DAIHATSU MATERIA

Improbable styling makes the Daihatsu Materia stick out in any company. It’s also very well packaged, meaning it’s actually far more sensible on the inside than it is without. Perfect if you have a child or two, and share their mental age.

• Comfort

  Belying the small glass area and chopped look to the roofline, there's bags of head and legroom in here. Bad British roads aren't an issue either, with the whole driving experience feeling reasonably refined.

• Performance

  There's only one engine option for the Materia, and it's a modest 102bhp 1.5-litre petrol. This means if you want to hit 60mph you need to apply in writing and that the top speed barely nudges three figures.

• Cool

  The Materia will appeal to a certain sub-section of the car buying community. The same sub-section that fancies itself a bit ‘street' but still has a Superman duvet cover.

• Quality

  The Materia is so well knocked together it'll fall out of fashion long before it falls to bits. Plastics and finish are the usual budget end of the Japanese market, but they pass muster.

• Handling

  The Materia rides well, especially for something that looks like it's been slammed to within an inch of the asphalt. It's not going to out-drive the Fiestas of this world, but if you're tempted by one of these that'll be the last thing you need to worry about.

• Practicality

  Will seat four adults in relative comfort - no mean feat in a car of this size - but the trade off is in the boot. Which is getting on for not even being there.

• Running costs

  Like all Daihatsus, insurance is low because they are slow and no-one wants to nick them. Economy is good on the Materia too, but we wager residuals won't be.