I am a fan of boxy compact SUVs because they are the most interesting of the affordable cars on the road. Readers of my blog already know this. If share this enthusiasm, you’ll be interested in some new news in the world of boxcars…

1. Nissan Cube

It’s official debut is at the LA Auto Show in a couple months, but some photos of the Cube leaked yesterday (thank you, Autoblog) that prove Nissan has the courage to put asymmetry into production:

Don’t hate me because I’m different.

The Nissan Cube stares down the incumbent Scion xB. Photo from Edmunds

If you are interested in a battle of the boxes, head over to Edmunds.com to find out what they thought of a Japanese-spec Cube they played around with earlier this year. My favorite line from the article:

Nissan is finally convinced there are enough of you to buy its Cube, a boxy car so far out on the funk continuum that the Element and xB might as well be Corollas.

The more I look at the Cube, the more I think of the neo-80’s crew Fanny Pack from America’s Best Dance Crew. They occupy a charming space in pop culture that is both odd and cool. …okay, maybe more odd than cool, but they had enough style to earn a poem from Lil Mama.



2. Suzuki Wagon-R / Mazda AZ-Wagon

There is not a lot of buzz online about the Suzuki Wagon-R / Mazda AZ-Wagon, but it’s worth noting that the look of half box/ half compact car (think Scion-xD) is sticking around.

3. 2009/2010 Honda Element

I saved the best for last. It looks like late next year Honda will give a clean new look to my beloved Element…

Source: Autoblog.com