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Thinking inside the box, Nissan Cube,Kia Soul,Honda Element
The box is the most useful shape in existence. Only the square utilises every nook and cranny of it's interior volume to it's greatest potential, try doing that circle or triangle, I dare you! It is for this reason that the box shape has become the shape of choice for Asian hipsters. In Japan ,in particular, the high cost of living combined with strong extended family ties, which make for crowded homes, mixed together with incredibly crowded city streets make it darn near impossible for the youth to find some "personal" space. It is for this reason that these "rolling rumpus rooms" have become the "it" thing. To be honest these "mini motor homes" are less about their ability to apex a corner than their ability to create a hang out place to play Nintendo. What is interesting is that these refrigerator boxes(...no I haven't run out of cute box analogies) have begun to work their way into the mentality of Americans where we have 3000 square foot homes and roads the size of Tokyo, go figure. I guess there is that innate part of us that is always looking to get away no matter how much we may already have. So we welcome the onslaught of these "cereal box racers", (I could come up with these all day), and we look forward to seeing the multiple way ways to reshape a square. Now if the new Scion Xb has become too mainstream for your four "corner fix" , may we suggest..... The Nissan Cube has been a hit in Japan since it's introduction. Nissan has been promising us the Cube ever since the first Scion Xb's hit the street. Perhaps the new more mainstream Xb will be the jab in Nissan's side to hasten the "pure" box themed Cube to our shores. One thing is for sure, if we do see the Cube here it will be the new Cube due out in Japan soon.The current Cube follows the same recipe as the Xb except for the use of a front bench seat which opens up floor space for more lounging room. Nissan promises the Cube by the middle of '08 in the US. Hopefully Nissan will recognize this opportunity to gain some market share by keeping pure to the uniquely formed Cube. Time will tell, but in the meantime we hope these pictures give you something for all those "block" heads to dream about. Our next "nice cube" is the forth coming Kia Soul. Now before we say another thing why the heck hasn't someone named a car that before, come on what a great name, I mean Toyota , what's up with Yaris, maybe the Yaris would sell better as the Toyota Soul. Anyway this incredibly named vehicle will definitely make it to our shores sometime in the first half of '08. Expect Kia to rely upon existing running gear for the underpins, which will insure a credible vehicle, at least by "box" standards. The Soul exudes a more rugged stance than the street sucking Xb or Cube. The Soul you could say is the"box truck"(I just can't stop myself) of the group.The Soul should enliven Kia dealers and illustrate their ability to think, well inside the box. If you don't want to wait to join the square dance,( I promise this is my last one) then the often overlooked Honda Element is ready to deliver. The Element joined the dance at the same time as the Xb but somehow has never really stolen the hearts of it's intended youth audience. In fact the Element has become more of a hit with baby boomers who appreciate it's frugal ways and space galore. This is a shame as the Element offers the most square footage of the bunch, in fact the Element is the "mega mansion" of the box set. If correctly appointed the Element could become a home away from home. Honda, who never stands for anything less than total success, has fought back by kicking up the recipe by color coding the grey body panels, that somehow never took off , and adding an SC equipment package that lowers the Element, adds large wheels and tires, stiffens the shocks and springs, and dresses up the body with more mainstream styling cues. The SC does look in silhouette similar to the Xb, however the look does come across a bit pieced together, it kind of looks like a Lego sports car, however it does offer an alternative to other box's while correcting many of the "spotty" road manors, such as the pitch in turns, that the regular Element exhibits. The main problem with the Element, and that much more the SC, is that the Element's price tag, that starts where the Xb leaves off, brings the Element into another zip code for the intended audience. The SC can climb into the mid 20's ,which puts it head to head with many "real" suv's. Honda should realize that the Element is the kind of vehicle that you either "get" or you don't, like reggae music. No matter how many wings Honda applies to the Element the Element will not garner any new cross shoppers from other makes. Personally I "get" the Element, I mean you have mini-van room combined with AWD, in regular form, mixed with rugged plastic panels that body color or not provide good defence against parking lot rigors. No the Element is more van than "angry road eating lowered steroid-box", but for those that need ,or want, a practical vehicle that is the Leatherman of vehicles, the Element is for you. The problem is that the attributes I just mentioned are usually not attached to the youth market, so Honda may not ever succeed in the "box" war, however for those that understand the basic building block that is the Element, it is a handy "tool". So my take is that the Element is best served strait up in base or EX form. Opt for AWD to at least allow some justification for it's lack of back road aplomb and you will have a "Jack of all trades", just say no to the SC, if for it's insecure looks alone, the SC looks like it's trying to be something it's not. The SC also has a sky high sticker price and some of the ugliest seat coverings I have seen since the '77 Winnebago. So be happy with the Element for what it is, not what it isn't, and feel free to be "square" and stop hiding in the "corner" and enjoy thinking "inside the box" for once.
Our next "nice cube" is the forth coming Kia Soul. Now before we say another thing why the heck hasn't someone named a car that before, come on what a great name, I mean Toyota , what's up with Yaris, maybe the Yaris would sell better as the Toyota Soul. Anyway this incredibly named vehicle will definitely make it to our shores sometime in the first half of '08. Expect Kia to rely upon existing running gear for the underpins, which will insure a credible vehicle, at least by "box" standards. The Soul exudes a more rugged stance than the street sucking Xb or Cube. The Soul you could say is the"box truck"(I just can't stop myself) of the 
group.The Soul should enliven Kia dealers and illustrate their ability to think, well inside the box. If you don't want to wait to join the square dance,( I promise this is my last one) then the often overlooked Honda Element is ready to deliver. The Element joined the dance at the same time as the Xb but somehow has never really stolen the hearts of it's intended youth audience. In fact the Element has become more of a hit with baby boomers who appreciate it's frugal ways and space galore. This is a shame as the Element offers the most square footage of the bunch, in fact the Element is the "mega mansion" of the box set. If correctly appointed the Element could become a home away from home. 
Honda, who never stands for anything less than total success, has fought back by kicking up the recipe by color coding the grey body panels, that somehow never took off , and adding an SC equipment package that lowers the Element, adds large wheels and tires, stiffens the shocks and springs, and dresses up the body with more mainstream styling cues. The SC does look in silhouette similar to the Xb, however the look does come across a bit pieced together, it kind of looks like a Lego sports car, however it does offer an alternative to other box's while correcting many of the "spotty" road manors, such as the pitch in turns, that the regular Element exhibits. The main problem with the Element, and that much more the SC, is that the Element's price tag, that starts where the Xb leaves off, brings the Element into another zip code for the intended audience. The SC can climb into the mid 20's ,which puts it head to head with many "real" suv's. Honda should realize that the Element is the kind of vehicle that you either "get" or you don't, like reggae music. No matter how many wings Honda applies to the Element the Element will not garner any new cross shoppers from other makes. Personally I "get" the Element, I mean you have mini-van room combined with AWD, in regular form, mixed with rugged plastic panels that body color or not provide good defence against parking lot rigors. No the Element is more van than "angry road eating lowered steroid-box", but for those that need ,or want, a practical vehicle that is the Leatherman of vehicles, the Element is for you. The problem is that the attributes I just mentioned are usually not attached to the youth market, so Honda may not ever succeed in the "box" war, however for those that understand the basic building block that is the Element, it is a handy "tool". So my take is that the Element is best served strait up in base or EX form. Opt for AWD to at least allow some justification for it's lack of back road aplomb and you will have a "Jack of all trades", just say no to the SC, if for it's insecure looks alone, the SC looks like it's trying to be something it's not. 
The SC also has a sky high sticker price and some of the ugliest seat coverings I have seen since the '77 Winnebago. So be happy with the Element for what it is, not what it isn't, and feel free to be "square" and stop hiding in the "corner" and enjoy thinking "inside the box" for once. 
