the car without having to use a key. Other options include a sunroof, 12 different styles of front grill and satellite navigation. Other specific models also have different styles of bodykits and fender flares. They come with optional 14 or 15 inch wheels and the Autech version with chrome stylings and a vinyl style of seat covering.
, the Denki Cube Concept is a lithium-ion battery-powered electric vehicle. Nissan’s compact lithium-ion battery technology provides batteries with twice as much energy compared with a conventional cylindrical battery of the same type.
The Denki Cube Concept also serves as a preview of Nissan’s future plans to sell a redesigned gasoline-powered (would be a new generation) Cube at Nissan dealers in the United States and Canada beginning in 2009 (called Nissan EV). Prototypes have been test driven by journalists and reports published in spring 2009.
Brian Cooley
shows the 2009 Nissan Cube 1.8, will also featured the 2009 CNET
web news Car Tech.
The updated Nissan Cube features more rounded and curved styling cues than its predecessors. This evolution is most striking in the rear bumper area, in the asymmetrical rear window, which wraps around to the passenger side, and in the oval-shaped driver and front passenger windows. The rear hatch is hinged to open along its vertical axis, towards the curb. This helps loading and unloading when street parking in a crowded urban environment. The hatch hinge is on the right side for right-hand-drive countries such as Japan and the UK, but it is on the left side for left-hand-drive markets such as North America.
Seating capacity remains at five. According to Nissan designers, the interior is inspired by the 'enveloping curves of a jacuzzi
to promote a comfortable and social atmosphere.' Design cues include a water ripple motif that appears in the headliner and is repeated in details like the speaker covers and cup holders. Nissan has developed an extended line of accessories for Cube to encourage personalization. These include multicolor appliqués that can be placed around air vents and window switches, utility hooks and elastic bands in different colors, variable color LED accent lighting for the footwell and cup holders, and a sculptured piece of color-coordinated shag carpet
that sits in a shallow well on the top of the dash.
The third generation Cube is built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance
's front-wheel-drive B platform
and powered by a 1.5 L HR engine
, 16-valve engine with 109 PS. For North America, it uses the 122 hp 1.8 L four-cylinder engine of the MR family
, while for Europe it uses the HR 1.6 petrol and 1.5 dCi Diesel
. All are also used for the Nissan Note
and Tiida/Versa
. Depending on the engine, it is available with a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission
or Nissan's automatic Continuously Variable Transmission
. The Cube is capable of averaging 20 kilometres per litre in Japan and doing 28 miles per US gallon city, and 30 miles per US gallon highway with its Xtronic CVT transmission. The e-4WD trim contains an electric rear wheel drive motor to assist the gasoline engine powered front wheels.
As a result power shortages in Japan caused by both the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
and Tropical Storm Talas
, the 2012 Cube might not make an appearance in the United States. It is not yet known for sure if Nissan will be able to export Nissan branded models from Japan to America in 2012. When Nissan does start exporting cars from Japan to America again, it is likely to start with its Infiniti brand as Infiniti has a much bigger profit potential. It is also possible that Nissan might increase production at its North American assembly plants to make up the shortfall and/or ask its partner Renault to build some models for export to America.
Nissan claimed the production version would be introduced in 2010 will have a unique bodystyle and is not based on any existing Nissan model. However, the only production electric vehicle announced since then was Nissan LEAF
, which was based on Nissan Tiida
.
technology by Total Immersion (augmented reality)
. The brochure is held up to a webcam
of which various 3D models of the vehicle will pop out offering views of the car's exterior and interior in real-time interaction with the brochure.
To promote the first Cube model to arrive in Canada, Nissan Canada ran a contest in early and mid 2009 to give away 50 Nissan Cubes to "creative Canadians". The marketing campaign, called 'hypercube', picked 500 Canadians to compete for 50 Cubes by showing their creative talents. The winners received their Cubes at events held in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
However, some reviewers feel strongly against the boxy design:
Mini MPV
Mini MPV is a car classification used to describe superminis or subcompacts which have taller build, fitting below the compact MPV and large MPV classifications....
produced by Nissan for the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese market since 1998, and now sold in export markets such as North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
First generation
The first generation of the Cube (designated Z10) was introduced in 1998. It shared the same platformNissan B platform
The B platform is an automobile platform for compact cars from Nissan. See Nissan Sunny for a list of vehicles based on this platform.-Renault-Nissan:A new subcompact/B-class B platform is shared by Nissan and Renault...
as the Nissan Micra (known as the March in Japan and Southeast Asia), as well as the same 1.3 L engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
. A CVT
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
gearbox and four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
were optional. The Cube covered the gap in the Nissan lineup between the March and the Sunny
Nissan Sunny
The Nissan Sunny is a small car from Nissan. It was launched in 1966 as the Datsun 1000 and although production in Japan ended in 2004, it remains in production today for the African, American and Sri Lankan markets. In the US, the later models were known as the Nissan Sentra; in Mexico, the Sunny...
. The first generation was sold only in Japan, though they have also been privately exported to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Second generation
The second generation of the Cube, released in 2002 with a larger interior than the previous model. The combination of angled and curved surfaces was based on the third generation of the March, powered by a 1.4 L I4Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine. The model included the "e4WD" system as an option, which transfers power to the rear wheels when the front wheels spin via a small electric motor on the rear underside of the floor. The electrically powered system allows for reduced drivetrain drag when only driving in FWD mode.
A CVT transmission was optional, and was made available in a stretched wheelbase version with seven seats, called the Cube³. With a CVT equipped Cube, the steering wheel button controls and the sport wheel button on the dash panel are located next to the hazard.
In mid 2005, the cube had an optional upgrade with the new HR-series 1.5 L engine from the Nissan Tiida
Nissan Tiida
The Nissan Tiida is a compact car, manufactured by Japanese automaker Nissan, replacing the Pulsar and the Sunny, and marketed also as the Nissan Versa, prominently in the United States...
.
All Cube models have optional extras including an Ion filter for cleaning the air and Nissan's 'smart key' which allows the driver to enter the car without having to use a key. Other options include a sunroof, 12 different styles of front grill and satellite navigation. Other specific models also have different styles of bodykits and fender flares. They come with optional 14 or 15 inch wheels and the Autech version with chrome stylings and a vinyl style of seat covering.
Electric version
In 2008, Nissan revealed the Nissan Denki (Japanese for “electric”) Cube Concept. Making its debut at the March 2008 New York International Auto ShowNew York International Auto Show
The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in New York City in late March or early April. It is usually held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Sunday after Easter...
, the Denki Cube Concept is a lithium-ion battery-powered electric vehicle. Nissan’s compact lithium-ion battery technology provides batteries with twice as much energy compared with a conventional cylindrical battery of the same type.
UK and European Availability
Although only officially produced for the Japanese domestice market, a UK based independent importer Car Imports Direct Ltd, imported over 500 BZ11 / BGZ11 Cube's between 2003 - 2008. These were a mixture of new and used models and were registered for UK use or exported to other EU markets.The Denki Cube Concept also serves as a preview of Nissan’s future plans to sell a redesigned gasoline-powered (would be a new generation) Cube at Nissan dealers in the United States and Canada beginning in 2009 (called Nissan EV). Prototypes have been test driven by journalists and reports published in spring 2009.
Third generation
The third generation Nissan Cube was revealed for the first time at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, on November 19, 2008. While this is the third generation of the vehicle, it is being offered for export markets, including European and North American markets, for the first time. The Cube went on sale in Japan on November 19, 2008 and the U.S. on May 5, 2009.Brian Cooley
Brian Cooley
Brian Cooley is an Editor at large for CNET and their senior pundit, seen frequently on CNN, ABC News, CNBC as well on the TV screens in most major tech retailers around the U.S...
shows the 2009 Nissan Cube 1.8, will also featured the 2009 CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
web news Car Tech.
The updated Nissan Cube features more rounded and curved styling cues than its predecessors. This evolution is most striking in the rear bumper area, in the asymmetrical rear window, which wraps around to the passenger side, and in the oval-shaped driver and front passenger windows. The rear hatch is hinged to open along its vertical axis, towards the curb. This helps loading and unloading when street parking in a crowded urban environment. The hatch hinge is on the right side for right-hand-drive countries such as Japan and the UK, but it is on the left side for left-hand-drive markets such as North America.
Seating capacity remains at five. According to Nissan designers, the interior is inspired by the 'enveloping curves of a jacuzzi
Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
to promote a comfortable and social atmosphere.' Design cues include a water ripple motif that appears in the headliner and is repeated in details like the speaker covers and cup holders. Nissan has developed an extended line of accessories for Cube to encourage personalization. These include multicolor appliqués that can be placed around air vents and window switches, utility hooks and elastic bands in different colors, variable color LED accent lighting for the footwell and cup holders, and a sculptured piece of color-coordinated shag carpet
Shag (fabric)
A shag is a rug or carpet that has a deep pile, giving it a shaggy appearance. Shag carpeting is sometimes evoked as an example of the esthetic from the culture of the 1970s in the United States....
that sits in a shallow well on the top of the dash.
The third generation Cube is built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance
Renault-Nissan Alliance
Renault-Nissan Alliance is a strategic partnership between Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan, which together sell one in 10 cars worldwide. The companies, which have been strategic partners since 1999, have 350,000 employees and five major brands: Renault, Nissan, Renault...
's front-wheel-drive B platform
Nissan B platform
The B platform is an automobile platform for compact cars from Nissan. See Nissan Sunny for a list of vehicles based on this platform.-Renault-Nissan:A new subcompact/B-class B platform is shared by Nissan and Renault...
and powered by a 1.5 L HR engine
Nissan HR engine
The HR is a family of straight-3 and straight-4 automobile engines co-developed by Nissan and Renault. Renault calls it the H engine. It is made by in Japan.-HR10DDT:...
, 16-valve engine with 109 PS. For North America, it uses the 122 hp 1.8 L four-cylinder engine of the MR family
Nissan MR engine
The MR is a family of straight-4 all-aluminum automobile engines with variable valve timing co-developed by Renault and Nissan. Renault calls it the M engine...
, while for Europe it uses the HR 1.6 petrol and 1.5 dCi Diesel
Renault K-Type engine
-KxJ Petrol Engine:The KxJ displaces 1390cc or 1.4L. It is an evolution from Renault Energy ExJ.-Applications :Starting 2011 Dacia replaced the old KxJ with Euro 5 1.2 and 1.6 liter engines.-Applications :-KxM Petrol Engine:...
. All are also used for the Nissan Note
Nissan Note
The Nissan Note is a mini MPV produced by Nissan. The Japanese version has been on sale since 2004, although the European model went to sale during 2006. The United Kingdom was the first market to have the Note launch there, on 1 March...
and Tiida/Versa
Nissan Tiida
The Nissan Tiida is a compact car, manufactured by Japanese automaker Nissan, replacing the Pulsar and the Sunny, and marketed also as the Nissan Versa, prominently in the United States...
. Depending on the engine, it is available with a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or Nissan's automatic Continuously Variable Transmission
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
. The Cube is capable of averaging 20 kilometres per litre in Japan and doing 28 miles per US gallon city, and 30 miles per US gallon highway with its Xtronic CVT transmission. The e-4WD trim contains an electric rear wheel drive motor to assist the gasoline engine powered front wheels.
As a result power shortages in Japan caused by both the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
and Tropical Storm Talas
Tropical Storm Talas (2011)
Severe Tropical Storm TalasAccording to advisories from the JMA, Talas at peak strength was a typhoon . However, the JMA downgraded Talas to a severe tropical storm in RSMC Best Track Data...
, the 2012 Cube might not make an appearance in the United States. It is not yet known for sure if Nissan will be able to export Nissan branded models from Japan to America in 2012. When Nissan does start exporting cars from Japan to America again, it is likely to start with its Infiniti brand as Infiniti has a much bigger profit potential. It is also possible that Nissan might increase production at its North American assembly plants to make up the shortfall and/or ask its partner Renault to build some models for export to America.
EV-02 (2008)
It is a test vehicle with 80 kW motor and lithium-ion batteries.Nissan claimed the production version would be introduced in 2010 will have a unique bodystyle and is not based on any existing Nissan model. However, the only production electric vehicle announced since then was Nissan LEAF
Nissan Leaf
Nissan introduced its first battery electric vehicle, the Nissan Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on 29 December 1997. The Altra EV was produced between 1998 and 2002, only about 200 vehicles were ever produced, and it was mainly used as a fleet vehicle for companies such as...
, which was based on Nissan Tiida
Nissan Tiida
The Nissan Tiida is a compact car, manufactured by Japanese automaker Nissan, replacing the Pulsar and the Sunny, and marketed also as the Nissan Versa, prominently in the United States...
.
Marketing
Nissan provided visitors at the 2008 LA Auto show with a brochure featuring the car using augmented realityAugmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
technology by Total Immersion (augmented reality)
Total Immersion (augmented reality)
Total Immersion is an augmented reality company based in Suresnes, France. Its patented D'Fusion technology "integrates real time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream." The company maintains offices in Europe, North America, and Asia. Total Immersion supports the world's largest...
. The brochure is held up to a webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
of which various 3D models of the vehicle will pop out offering views of the car's exterior and interior in real-time interaction with the brochure.
To promote the first Cube model to arrive in Canada, Nissan Canada ran a contest in early and mid 2009 to give away 50 Nissan Cubes to "creative Canadians". The marketing campaign, called 'hypercube', picked 500 Canadians to compete for 50 Cubes by showing their creative talents. The winners received their Cubes at events held in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
Reviewers' comments
The Nissan Cube has received mixed reviews in the press:- "The Cube is ... accessible, fun and deeply strange in an authentically Japanese way.... The Cube is undiluted Tokyo chic, from its asymmetrical rear window to its shag-carpet dashboard pad to the bungee cords on the doors, which Nissan says are useful for holding 'stuffed driving mascots'." — Ezra Dyer, New York Times.
- The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
stated (in an ironic tone), "And then there's the air-hating box of ugly, the 2009 Nissan Cube", where they made light of the car's somewhat unorthodox aerodynamics, or lack thereof. That said, the article then went on to praise the Cube's modern definition of "cool", as well as its excellent safety and storage capability among other aspects. In fact the very title of the article proclaims the Nissan Cube to be "coolness in a box".
However, some reviewers feel strongly against the boxy design:
- The Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
released an extremely negative review in its "Wheels" section on October 17, 2009. It rated the Cube's driving quality on North American highways as severely poor.
2010 recall
A recall was announced by Nissan on July 21, 2010, that affects 46,000 MY 2009 and 2010 Cube vehicles for failing to comply with FMVSS 301, "Fuel System Integrity", due to excessive fuel leakage after a rear-end collision.Awards and recognition
- 2009 Kelley Blue BookKelley Blue BookKelley Blue Book, headquartered in Irvine, California, is the United States' largest automotive vehicle valuation company. The company's website is a source for new and used vehicle pricing and information...
named the Nissan Cube one of its Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000. - 2010 Nissan Cube rated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway SafetyInsurance Institute for Highway SafetyThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a U.S. non-profit organization funded by auto insurers, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, and the rate of injuries and amount of property damage in the crashes that...
(IIHS). - 2010 Automobile Design of the Year Award.
- 2010 Kelley Blue BookKelley Blue BookKelley Blue Book, headquartered in Irvine, California, is the United States' largest automotive vehicle valuation company. The company's website is a source for new and used vehicle pricing and information...
lists the Nissan Cube as one of its Top 10 Road Trip Cars. - 2010 AAA Top vehicle picks for dog owners.
- 2010 Nissan Cube wins AutoPacific's Best in Class Vehicle Satisfaction Award.