I think its a great move for the future. This class of vehicle isn't about style or uniqueness, its about value for the money. I really hope these cars have decent build quality unlike the previous players in this market. Scion seems to have a handle on building quality cars for very low prices, I'm sure Nissan can do it too.
Hopefully this will pave the way for the Cube and other micro cars that are cool but as yet unavailable in the US. Hell, I wouldn't mind driving a very small car during the week as long as I have my truck to drive if I need to haul anything.