Poor demand for the Cube city car has prompted Nissan GB to abandon plans to add a diesel variant to the range.

The 1.5-litre diesel derivative was originally planned to be added in July alongside the existing 1.6-litre petrol which went on sale in January.

AM reported in January that Nissan GB expected to sell up to 2,000 Cubes a year, with two thirds of those predicted to be retail sales. However, by September Nissan had only sold 442 Cubes, of which 239 were fleet sales.

Nissan dealers are offering discounts of up to £4,000 off list plus two years free servicing in a bid to move stock.

A Nissan spokeswoman said: “The Cube is a niche vehicle in the UK, launched to drive Nissan’s design credentials and brand opinion.

“As with all Nissan small and medium sized cars, petrol engines are the dominant powertrain and we now believe that diesel demand on Cube would be too small a mix to justify launching in the UK at this time.”