I know what you are thinking: Not very practical, is it?
Oh contraire, this is a very practical little MPV. It compares in size to a Renault Modus or Vauxhall Meriva. Everyone that sat in it agreed and felt compelled to talk about how practical it probably is. Not one passenger failed to point out the very high ceilings. When pressed no one could actually explain why high ceilings were practical in a car, but nonetheless everyone mentioned it and nodded sagely, so I guess there is something in that.
But whereas a comparable one-year-old Modus will cost you £6,481, and a Meriva about £6,550, the Materia is £7,625! Leaving aside the ceiling, you have comparable boot space, leg room front and rear. So what are you paying for?
Well, as the press pack so modestly puts it, an ‘outstanding standard equipment list.’ This includes air conditioning, four electric windows, CD tuner with six speakers, alloy wheels and remote central locking.
Plus the looks are worth something. They raise a chirpy smile from even the most depressed soul. This isn’t a car to be taken seriously in, but somehow it avoids the kind of ridicule the big bobble-eyed Fiat Multipla owners were subjected to.
After the giggles die down, the next thing people ask is, “So what DOES it drive like then?”
The experience of driving a Materia is quite different to the mainstream mini-MPVs too. The dashboard has very little in the way of gauges. What little information it does offer comes from a central binnacle right up by the windscreen in the middle of the dash – some distance from where you expect it. Those without RAF pilot-quality vision may struggle with it initially. Certainly, around town it makes checking that you are not exceeding 30 a bit difficult.
Sitting in traffic, scanning around for something to do, I spotted a button that said ‘illumination.’ Absent-mindedly, I pressed it and was entertained to discover that it didn’t turn the cabin lights on. Instead it illuminated the speakers and door handles in a fetching neon blue. This became my party piece of the week whenever I gave someone a lift. It amused one and all.
The seats are soft and comfy, but don’t offer much support. Which is a bit of a shame because around town, there is something about this little beasty that just begs to be chucked about. The 1.5 litre engine is described as ‘frugal and lively.’ I couldn’t put it better myself. Not only is it responsive when you want to nip in and out of traffic jams, but it is quite refined at motorway speeds too. You wouldn’t choose to do a motorway run in it, but you don’t need to be scared. As well as being acceptable in noise terms, it is very stable. Where as some little cars feel like they are being blown about a bit by lorries and the like, the Materia feels firmly bedded down.
When threading its way through a fast sweeping corner, the handling was precise and the balance of the car impressively composed, too. It is very car-like in its handling, even if the driving position is like no other. It’s not like a van (or mainstream MPV). It feels, sort of like sitting in a kitchen chair and racing round a go-kart track.
If you weren’t thinking ‘its not very practical,’ you were thinking: Who, on earth buys one of these things?
Well, all three rear seats have three-point seat belts and the outer rear seats have ISOFIX child-seat mounting points. The front air bag can be switched of on the passenger side too, for when a child seat is fitted there.
There is also plenty of safety kit, including ABS with EBD (whatever that is)*, driver, passenger and side air bags.
It’s frugal and fun, but also has a brilliant 5 year unlimited mileage warranty and 5 years road side assistance, so maybe they want young families on a budget to try it?
Summary
A practical mini-MPV, that is much more capable and versatile than its looks suggest. Not as cheap as you might expect, but it will hold its value well and has an impressive equipment list as standard.
Road test car details:
Daihatsu Materia 1.5
OTR: £10,495 (new price – check out the used price later in the magazine)
0-62: 10.8 secs
MPG: 39.2
Co2/km: 169
* ABS with EBD is Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. Which means there is less chance the wheels will lock up when doing an emergency stop.
By: Matthew Tumbridge