The Nissan Cube is the little box on wheels that looks like nothing else in a UK car park. In Japan it was an everyday runabout, which means there are plenty of them and they are usually cheap to buy. That is the appeal, and also the catch. On a low-priced car, shipping and tax are a big share of the total, so it pays to know the full cost before you bid.
- Body
- Small boxy MPV, petrol
- Shipping from Japan
- From £3,575, shipping only
- Typical journey
- About 5 to 8 weeks
- Test
- IVA under 10 years, MOT over
Z11 or Z12
Most Cubes people look at are one of two generations. Both are right-hand drive from the factory, both have the side-hinged rear door, and both are built on small Nissan hatchback underpinnings, so they are easy to drive and park.
| Feature | Z11 | Z12 |
|---|---|---|
| Built | 2002 to 2008 | 2008 to 2019 |
| In brief | The first with the lopsided rear glass, simple and light | Rounder and more refined, with the same quirky shape |
| Gearbox | Automatic, a CVT on later cars | CVT |
| UK test | MOT | MOT, or IVA if built after October 2016 |
| Tax today | 10% duty + 20% VAT | 10% duty + 20% VAT |
The Z11 is the one with the glass that wraps round one rear corner and not the other. Some were sold with Nissan's e-4WD system, which adds a little electric drive at the back for slippery starts. The Z12 kept the idea and softened the edges. If you want the newest Cube you can find, remember that the very last ones fall under the 10-year line and need more work.
What to check before you buy
Cubes are not complicated, but a cheap car can hide costly faults. The gearbox matters most. A CVT that slips, judders or whines can cost more to put right than the car is worth, so the auction notes and any drive report deserve a close read.
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 8 done
Our guide to Japanese auction grades explains how to read the sheet, and history checks for imported cars covers what you can find out about a car's past before it ships.
The CVT
A CVT feels different from a normal automatic. The revs rise and hold while the car picks up speed, which is how it should behave. What you do not want is a flare in revs with no pick-up, a shudder pulling away, or a whine that grows with speed. Fluid that has been changed on time helps a lot. Once the car is here, use a garage that knows Nissan CVTs and the right fluid.
The test depends on age
GOV.UK exempts cars over 10 years old from vehicle approval, so they take an MOT instead of an IVA test. For a Cube, that covers almost everything on the market.
| Age of the Cube | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Under 10 years | An IVA test, and a speedometer reading in mph |
| Over 10 years | An MOT, with a rear fog light if one is not fitted |
Every Z11 is well past 10, and so are most Z12s. A Z12 built after October 2016 is still under 10 years old, so it takes an IVA test and its speedometer has to read in mph. We do that conversion in-house.
Looking at a late Z12? Check the build date with us first. On a car this cheap, the extra cost of an IVA test and a speedo conversion can change whether it is worth importing at all.
Shipping cost against the car's value
From Japan, RoRo is the usual route and costs less than a container. The car has to run and drive, and it should be empty. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from Japan starts from £3,575, shipping only. Door to door, the journey is usually about 5 to 8 weeks.
That shipping price is the same whether the car is a Cube or something far dearer, so on a cheap car it can be more than you paid for the car itself. Tax adds to that, because it is charged on the price plus the shipping, not just the price.
As an example, a Cube bought for £2,000 with £3,575 of shipping gives a tax base of £5,575. That is about £558 in duty and £1,227 in VAT, so shipping and tax come to around £5,360 before the test, any changes and registration. Run your own figures before you bid, and buy the best car you can afford rather than the cheapest one on the list. A tired car costs just as much to ship as a good one.
Import tax
A Cube from Japan pays 10% import duty and 20% import VAT, worked out on the price plus the shipping, with the VAT charged on top of the duty. No Z11 or Z12 is over 30 years old, so the 5% classic rate does not apply.
If you are moving to the UK, have lived abroad for at least 12 months and have owned the Cube for at least 6, Transfer of Residence can bring it in with no VAT or duty. The import tax calculator runs your own numbers, and our cost of importing from Japan guide works through a full example.
UK changes and clean air zones
Because the Cube is right-hand drive, the list is short. A car without a rear fog light needs one fitted in the right position, and one under 10 years old needs its speedometer in mph. Japanese cars are no longer checked for headlight compliance.
The Cube is petrol, and London's ULEZ asks for Euro 4 on a petrol car. TfL says compliant petrol cars are generally those first registered after 2005, but an import may have no Euro standard on record, so evidence can be needed. Our guide to ULEZ and imported cars explains how that works.
We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, and do MOT work on the same site in Castle Donington. Our dealer-level DVLA account then lets us register the car within 10 working days. For the wider route, see our guide to importing a car from Japan.
Insurance and running one
Insurers will want to know the Cube is an import, and some will ask about any changes made for UK roads. Get a quote before you buy rather than after. Our guide to insuring a Japanese import explains what they ask for. Engines and running gear are shared with other small Nissans, which helps with servicing, and parts and servicing for imported cars covers the rest.
Questions people ask
Can I import a Nissan Cube to the UK?
Yes. A Cube follows the same route as any car from Japan: shipping, customs, a rear fog light if needed, an MOT or IVA test depending on age, then DVLA registration.
Does a Nissan Cube need an IVA test?
Only if it is under 10 years old, which means a Z12 built after October 2016. Every Z11 and most Z12s take an MOT instead.
Is it worth importing a cheap Cube?
It can be, but shipping from Japan starts from £3,575 and tax is charged on the price plus shipping. On a cheap car those costs can be more than the car, so work out the full figure first.
Does a Cube qualify for 5% import VAT?
No. The 5% rate is for vehicles over 30 years old, and no Z11 or Z12 is that old yet. Expect 10% duty and 20% VAT.
Are Cube CVT gearboxes reliable?
A well-kept one is fine, but a tired CVT can be costly to repair. Read the auction notes carefully and look for evidence of fluid changes.
Found a Cube you like? Send us the listing or auction lot on the quote form and we will price the whole job.
