Nissan in a niche of its own

Jan 31 2010 Maurice Glover

Nissan in a niche of its own

NISSAN has never shied away from putting niche products in the showrooms - and the strategy has won it enormous success.

Since deciding to drive away from traditional market sectors, the company has won the hearts of many more motorists with cars like the Note, Qashqai and Qashqai+2.

Now it is at it again with the Cube, a model designed for life in city streets. Launched back in 1998 on the Japanese market, the car has become an icon in Tokyo and now it's our turn to get a taste of quirky styling that features a spectacular wrap-around rear three quarter window.

Initially, power comes from a 1.6-litre motor with manual or CVT automatic transmission, but a 1.5-litre dCi diesel will arrive in May.

But the biggest development from Nissan this year is the arrival of Juke, the car designed to follow up the Qashqai in the fast-growing crossover market segment.

Due in the showrooms in October after its preview at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the compact model is based on the Qazana concept that won such a positive reception at Geneva in 2008 and will slot into the range between the Note and Qashqai.