May14
Nissan previewed the next-generation Cube in concept car guise, as the Denki Cube, at the New York Auto Show earlier this year. But our spies just caught a pre-production version — wrapped in excessive camouflage — undergoing testing.
At the NY show, Nissan also confirmed the Cube would arrive in America some time next year.
“Denki” — as the concept was called — is Japanese for “electric”, but the prototype photographed here is actually the next-generation gasoline-powered 2010 Nissan Cube. And we’ll be seeing it in dealerships by Spring of 2009.
However, a hybrid will likely still follow, as the Denki Cube concept car is still part of Nissan’s Green Program 2010, focusing on wide-ranging environmental improvements from reduction of CO2 and exhaust emissions to improving recycling efficiency. Over at Nissan research and development, in co-operation with NEC Corporation, the aim has been to enhance battery performance and reduce battery costs, with an in-house developed Nissan hybrid vehicle expected to launch by 2011.
Spied - May 14th, 2008
Nissan Denki Cube
I don’t know, it just has a generally un-aerodynamic look that screams bad gas mileage…and getting blown around on the highway.
So this is what they do with all the old U.S postal mail trucks.
I drove a rental Cube in Japan for a few months last year, and for an econo box it’s not all that bad. It does get blown to hell and back in high winds, the gas mileage was good…but at home I drive a lifted SUV and that’s my comparison. There is a good amount of space inside especially overhead and that’s with four 180 to 220lb Americans inside. The suspension didn’t suffer too badly from all that weight especially compared to the crap Madza Demio I’m renting now, but acceleration was greatly slowed. All in all, if you think driving is just another option to taking the bus or bike, find boxes incredibly sleek and are generally brain dead then this is a great car…in Japan. But with assholes like me driving around in tanks prepared for another Mad Max movie set in the U.S. it would be a sphincter clenching experience. And not the good type you get in a fast car, more so the how long till I die sort.
A cubic form can be made aerodynamic if carefully designed. See the curved windshield and smoothed lines on the front. The back follows a Kamm design. Add some underbody airflow control and you could have a fairly slick car with nice interior volume.
I like the assymetrical pillar design on this vehicle. You could get the same effect on a Scion xB by simply blacking out the approprate pillars.
Well if the Borg really ever decide to invade Earth I’m banking on this being their vehicle of choice. Actually if this is your idea of nice wheels I think the assimilation is already pretty much a done deal.
What the hell is there to spy? A box on wheels? How different can a new Cube look to an old Cube.
Maybe Nissan and capture what the Scion xB lost.
Look… it’s the Scion xB all over again. It will sell like hotcakes too. Lotsa folks loved the quirky original xB. But the new one just looks like another Toyota.
I think it’s a cool little car, I might be into it if I was the sort of person who buys hybrids/econoboxes/slow cars. No but seriously the design is pure magic; the cool tail lights and the blacked out pillars that make the window wrap around, the grill, everything is just totally different from anything we see here in the states. I think as far as hybrids and electric cars go this thing stands out as one of the cooler ones.
The camo on this is ridiculous as it looks like a giant Depends.
This would make a great urban taxi