Daihatsu Materia car review

The Daihatsu Materia screams “Look at me!” It’s boxy, tall and has relatively small alloy wheels

Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 77%

On the first look it appears the Daihatsu Materia’s designers were given free reign when developing this outrageous Japanese compact MPV.

The result is a car that looks like nothing on the road, is well equipped and reasonably priced.

But does the Materia work beyond its wild styling and practicality? We drove one for a week to find out.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling |Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor | Rivals

1. Looks
Spectacular – but it’s up to you whether it’s spectacularly good or bad, either way the Daihatsu Materia screams “Look at me!” It’s boxy, tall and has relatively small alloy wheels. The headlights are positioned above a grille which stretches the width of the front, while the rear lights curve upwards at each end like a pair of cartoon eyelashes. The back is almost entirely flat, with a sweeping body line stretching from the bottom of the boot window across to the front headlights. The Materia would look cooler with a set of larger alloys and has the look of a car modifiers on a budget would like.
10/10

2. Looks inside
Daihatsu has played it safe with the interior going for a dark trim. The speedo and rev counters are placed in the middle of the dashboard takes some getting used to. The gear stick is quite tall and not enclosed giving the look more fitting to a minibus or van. The most interesting aspect of the interior is the front speakers which give off a blue glow. It’s a nice touch but seems out of place in comparison to the otherwise conservative interior.
7/10

3. Practicality
On the face of it, the Daihatsu Materia looks fairly small, but it’s a motoring Tardis. If the LA Lakers basketball team is looking for a vehicle to transport its starting five to a game, it should look no further than the Materia. Unfortunately, the boot does not match the cabin’s size, but there is still a maximum of 294 litres storage space. A vertical end makes parking an easy task and there is plenty of all-round vision.
9/10

4. Ride and Handling
Cornering in the Daihatsu Materia is potentially a frightening experience. With the Materia’s high roofline (1.6 metres) and 15-inch alloys, there is a lot of roll on corners – tight roundabouts should be taken with particular caution. The ride is comfortable, soaking up any potholes the road has to offer. Handling isn’t great, but you wouldn’t expect it from an £11,000 compact MPV.  
6/10

5. Performance
The Materia is only available with one engine; a 1.5-litre petrol. Producing 102bhp, the compact MPV accelerates from 0-62mph (100kph) in 10.8 seconds and has a top speed of 106mph. Not eye-opening quick, but the engine is quite lively, revs hard and with 97lb/ft of pulling power at 4,400rpm, the Materia is fun to drive. It’s also available as an automatic which does the 62mph dash in 13.7 seconds before hitting 102mph.

Changing gear isn’t the best fun in the Materia. It feels more like a mid-Nineties Transit van than a modern car and when changing it doesn’t always feel like you have moved it fully into gear.
6/10

6. Running Costs
The revvy engine on the Daihatsu Materia manages an average 39.2mpg (37.7 auto) while emitting 169g/km and 176g/km respectively. This places both models in tax band E meaning a yearly bill of £165. Insurance group nine out of 20 should ensure annual premiums aren’t sky high.
7/10

7. Reliability
The Daihatsu Materia is a new car and while it is fairly well equipped for its price there isn’t much that can really go wrong. If there are any problems the Materia is covered by a three year unlimited mileage warranty with three years’ roadside assistance.
7/10

8. Safety
The Japanese car has been well kitted out safety-wise for its size and price. There are twin front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic brake distribution as standard. In the EuroNCAP crash test programme, the Materia was awarded four stars for adult occupants and three stars for children.
8/10

9. Equipment
Standard equipment includes CD player, power steering, air conditioning, front fog lights and all round electric windows.
7/10

10. X-Factor
It’s good value for money, not very large but incredibly capacious, has a punchy engine and looks like nothing else on the road. If you want something different to drive around in, look no further than the Daihatsu Materia.
10/10

Rivals
You might also want to consider:
Vauxhall Meriva
Chevrolet Tacuma
Fiat Doblo
Kia Carens
Renault Kangoo