At the front, designers...
At the front, designers have reprofiled the bumper and added the more prominent V-grille to bring the car in line with the latest Astra and Vectra. Modifications at the rear are less significant, with dark lenses and extra chrome trim. The cabin is largely unaltered.
The Materia will be...
The Materia will be based on the Japanese firm"s D Compact Wagon, which was a concept at this year"s Geneva Motor Show. A spokesman for the company told us: "It"s quirky looking and will certainly polarise opinion. We see it as quite a niche model."
It"s a supermini-MPV along the lines of the Nissan Note and Renault Modus. Externally, the newcomer will look very similar to the exhibition car, but there will be some slight revisions to the cabin. "The interior will be slightly more conventional, and feature a floor- mounted gearstick and handbrake," continued the spokesman.
Bosses claim the newcomer will have the most flexible interior ever seen from the brand, with the rear bench seat moving fore and aft on rails to boost either passenger or cargo space. Power comes from the 1.5-litre engine that features in the all-new Terios SUV, but no diesel is planned.
At present, the Geneva show car is being used in customer clinics across the UK to gauge reaction to the Materia. Exact specifications of the production car have yet to be finalised, but it"s thought only one trim level will be offered with a high level of standard kit. The new model is expected to be priced at around ÷£10,000.
This car will also form the basis of a new model for Toyota, which will then be sold in the US under the Japanese firm"s Scion youth brand.