I SUPPOSE it was inevitable after driving around in a car shaped like the fluffy dice that sometimes hang from the mirror inside.

"Where's the Rubik's (cube)" was a favourite from some wag who thought he was Peter Kay.

You have to say the manufacturers have asked for the ribbing, which was probably the plan from the outset. The car simply cannot be ignored.

The strange thing is that it has taken so long to arrive on these shores, having first appeared on Japanese roads more than 12 years ago.

Just like Kia's Soul and Daihatu's Materia and the Fiat Qubo, Nissan's geometrically challenged newcomer it designed to grab attention and it succeeds in spades.Not only for the shape, but also for the odd extras it brings with it.

Pure gimmicks, but it certainly get the motoring writers' keyboards in a lather.

Take the mini-rug that sits on top of the dashboard and the orange rubber bands that stretch across the interior door handles, and are designed, I would guess, to hold bits of paper in place.

The rug is supposed to accommodate oddments like keys and loose change, but spent most of the time flying off the dash. Put it on a pub table and it sticks like glue - so not much use then.

Cheap little gimmicks you would think, but no, the rug will set you back a jaw-dropping £23 while the rubber bands, yes rubber bands, are a cool £11.

But it is not just about gimmicks, Nissan produce good quality affordable car and many are British-made.

Clearly it is not aimed at the family market, despite proving to be surprisingly practical. Drivers of this car are making a statement about themselves and are clearly happy to be noticed.

The Cube has rounded corners and a wrap-around rear window which slope down to a boot, shaped according to Nissan, after the substantial derriere of superstar Jennifer Lopez. God knows what Jennifer must think.

The tailgate is also side-hinged, a boon for the vertically challenged and the litmus test of approval for the other half, who struggles with high-lifting tailgates.

The interior is just as off-the-wall as the exterior with eye-catching styling cues like the panoramic glass roof that features and oriental blind styled, apparently, after Japanese paper walls.

Otherwise the interior is light and airy with bags of head and legroom. The thickness of some of the pillars does obscure vision and it is a comfortable four-seater rather than five.

The rear seats do fold however giving plenty of stowage space.

The drive is nothing special and handling is not the greatest with the car tending to wallow on corners and the boxy shape means wind noise is present, particularly at higher speeds.

But it cruises comfortably on the motorway and the ride is smooth.

It is available in two model styles and two engines - a 1.6-litre petrol unit that powered the test model and a 1.6 diesel that has just come on the market.

The petrol proved to be a cracker with decent acceleration and brilliant economy.

Official figures suggest just short of 43mpg, but I seem to get more, even with a fair amount of town driving and a lot of gear shifting from the five-speed gearbox. Carbon dioxide emissions are on the low side as well.

The Cube starts at £14,000 and is very well equipped with privacy glass, electric windows and door mirrors, cruise control, an excellent sound system and Bluetooth.

The Kaizen adds satellite navigation, reversing camera  and climate control.