I'm starting to suspect the Daihatsu Materia is a Terios in disguise. I have also discovered it is deceptive in many other ways.

Upon being presented with the Materia my thoughts turned to its size and how compact it was. Thanks to some clever design work, it only appears small from the outside. There's more than enough legroom and headroom inside the cabin, which is more funky van than compact hatch.

There's no surprises when it comes to instruments and gadgets. This is stock-standard Daihatsu and is almost identical to the items I've seen in the numerous Terios models I've driven.

Nothing wrong with that. The sound systems works well and is easy to use. Ditto the aircon and the electric windows. I could even adopt the Orangutan approach to driving I use in the Terios. This is done by raising the seat and lower the steering wheel — as much as is possible without pinning your legs to the cushions — which allows you to hang your arm loosely down for gear changes and steer with elbows in your lap. It really is rather comfortable.

It also drives very much like a Terios. There's plenty of revving if you want some extra oomph and the revs edge up into the 3000 zone as you pass 100km/h and don't come down from there. It wallows at speeds below 60km/h and in strong winds.

I'm convinced they reshaped a Terios and put smaller wheels on it.

This is not a bad thing. I have a soft spot for the Terios and am quite taken in by this 'Postman Pat' cousin.

It's a good fit for a townie vehicle. There's enough boot space for a load of groceries and the seats can be folded to accommodate larger loads. The squarish cabin and boot door make loading up even easier.

The Materia can put on a surprising turn of speed if it's poked in the right places, and will turn in smartly through corners, despite the wallowing effect at lower speeds. I found that the harder it was pushed, the better it performed.

It soon became difficult to believe that a 76kW, 1.5-litre engine was sitting under the bonnet. With loads of space to spare under there, I might add.

And while there is nothing altogether earth-shattering about the features it offers or the cabin equipment, it does have one quality that stands out. It is almost dead quiet.

Whether the Materia is running at full tilt or at idle in traffic, the lack of noise from the tar or other external sources, makes this little runabout an oasis of peace in a busy world. I'd drive the Materia purely for the fact that after a day on the road, I'd be completely at ease.

I wonder if I can write the purchase price off to medical expenses on my tax claim form?

Page 2... Specs and pricing

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My van can The Materia is not what it seems to be and is deceptive in many ways, Philip Devine discovers.