The iconic Cube supermini – long a sales smash in Japan – is set to be officially launched in the UK next year alongside the seven-seat Qashqai+2 and an as yet unnamed smaller soft-roader to fit below the five-seat Qashqai.
After more than a year of rumours, president and CEO Carlos Ghosn officially confirmed that the next-generation Nissan Cube (pictured) would become a global product.
The high-roofed asymmetric boxy design will launch sometime in 2009 in the UK with 1.5 diesel and 1.6 petrol engines.
Before that, Nissan will launch the stretched seven-seat Qashqai+2 in September and an all-new five-seat Murano 4×4 in October, initially with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol to be followed by a probable four-cylinder 2.5-litre diesel by 2010. It will be a similar cost to the current £30k car.
The products are all part of Nissan’s move, that start with the Qashqai, away from conventional hatchback, saloons and MPVs in the lower and upper medium segments and toward four clear product groups – proper 4x4s, soft-roaders, sportscars and small cars.
