in that it had no major differences to the original car, and simply had a different grille and a couple of other exterior parts. The M-Box and MPV were exclusive to Malaysia. Third generation (Z12; 2009) The third-generation Cube was revealed for the first time at the Los Angeles Auto Show, on November 19, 2008. It was the first generation of the Cube to be officially exported beyond Japan, including to the European and North American markets. The Cube went on sale in Japan on November 19, 2008, and the U.S. on May 5, 2009. The updated model has more rounded and curved styling in the rear bumper area, in the asymmetrical rear window which wraps around to the passenger side, and in the driver and front-passenger windows. The tailgate is side-hinged to swing open like a door, rather than upward like a hatch. The hatch hinge is on the right side for countries with left-hand traffic such as Japan and the UK; on the left side for right-hand traffic markets such as North America. Seating capacity remains at five. According to Nissan designers, the interior is inspired by the 'enveloping curves of a jacuzzi to promote a comfortable and social atmosphere.' Design cues include a water-ripple motif that appears in the headliner and is repeated in details like the speaker covers and cup holders. Nissan has developed an extended line of accessories for Cube to encourage personalization. These include multicolor appliqués that can be placed around air vents and window switches, utility hooks and elastic bands in different colors, variable color LED accent lighting for the footwell and cup holders, and a sculptured piece of color-coordinated shag carpet that sits in a shallow well on the top of the dash. The third-generation Cube is built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance's front-wheel-drive B platform and powered by a 1.5 L HR engine, 16-valve engine with . For North America, it uses the 1.8 L four-cylinder engine of the MR family, it produces and of torque. Europe uses the HR 1.6 petrol and 1.5 dCi Diesel. All are also used for the Nissan Note and Tiida/Versa. Depending on the engine, it is available with a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission or Nissan's automatic Continuously Variable Transmission. The Cube is capable of averaging in Japan and doing city, and highway with its Xtronic CVT transmission. The e-4WD trim contains an electric rear wheel