TOKYO — If the Nissan Roox, debuting at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, looks vaguely familiar to Japanese consumers, it's because they've seen the shape and design details before — in the Suzuki Palette.
Under a contract deal, which is something widely practiced in the Japanese auto industry, Suzuki will provide Nissan with a version of its Palette minicar in December. The Nissan-branded variant, dubbed the Roox, will make its public debut later this month at the Tokyo show.
Nissan says the name Roox was derived from "room" and "max" — two words that it uses to describe its new "super space" minicar. Passengers can easily access the rear seats through the sliding rear doors on either side, which can be opened by remote.
Aimed at small families, the four-passenger Roox includes such features as flexible seating, a drink cooler in the upper glove box and an under-seat storage box for kid's toys.
At 133.7 inches long, it fits into Japan's kei jidosha ("light vehicle") minicar category.
Inside Line says: A room with a view — no, wait, that would be a Roow. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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