Cute, perky and nicely-formed, Nissan’s Cube has arrived on these shores at last.

A cult car in the Far East, the diminutive eye-catcher has sold more than a million since its first incarnation appeared in 1998.

The first time the Cube has been sold outside Japan, the company has held off marketing it in the UK until now, when it wants to boost its small car portfolio.

It was an instant hit, quickly reaching iconic status amongst young buyers in Japan, and the company hopes to repeat that success in western Europe - and judging by the positive reactions the diminutive chap garnered in the plate glass canyons of Canary Wharf and the narrow side-streets of London’s Brick Lane where it was launched, that isn’t going to be a problem.

The Cube joins the Pixo, Micra and Note in Nissan’s small car segment, and the company hopes to sell 2,000 a year here.

It’s a bit of a ‘Marmite’ car but I’m convinced far more people will love it than hate it and it’s sure to win a huge following in very little time.

Roomy and comfortable, Nissan says the Cube isn’t necessarily aimed at families and if so, it will be young ones.

Visually, the car is of a boxy design but with smooth and rounded surfaces to ensure it appears non-agressive.

The front was apparently inspired by a ‘picture of a bulldog wearing sunglasses’, the rear by the same end of ‘Jennifer Lopez’, and the windows by modern desktop picture frames.

The unique wraparound rear window is asymmetric, so providing best visibility dependant on what side the steering wheel is on.

The interior reflects a ‘lounge’-style philosophy inspired by a Nissan designer who was sitting in a Jacuzzi with his friends.

He wanted the cabin to be open, sociable and friendly.

The rear seats are comfy, with loads of legroom and are intended to feel like a sofa, with the use of properly-sprung cushions and high-density foam.

The ‘Jacuzzi-effect’ continues with a delightful ‘wavy’ glass roof which is standard on all models. This has two blinds, one to shut out the sky entirely, and the other translucent and mocking Japanese rice paper blinds, complete with ripple effects.

There are plenty of other wavy Japanese water effects in the cabin, the instrument panel, door panels and seat shapes, with water-droplet designs in the headlining and elsewhere, all designed to create a relaxing andsoothing cabin ambience.

Other interesting design touches include easy-to-read main dials of different colours - one is a greyish tone supposedly reminiscent of the colour of the moon from Earth, and the other a bluish cast representing the reverse.

It may sound a bit twee, but in practice looks pleasant and works very well.

The Cube’s design means it’s surprisingly practical, and packs in a lot of space.

As well as five seats, there’s a good-sized boot of 283 litres increasing to 403 litres with the rear seats slid forward and a vast 1,563 with them folded flat.

There are numerous cubby-holes and storage compartments and the glove compartment is vast. Also, the side-hinged rear door opens asymmetrically, to the safe side of the road with three fixed opening positions.

There’s a choice of just two engines, a 1.6-litre petrol with 110ps and a 1.5 diesel, arriving in May, with the same power but rather more torque.

Both provide lively performance but the diesel option carries a £1,200 price penalty, so you need to do a high mileage to reap the economy rewards.

The petrol is available in five-speed manual only but there’s a CVT auto option for the diesel (£1,000 extra).

Standard equipment is good and includes 16-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, i-Key with start/stop button (allowing vehicle unlocking/locking even when the key is secreted in a pocket), air conditioning, Bluetooth and cruise control and there’s a good value nav/hifi module available.

The stiff chassis was tuned for European roads and the tight turning circle, (10.6 metres), combined with good all-round visibility makes it a good city car.

Unashamedly geared towards those who think differently, followers of style and fashionistas, the Cube is available with a plethora of personalisation options and accessories.

For example, there’s a switchable choice of nine different footwell light colours, and you can specify various external tattoos and motifs and body art.

There are waves, smiling skull and crossbones and even Space Invaders designs and you can get them changed for new ones every year at your local dealer at a cost of between £50 and £250.

As you’d expect from Nissan, safety plays a major part and to that end there are ESP and traction control as standard as well as six airbags and strong passive safety features.

The Cube is a comfortable drive with decent steering, a good manual box and strong brakes. Road and wind noise is kept to a minimum, even at motorway speeds, and switches fall easily to hand.

The seat and wheel are adjustable and the ride height ensures good viz and easy access.

Pricing is simple, at £14,000 for the base model and £15,100 for the higher-spec ‘Kaizen’ adding climate control, Nissan Connect hi-fi/sat-nav, rear parking camera and auto wipers and headlights.

There are just 100 of the £14,600 LDN special editions available, with limited colours and a luxury, velour-like trim.

Emissions are 151g/km with a consequent VED of £150.