Daihatsu Materia

MATERIA WITNESS
Taking design inspiration from the package your new dishwasher came in is always a risk but the people behind Daihatsu’s Materia might be on to something. Steve Walker thinks inside the box…

The Daihatsu Materia uses its square styling to the max in offering a spacious interior with plenty of practicality. There’s some nice detailing as well and although you’re in no danger of being blown away by the performance or the economy, it’s a fun and highly individual choice.

For some time now, the people who design our small cars have been embroiled in an ongoing quest for the most space-efficient shape possible. Of course, we already know what that shape is. Nothing maximises roominess on the inside while keeping dimensions manageable on the outside quite like our old friend the box. The only snag is that nobody really wants to drive around in one. Over recent years, we’ve seen overhangs shrink and rooflines rise as citycars and small MPVs gradually evolve in boxy directions but with its Materia, Daihatsu may have gone further towards the inevitable than any marque before it. Is it really hip to be square?

The Materia arrives on these shores with some history behind it. It’s the second generation of a vehicle that had been on sale in Japan badged as a Toyota and in the United States under Toyota’s youth-orientated Scion brand. Daihatsu is a Toyota-owned company these days and the Japanese also have a Daihatsu-badged version but where we know ours as the Materia, they call theirs the Coo. Whatever you want to call it, there’s no doubt that the Materia is an unusual sight for UK eyes with nothing looking quite like it having made it over here through official channels as yet. Nissan threatened to import their aptly-named Cube which follows similar visual themes and if the Materia strikes a chord with buyers, who knows? They certainly fit neatly into the shipping containers.

"Is it really hip to be square?"

Daihatsu’s links to Toyota loom large yet again in the Materia’s engine bay where you’ll find the 1.5-litre variable valve timing petrol engine that’s also seen service in the Toyota Yaris as well as Daihatsu’s own Terios. The unit develops its maximum 102bhp at 6,000rpm and peak torque of 131Nm at 4,400rpm. It all means that, in common with most variable valve timing petrol engines, the Materia’s installation gives its best in the upper reaches of the rev-range. At lower engine speeds, expect good refinement and a smooth delivery of what power there is but no fireworks. The 0-60mph sprint will take 10.8s in the five-speed manual car or 13.7s if you opt for the four-speed automatic. There’s also a 106mph top speed.

The Materia’s handling characteristics have been tweaked for European tastes with the addition of a front anti-roll bar that the Japanese market manages without and firmer suspension. At the rear, there’s a semi-independent torsion beam set-up and the steering is through a rack and pinion system with hydraulic assistance. The stubby nose helps deliver a tight 9.8m turning circle.

Daihatsu claims that the vehicle has established a cult–following in the markets where it’s offered for sale and it’s easy to see how it might. The squared-off lines and dramatically flared wheelarches are extremely distinctive with the car maintaining a low, ground-hugging stance despite being taller than supermini MPV rivals like Vauxhall’s Meriva and Renault’s Modus. The squat look is further enhanced by the narrow glasshouse and the high window line that rises up towards the rear of the car.
Recent Daihatsu products have ditched the traditional wafer thin plastics and cheap detailing of a budget Asian brand in favour of Toyota-sourced switchgear and sturdy build quality. The Materia continues the theme with a classy look and feel to its cabin which, incidentally, is as spacious as the boxy exterior would suggest. The rear bench slides fore or aft adjusting the ratio of rear legroom to boot space and at the back, the load floor is flush with the tailgate so hefty objects can be easily slid inside. Entries and exits are made simple by the deep door openings and there are some impressive detail touches about the cabin including the liquid black finish of the plastic stereo surround and the spooky blue illumination of the armrests in the front doors.

With one engine and one trim level, choosing your Materia should present few problems. The Car retails at £10,995 with the manual gearbox or £800 more with the automatic that might find favour amongst city drivers. In its other markets, the car has been marketed at younger buyers looking for the extra practicality and space that a supermini MPV yields over a standard supermini but without the frumpy image. The Materia seems to fill the role well and although it may be destined to live out its life as a niche market product over here, it definitely brings something fresh to this rather staid market sector.

There’s only one factory option on the Materia (metallic paint for £325) but standard equipment levels leave very little to the imagination when you remember that we’re talking about an £11,000 car. There’s air-conditioning, a CD stereo with MP3 compatibility, remote central locking, a split folding rear seat, alloy wheels and front fog lamps. Safety kit includes twin front and side airbags as well as ABS with EBD.

The combined cycle fuel economy of the Materia is nothing to write home about, the 1.5-litre petrol engine recording just over 39mpg when mated to the manual gearbox and just under 38mpg when specified in conjunction with the auto ‘box. We’ve been conditioned to expect headline grabbing economy figures from small diesel engines in the supermini-MPV sector and the Materia’s lack of a diesel option may put some buyers off. CO2 emissions of 169g/km are also fairly average. The Materia’s unorthodox styling and relative exclusivity should stop it from depreciating too violently as should Toyota’s influence on the build quality and reliability fronts. All models come with Daihatsu’s standard three-year unlimited mileage warranty.

The supermini MPV sector doesn’t usually give us much to get excited about, populated as it is by supermini-based vehicles boasting a smidgeon of extra practicality. Vauxhall’s faintly ridiculous Meriva VXR performance model or Peugeot’s 1007 with its sliding doors were about as lively as this category of vehicles got before the Materia came along. There’s no doubt that the way it looks will repel as many punters as it entices but if you’re one of those who rather likes the box-based styling, you’ll find a well-built, spacious and good value small car lurking beneath.

A diesel engine would have been nice for the improved economy and extra muscle but the petrol keeps the upfront cost down and it will do an adequate job for families in our congested urban areas. The cult following that Daihatsu says the vehicle achieved in America and its home market is probably the best that the Materia can hope for here but that’s better than no following at all and who’s to say that it won’t catch on more forcefully, encouraging other manufacturers to consider the undoubted merits of the box.