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It’s not a car; it’s a “mobile device.”

That’s the word from Nissan about its new Cube subcompact crossover utility vehicle, which is now arriving at dealerships as a late 2009 model.

At a recent media ride-and-drive program for the Cube in Miami, the Japanese automaker said that its own marketing surveys found that the main target audience for the vehicle – males ages 18-25 – named getting a new cell phone as their top “must have,” with getting a new car way down the list.

As a result, Nissan is trying to market the Cube as yet another mobile communications device that helps young people connect with their friends, billing it as a “social space” that is in actuality a “lounge on wheels.”

“With its unique blend of fashion and function, Cube imagines a life less ordinary,” said Al Castignetti, Nissan’s North American vice president for sales.

“Cube is as much of a mobile device as it is an automobile, something that enhances life like people’s digital devices do,” he said.

And despite Nissan targeting the 18-25 age group with the Cube, it is “a vehicle that people of all ages can fall in love with, even when they don’t love cars,” Castignetti said.

It’s charm is its odd, asymmetrical, boxy exterior, which gives it a clownish look that makes it hard to go unnoticed among the bland and boring cars that dominate the auto landscape these days, such as the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Honda Accord.

The Cube has a quite-affordable base price of $13,990 (plus $720 freight), and ranges as high as high as $19,370. The entry-level price brings a decently equipped Cube, including air conditioning, but only the six-speed manual transmission is available in this model.

Upgrading to the Cube S model, which begins at $14,690, brings the option of a continuously variable automatic transmission – for an additional $1,000. So if you’re looking for a Cube with the automatic, the lowest price is $15,690 (plus freight).

The Cube is similar in design and concept to Toyota’s Scion xB and the new Kia Soul, and like both of those, it will have a variety of accessories available from either the factory or the dealer.

Among them are a 20-color interior illumination kit, shag-carpet-style instrument-panel inserts, aerodynamic body kits, and custom alloy wheels. Scion offers similar custom accessories to allow owners to personalize the cars to suit their individual personalities.

Other interior extras include front-door bungees, described by Nissan as “colorful elastic straps that slip into cutouts on the door armrests to secure items such as maps and photos”; illuminated kick plates; a rear cargo organizer; and interior trim appliqués.

Exterior, accessories include a front chin spoiler, rear under-spoiler, side body sills, rear roof spoiler, nose mask, side-window deflectors, vehicle cover and fog lights.

Because of its youthful orientation, Nissan is using the Internet heavily in the marketing and sales of the Cube, just as Toyota does with its youth-oriented Scion brand. The Cube even has its own Facebook page.

Besides the base and S models, the other trim levels are the SL and the Krom. The Krom model is the fanciest, with lots of chrome accents to justify the “Krom” moniker.

The Krom model includes a three-bar chrome grille, two-bar chrome front bumper grille, fully integrated front and rear fascias, body side sills, unique rear roof spoiler, exclusive 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels and a Krom rear emblem.

Inside the Krom are a Bluetooth phone system, leather-wrapped steering wheel, woven black-and-gray cloth seats, an upgraded audio system with six speakers and Rockford Fosgate subwoofer, an iPod interface, titanium trim, aluminum-trimmed pedals, automatic climate control, an interior illumination system and more.

Under the hood of all models is a 122-horsepower, 1.8-liter, double-overhead-cam, inline four-cylinder engine with a projected fuel economy of 30 mpg on the highway. Official EPA estimates have not been released yet, but the same engine in the Nissan Versa subcompact is rated at 26 mpg city/33 highway with the automatic transmission.

While it’s no speed demon, the Cube has plenty of power for everyday driving. My testing of the vehicle was done on flat South Florida roads, though, with the only “hills” being a few freeway on-ramps.

The manual gearbox is tight and easy to shift, and allows the driver to get the most out of the little engine. But for city stop-and-go driving, the CVT automatic is the best choice. It’s quite smooth, with no discernible shift points, and there doesn’t seem to be any loss of power compared with the manual version.

Cube’s ride is surprisingly smooth for an inexpensive, subcompact vehicle, and the cabin at highway speeds was every bit as quiet as that of the newest generation of the Lexus RX 350 that I drove recently.

The interior is cavernous for a car with such a small exterior profile. Rear passengers have quite decent knee room, and the front bucket seats are comfortable even for big and tall people. Taller folks like the fact that the high roof allows them to ride without having their hair brushing the headliner.

I particularly enjoyed the large front door openings, which allowed me to enter and exit without having to bend and fold my body into impossible positions, as I’ve had to do recently with some sports car tests.

Nissan said the “centerpiece” of the Cube is its “social space” interior that “offers room for five in a lounge-like comfort.”

Along with its “open occupant space, ‘floating meter pod’ driver’s area and ‘lounge sofa’ style sliding and reclining rear bench seat, the Cube interior is available with a long list of innovative accessories,” the automaker said.

The car’s boxy styling isn’t new — Nissan has been selling the Cube in Japan since 1998, and this latest version is actually the third generation. Honda introduced a similarly styled vehicle in 2003 called the Element, and Toyota followed in 2005 with the xB, but the Cube predates both of those.

This version of the Cube is the largest yet, at 156.7 inches long, 66.7 inches wide and 65 inches tall. It has a 99.6-inch wheelbase. That compares with 167.3 inches long for the current xB and 169.3 inches for the Element. But the Cube actually is more the size of the first-generation xB, which was just 155.3 inches long.

As with the xB and Soul, the Cube has four regular-style side doors. The Element differs in that it has side doors that swing to the rear only after the front doors have been opened.

Standard features, besides air conditioning, include power windows with driver’s side one-touch down feature, remote keyless entry, power door locks with auto-locking feature, variable intermittent windshield wipers (including a rear wiper and defroster), cargo-area courtesy light and tie-down hooks, and adjustable front shoulder belt anchors.

Nissan’s intelligent-key system is optional, which allows for keyless entry and start.

Safety features include antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, electronic stability control with traction control, a tire-pressure monitoring system, six air bags (including front, side and side-curtain) and front active head restraints.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at 210-250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com.

2009 Nissan Cube

The package: Five-door, five-passenger, front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder, subcompact crossover utility vehicle.

Advantages: Nissan’s boxy small crossover comes to America after more than 10 years on the market in Japan. This is the third generation, although the first to be sold in this country, and it comes with cool exterior styling, a roomy and functional interior, and a long list of standard amenities in four trim levels.

Negatives: No automatic transmission offered in the lower-price base model; no engine upgrade available for better performance.

Engine: 1.8-liter four-cylinder.

Transmission: Six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic.

Power/torque: 122 HP./127 foot-pounds.

Length: 156.7 inches.

Curb weight: 2,762-2,864 pounds.

Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock.

Side air bags: Front seat-mounted; side-curtain for both rows.

Electronic stability control: Standard.

Cargo volume: 11.4 cubic feet (behind 2nd seat); 58.1 cubic feet (rear seat folded).

Fuel capacity/type: 13.2 gallons/unleaded regular.

EPA fuel economy: To be announced.

Major competitors: Scion xB, Suzuki SX4 Crossover, Jeep Compass, Dodge Caliber, Chevrolet HHR.

Base price range: $13,990-$19,370 (plus $720 freight).

On the Road rating: 9.1 (of a possible 10).

Prices shown are manufacturer’s suggested retail; actual selling price may vary.