In the Japanese TV advert for the Nissan Cube, a Bambi-cute deer spots the car driving through the forest and rushes to throw herself in the road, faking injury so the two kind-hearted Cube drivers pick her up and put her in the back seat, where she achieves her goal — getting a ride in this loveable car.

That’s the thing with the Cube, it’s so irresistible that everyone wants a ride in one.

When the Cube first appeared in 1998, it blew car design fans away with its unique, boxy shape and its asymmetrical design. More than just a car, it was a beautifully conceived piece of product design, in the same way that the iPod is more than an MP3 player.

The Nissan Cube's interior.

Those bitten by the Cube bug have been waiting to buy it ever since. But — as Alfonso Albaisa, VP of Nissan Design Europe explained at the reveal of the third-generation version that is finally coming across the pond — there were obstacles to overcome, including reversing engineering to create a right-hand drive car.

The exterior is still show-stopping despite the crowded landscape for boxy cars, and the interior is truly the lounge that Albaisa intends for you to relax in, complete with soft sofa-like seats, shag carpets and a large glass roof with a blind and a shoji shade that allows light through but cuts down heat.

“It’s a car that doesn’t want to be defined as car,” says Albaisa. “More like an extra room that you could plug into your house.”

The Cube arrives in the U.S. early 2009, and in Europe late 2009, with 1.5-litre diesel and 1.6-litre gas powertrains.

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