Mario James Photo
The 2005 Dahiatsu Boon available at Auto Impressions for $869,000.

Mario James, Gleaner Writer

It is cute. Really it is. It kind of looks like Gizmo (the Mogwai from the movie, Gremlins), if you visualise its wing mirrors as ears and add fur. It costs $869,000 and gets about 43 mpg. The Boon is made by Daihatsu, now a subdivision of Toyota, and always a builder of quirky, yet logical automobiles that had carved out their own niche in this increasingly competitive market, ergo the Cuore and the Terios.

Oodles of interior space

Our tester is a well-put-together machine. It has oodles of interior space and strange, but workable and novel controls. The gear shifter, for example, is not between the seats, but attached to the steering column, as is the speedo/ odo/idiot light guage pod. So when the column is tilted, the pod moves with it, ensuring that the dials aren't obstructed by the adjustment. In spite of being mounted on the column, its handle isn't more or less horizontal; it is more or less vertical. So, instead of a vertical plane of movement, a la your normal horizontal column mounted shift, gears are selected with a rotation of the stick. It some how feels like you are at home in front of your PlayStation, for it does feel like a joystick. The selected gear shows up on the gauge pod.

So much for quirky controls. They work though, and the cabin feels uncluttered because of them. Space-wise, this is one of those sub-compacts that make 'girthy' folk feel like they have lost weight. Sitting inside the Boon is analogous to freeing a tightly bound waist after a heavy meal. This is the best cab forward packaging that Automotives has seen in years. Coupled with a rear 60-40 back seat split, and Boon's cargo capacity moves from 220 litres to a mammoth 630 litres, like the Honda Fit. It is full of utility.

Flaws

But there are flaws in the package. The 1KR-FE 998cc three-cylinder inline engine, designed in conjunction with Toyota, develops 67 hp at 6000 rpm and 69 lb ft of torque at 3600 rpm. This works out to approximately 70 hp per litre, which is an excellent spec. But it doesn't translate to the real world. Performance-wise, the car struggles. Its VVT cam phasing system was obviously built for economy, not performance, and to get any semblance of poke from this three banger its driver will have to wring its little neck. The doors close with a tinny sound, like the Suzuki Swifts of times past, which emphasises the lightness of the package. Automotives thinks that the four-speed automatic saps too much of the engine's torque, resulting in less-than-stellar times around our urban circuit. The ride is acceptable, the vehicle being under sprung, and having little mass to react against. But there is too much body roll in the corners for 'spirited' drivers, and the brakes are marginal at best. It is not a car for quick road work.

But for commuters who just want to get from point A to B and stuff in a baby grand along the way, there is no better choice. Boon was never designed as a Grand Tourer. If you want more power, look for the four-cylinder 1.3-litre model. For those who want even more zip, a factory-installed turbo version of this engine exists. It will seat five adults with relative comfort, and during an average ten miles a day, commuters will consume a tank of gas in three weeks. Bottom line, this is one of the most cost-effective units to own and operate.

mario.james@gleanerjm.com