So, Mr Teale. How exactly would you like your tattoos?

Believe me, that’s not a question anyone has ever asked me before. But these weren’t skin tattoos; these were car tattoos for a Nissan Cube which I tested recently.

In an attempt to appeal to young guns, Nissan has become the first car company to offer tattoos to individualise its latest model, the Cube. For £75 you can add (and change as often you like) stick-on decals to make your Cube stand out even more.

Now, this may be gilding the lily. The Cube is a startling car, one which during my week at the wheel drew an endless stream of comments, not all of them complimentary.

The squared lines, fluffy mat on the dashboard and tattooed waves mean this car looks like something Austin Powers would drive. Yeah, baby!

So, what’s a sensible company like Nissan doing making something so off-the-wall?

Well, Nissan is a successful brand but it’s fair to say that many of its customers are older than average. Take a look at a Micra driver next time you’re at the lights. I bet he or she will be 50 or more. That’s no bad thing of, course, but Nissan would sell its soul for a car which could be called trendy.

So, what’s the verdict? My MINI-driving stepdaughter, 22, turned up her nose. My girlfriend was equally unimpressed with the styling. For the record, I thought it was fresh, interesting and a touch expensive, but a taxi driver who had a good look around said it would be ideal for his job – and the £14,000 price tag wouldn’t put him off.

The Cube is quite a car. It’s been a cult hit in Japan for quite a while, but Nissan has only just launched it in the UK.

My test version is brown (well, officially Bitter Chocolate) with a choice of tattoos. I could have had skull and crossbones or Pacman, but on the advice of my girlfriend, I chose waves.

Cube has been around for quite some time. It’s a product of the super-quirky domestic Japanese market, and a car that’s been embraced by style-conscious and youth-orientated buyers.

It doesn’t look like a conventional car – the clue is in its name – so you could say it’s the anti-car for anyone seeking a personal mode of transport and wanting to make a statement at the same time.

Just what UK buyers will make of this latest-generation car remains to be seen. Nissan says initial reaction has been positive, with the manufacturer helping matters with a limited edition version complete with a generous amount of standard kit.

Badged ‘LDN’, these first 100 Cubes boast plenty of kit and that all-important exclusivity aura.

The compact Nissan, complete with upright windscreen and boxy proportions, offers a refreshing alternative to the default compact family car. Nissan likes to compare the curves of the Cube’s asymmetric rear door with that of the figure of the ideal woman. Not sure about that.

And you’ll struggle to find a straight line inside the Cube. The car’s interior is full of soft curves, while the ventilation controls are housed together in a circular fashion. Even the shape of the cabin and the seating arrangement have been influenced by something curvaceous – a Jacuzzi of all things. The quirky stuff continues with the option of brown velour-like upholstery; hence the Austin Powers comparisons.

For all the Cube’s weirdness, there is a sensible side to Nissan’s trendy transporter. The cabin, complete with sliding rear seats, is surprisingly spacious and comfortable. There’s enough room for a quartet of adults, and equipment levels are high.

It’s also an easy car to drive, something made straightforward by the inclusion of a smooth 108bhp 1.6-litre petrol motor.

Until the 1.5-litre diesel arrives, this petrol lump offers plenty of go for the cut-and-thrust of city life, and should leave you enough money for that trendy coat you’ve promised yourself.

A style icon, practical and family friendly? Yes, it really is all those.

To be negative, it’s too tall to handle well, but as a town car it’s hard to beat.

If you like your cars conservatively modest, then you’re obviously too square for a Cube.

Nissan Cube 1.6 LDN 5-dr PRICE: from £14,600. The range starts at £14,000. Tattoos cost £75.

ENGINE: 1.6-litre petrol unit developing 110PS via five-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels.

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 109mph, 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds.

COSTS: 42.8mpg.

EMISSIONS: 151g/km WARRANTY: Three years, 60,000 miles.

Steve’s ratings: Performance: 3/5 Ride/Handling: 4/5 Space/Practicality: 4/5 Equipment: 3/5 Security/Safety: 3/5 OVERALL: 3/5