| First Drive | London, England | 2010 Nissan Cube |

Nissan's Cube is an oddball icon in its Japanese home and now design obsessives in the UK can get their hands on one.

In the Metal

The Cube is like nothing else, except perhaps its name. It's cubic and square, but square like a stuffed toy square, with all the corners rounded off to create a friendly shape. It's very cool, the Cube one of those cars that really defies definition, it fitting in wherever you are - whether that's outside Harrods or H&M.

The key design element is its asymmetric rear window, which wraps around the D-pillar to create a feature that's unique to the Cube. It's useful too; the corner of glass making reverse parking easier, while the big side-hinged rear door gives excellent access to the boot. Inside it's a mix of Japanese elements - the opaque roof blind cover for instance - and strange influences. One of the interior designers apparently liked the shape of a Jacuzzi, which explains some of the shapes inside, while the idea of a water drop hitting still water and creating concentric circles is used extensively too. All a bit quirky then, but subtly brilliant at the same time.

What you get for your Money

Nissan is offering three different Cubes in the UK. The Kaizen spec model as tested here comes with everything you need as standard - the list including climate control, a rear parking camera, Bluetooth telephony and cruise control. There are two engine choices - 1.5-litre turbodiesel and 1.6-litre petrol - both offering the same 108bhp output. The range starts at about £14,000, rising to just over £15,000 for the top version.

Driving it

The Cube drives pretty unremarkably, but then that's to be expected. It's perfectly competent at everything, being comfortable and easy to drive. The gearshift is a touch ponderous and the brakes lacking in feel, but the steering is light and the engine is willing. The ride is tidy and the turning circle impresses too. It's a great car in the city, its good all-round visibility, upright driving position and the ease with which it drives being perfect for the urban environment. That's not to say it's out of its depth on the motorway, where it's refined and surprisingly wind-noise free - given its boxy shape.

That it's ultimately forgettable to drive is in this case a compliment, as the Cube is not meant to go scurrying around corners squealing tyres or thrilling on a winding road. It's as much fun sat still in a traffic jam as it is moving in it. That being very much part of the car's ideal, the designers wanting to create a car that's about slowing down and taking it easy. A very different driving experience then, for a very different car.

Worth Noting

The petrol engine will be the biggest seller when the Cube arrives next year, its 42.8mpg combined consumption figure and 151g/km good but not great in this class. There'll be a start-stop one in time, and Nissan offers an electrically assisted version in its Japanese home market. That's not due to arrive in the UK at any time, but badger your dealer enough and Nissan may finally concede.

Summary

Nissan's Cube has always had an underground cult following in the UK through privately imported cars from Japan. The introduction of this new officially available Cube will inevitably dilute some of its appeal to die-hards, but gives the rest of us the opportunity to enjoy its all-round appeal. It's more than merely a design object, as it's also a competent, spacious and hugely comfortable family car.