Cube is First Nissan to Get 'Krom' Treatment
Nissan’s small Cube crossover hasn’t even gone on sale yet, but the automaker has already released a new version of it: the Krom edition. Phil O’Connor, senior manager for Nissan marketing, said that Krom is to appearance accessories what Nissan’s Nismo line is to performance parts.
The Cube Krom is distinguished by bright chrome trim up front, with the upper grille featuring a three-bar treatment like Ford uses on some of its models. It also has 16-inch chrome wheels. The Krom goes beyond simple trim changes, though. O’Connor said Krom versions are finished by Autech Japan, a company largely owned by Nissan, where things like the entire front bumper are added.
The changes are more than skin deep, as the Krom’s interior has a leather-wrapped steering wheel, checked seat trim, a premium stereo with iPod integration, automatic air conditioning and customizable ambient lighting. Nissan will offer more than 40 accessories for the regular Cube, inexplicably including a circular piece of shag carpet for the top of the dash. This follows in Scion’s footsteps; that company has long allowed buyers to customize their cars before they leave the dealer, putting costly add-ons into their auto loan.
Though O’Connor wouldn’t identify any other Nissan models that will receive the Krom treatment in the future, models like the Sentra and Altima seem like prime candidates. O’Connor would say that a Nismo Cube probably isn’t in the cards: “We’re not going to play in performance with Cube.” Oh well — a turbocharged Cube really would have been something to see.
