Vehicle Overview
The Cube, which has been a hit in Japan for some time now, landed in the U.S. a few years ago. Competitors include the Scion xB and Kia Soul, as well as the Honda Fit and Jeep Patriot. All Cubes come with an electronic stability system and six airbags. Trim levels include the base, S and SL.
New for 2012
A new package for the S trim level adds more features including a navigation system, backup camera, Rockford Fosgate stereo, Nissan Intelligent Key, 15-inch alloy wheels and a unique seat color. Nissan Intelligent Key is now standard on SL models.
Exterior
The Cube’s tail features a rearward-jutting bumper. A wraparound window replaces the passenger-side exterior rear pillar, though there’s a hidden pillar on the inside so it doesn’t make for blind-spot-free sightlines. Exterior features include:
- Swing-out rear door, rather than liftgate
- Standard 15-inch steel wheels with plastic covers
- Optional 15- and 16-inch alloy wheels
- Standard black-colored folding mirrors; body-colored mirrors on S and SL
- Optional rear spoiler
Interior
Like the xB, the five-seat Cube sports some unorthodox styling. The dash has wavelike contours and the tachometer is white, but the speedometer fades to blue. “Water drop” accents include ripple effects in the headliner, cupholders and stereo speakers. Nissan says it styled the backseat after a sofa; the seats recline and move forward and backward. The seats also fold down, though they don’t yield a flat load floor. There’s a deep storage well behind the seats. Interior features include:
- Light gray or graphite interior colors
- Standard power windows and locks with remote keyless entry
- Optional keyless access with push-button start
- Standard manual air conditioning
- Optional automatic climate control
- USB/iPod-compatible stereo with steering-wheel audio controls on S and SL
- Optional Rockford Fosgate stereo with satellite radio
- Optional Bluetooth connectivity
Under the Hood
There is one engine available for the Cube. Mechanical features include:
- 122-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder
- Standard six-speed manual transmission
- Optional continuously variable automatic transmission
Safety
Standard safety features include:
- Antilock brakes
- Electronic stability system
- Active front head restraints
- Seat-mounted side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags for both rows
