Daihatsu Materia 1.5A Review

But owners of this car would never have any of it, and in fact, are proud they have one of these..

Rightfully so, despite our reservations on the car's appearances. It offers one an abundance of goods when it comes to the practical things in life. Lots of space, a good spread of power and torque, a characteristic shape that renders enough attention (good and bad!) and an entertaining chassis.

"Car-acter"

The Daihatsu Materia is the original Toyota bB, believe it or not.

With such a bold car that many people are bound to love and/or hate, the Materia understandably has interesting angles, and looks much like fusing together two metal tins on top of each other.

Following that, someone came along with a shaving device and used that to trim the edges into shape, stuffing lights in random places and then, giving it a 1.5-litre engine from the Sirion in order to complete the car.

And it isn't half bad.

You'll be able to quickly determine no lack of space even from the outside, with the boot being the only disappointment. Other than that, being square has its advantages. Fold the 60/40 seats down, and you'll find no problems when loading your grandmother's exceedingly squared-off coffee table.

Features

Elbow and legroom for all occupants are definitely sufficient for a 1.7m tall person like me. In fact, we're overjoyed to declare that the Materia made for ridiculously easy interior photography due to the abundance of headroom uncommonly available, even in MPVs.

Equipment levels are generous - front airbags, central locking, electric windows and mirrors, an MP3 audio system, luggage space that is both high and flat and no lack of hooks and crevices so your morning supply of milk and eggs arrive intact at your doorstep.

Yes, storage is aplenty, but it quickly translates into a frustrating experience when stuffing something like a bag of chips into one of them, simply because they aren't ergonomically placed, so make sure you stop at the lights before groping around for your "barang-barang."

Apart from the stylish piano key black audio system, the air-conditioning controls and cupholders in the door recess fall to hand easily. Like in the rest of the Materia's derivates, the lower section of the facia has gone largely unused. There are lots of bulging flat spaces. Airbags? They're in an entirely different space altogether!

The floor-mounted gearshift and handbrake lever was placed a little too low, and the driving position was a little too upright, but this is might a favoured preference for the general population.
Driving impressions

Now, there's this silly little saying - to hell with the bad! If you value the driving dynamics of a vehicle, you will love the Materia. We were simply delighted at the way it handled both in the bends and on the straights.

Powered by the 16-valve 1.5-litre dual overhead camshaft 3SZ-VE found in the Sirion 1.5-litre sports, it gives 107hp at 6000rpm and 138 Nm at 4400rpm with the 4-speed automatic.

The relatively short gears, light steering and very tight turning circle reassures that this Materia feels at home in terrible Singapore city traffic. Drive like hooligans we did, changing lanes as we pleased and accelerating into empty spaces with much confidence. Needless to say, we were probably cursed at more than once.

Neck-turning action tends to be dramatic with the centre mounted instrument cluster and a slightly exaggerated blind-spot area, but it still is placed in a position so that you happen to look across the dash more than once.

The Materia is tall, but it does not handle like one. At all. Body roll is so well controlled, even your average Latio, Corolla or Honda City pitches horizontally to a greater degree. The suspension is firm enough for one of you "twenty-somethings" to proclaim ownership to a "cornering" work of obtuse geometrical art as a "sports-like" car.

Predictably, it understeers at the limits in a safe, controlled manner. The ABS, EBD and brake assist leap to the rescue in a rather obstructive fashion if you manage to go overboard. You wouldn't feel alienated in the fast lane either, as the car cruises very comfortably without excessive noise, vibration and harshness levels. The new Toyota Corollas manage to be a little more refined in this case, and it does get a little noisy after 130km/h or when you red-line the engine, but that's as bad as it gets.

We calculated fuel consumption was nothing short of excellent - just under 8 litres for every 100 km under extremely heavy, pedal to the metal city situations, which suggests Vios-like levels of fuel efficiency.

Why would you want one?

Although it hasn't really caught on in the same way as other cult cars, the Daihatsu Materia remains committed to making brave, bold statement reminiscent of cars conceived during the 60s love generation. It is a fashion accessory with substance for budget conscious car shoppers, and it is as reliable as your average, everyday Toyota, Nissan or Honda.

Starting from just under $52,000 (terms and conditions from your local dealer might apply in this case), it is well equipped, has better-than-average ride and handling capabilities, and is cheaper than it's other, badge engineered derivates. Some might not find it to be their cup of tea. But for those who do, there's very little from stopping you from taking a look at one.