Nissan Cube: Something weird is coming

The most eye-catching part of the Cube's design is the strange wrap-around rear window that only wraps around one side. One thing it shows you clearly is that this car was not designed to be sold around world.

Visibility is good out the rear left corner, but on the right there's a huge blind spot. Well, there would be one if the driver's seat were on the left, as it would be in the United States.

With the driver's seat on the right, where it is in this Japanese-market car, it causes no problems. You can't look out that corner, anyway.

Nissan has promised that the redesigned Cube will maintain its odd-ball character. Since that funny back window is the Cube's most defining characteristic, it will be interesting to see if Nissan designers can make it work in an ambidextrous global vehicle.

NEXT: Inside the box