What We Like
Head-turning design
Cleanly laid out cabin
Comfortable to drive and ride in
What We Dislike
Isn't much fun to drive if you want an engaging experience
The Japs have a knack for making weird objects strangely desirable, and as practical as they come. Examples include capsule hotels and the car pictured above.
Now in its third generation, this people-moving box is badged as a Cube and it's a compact hatch made by the company, which also gave us the GTR.
If you're wondering why the Cube isn't something you've chanced upon before, that's because it isn't brought into Singapore by Tan Chong Motor but by its subsidiary, T8 Gallery, in small numbers.
It's hip to be square
On first glance, the $98,999 (as of 1st February 2017) Cube is the sort of car a Japanese sorority girl would drive her friends to Odaiba beach in.
Yet, its cutesy design is gender fluid and somehow tickles the fancy of even the most masculine males we know, such as our Editor.
It's a car for people who buy one based on quirky, whimsical styling; the sort of car for urban drivers who want to be noticed in something out of the ordinary. In a world of sensible, mundane urban mobiles, the Cube is a welcome zephyr of fresh air.
Living in a box
You get a same light-hearted experience inside, thanks to a simple, cleanly laid-out dash design.
Now in its third generation, this people-moving box is badged as a Cube and it's a compact hatch made by the company, which also gave us the GTR.
If you're wondering why the Cube isn't something you've chanced upon before, that's because it isn't brought into Singapore by Tan Chong Motor but by its subsidiary, T8 Gallery, in small numbers.
It's hip to be square
On first glance, the $98,999 (as of 1st February 2017) Cube is the sort of car a Japanese sorority girl would drive her friends to Odaiba beach in.
Yet, its cutesy design is gender fluid and somehow tickles the fancy of even the most masculine males we know, such as our Editor.
It's a car for people who buy one based on quirky, whimsical styling; the sort of car for urban drivers who want to be noticed in something out of the ordinary. In a world of sensible, mundane urban mobiles, the Cube is a welcome zephyr of fresh air.
Living in a box
You get a same light-hearted experience inside, thanks to a simple, cleanly laid-out dash design.
Switches, controls and plastics used may not shout modernity but are of solid and dependable nature.
Gears are switched using a column-mounted stick and that's going to take some time to get used to. We much prefer conventional centre console-mounted gear knobs.
The front row of seats interestingly resemble a bench, but unlike the Honda Edix, whichs seats three up front, you can seat only two here. In the centre are cup holders and an arm rest, which fold downwards.
Head space, front and rear, is expansive due to its high, boxy body shape. If you and your friends are of average Asian size, three should fit in the rear bench though it's best for two because the portion in the middle is a tad narrow.
And, said rear bench slides back and front, so you can change the ratio of leg and trunk space - 323 litres when rear seats are up, 1,645 litres when they're down.
Gears are switched using a column-mounted stick and that's going to take some time to get used to. We much prefer conventional centre console-mounted gear knobs.
The front row of seats interestingly resemble a bench, but unlike the Honda Edix, whichs seats three up front, you can seat only two here. In the centre are cup holders and an arm rest, which fold downwards.
Head space, front and rear, is expansive due to its high, boxy body shape. If you and your friends are of average Asian size, three should fit in the rear bench though it's best for two because the portion in the middle is a tad narrow.
And, said rear bench slides back and front, so you can change the ratio of leg and trunk space - 323 litres when rear seats are up, 1,645 litres when they're down.
The trunk however, isn't as large as we hoped for a car so boxy and the huge side-hinged trunk door can't be swung open entirely if anyone parks near your rear, or if you're backed up close against any large objects.
And because design of the Cube isn't very aerodynamical, there's also a bit of wind noise echoing into the cabin when you're going quickly.
Box on the move
The Cube is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine, making 109bhp and 148Nm of torque, mated to a CVT autobox.
That won't let you win many races but it's enough grunt to get you from place to place around a city comfortably.
And because design of the Cube isn't very aerodynamical, there's also a bit of wind noise echoing into the cabin when you're going quickly.
Box on the move
The Cube is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine, making 109bhp and 148Nm of torque, mated to a CVT autobox.
That won't let you win many races but it's enough grunt to get you from place to place around a city comfortably.
It's a car that's easy to drive and easy to park but don't take on corners any faster than you would in an NTUC cart. The Cube sways around discouragingly when you do and its Bridgestone B250 tyres won't handle the abuse forgivingly either.
But the Cube does have its merits on the road, such as a calm and comfortable ride (on more uniform surfaces) and a decent fuel economy return of 14.7km/L over our one-day drive. Over roads, which have undergone unsatisfactory reconstruction, there's fair amount of suspension thud over bumps.
Clearly, the Cube is a car made more for drivers who don't prioritise driving. The car, however, does dole out tons of visual delight, and might even be your best wingmate on a night out.
But the Cube does have its merits on the road, such as a calm and comfortable ride (on more uniform surfaces) and a decent fuel economy return of 14.7km/L over our one-day drive. Over roads, which have undergone unsatisfactory reconstruction, there's fair amount of suspension thud over bumps.
Clearly, the Cube is a car made more for drivers who don't prioritise driving. The car, however, does dole out tons of visual delight, and might even be your best wingmate on a night out.
