The new feisty version of the Daihatsu Materia embodies exactly what we all wanted the original Materia to be like.

The Materia is styled like a Japanese street racer from the likes of Tokyo Drift, but never really had the shove to match up to its street cred.

Uniquely South African

Now though thanks to this uniquely South African version, Daihatsu have been busy under the hood and added a small 0.4-bar turbocharger to make it all that more appealing. The turbo boosts the car to 100km/h in 8.9 seconds on the reef thanks to its 110kW of power and 190Nm of torque.

The Materia turbo's debut event was its release to the media at Zwartkops International Raceway, where the car was put through its paces as journalists pitted themselves against each other in a hotlap competition to decide the 2009 Daihatsu night challenge champion.

The turbo was very capable on the circuit, thanks to its lightweight but highly rigid components, the suspension system offers exceptional suspension compliance with Eibach Progressive Racing Springs all round. Wider 205/40 tyres have been fitted on 17-inch alloys to improve cornering.

Optional diff

A limited slip differential is optional but the standard car was good in the corners and the effect of this extra equipment would only really be noticeable on a track.

A special six-speaker sound system has been added and can be made even more powerful if you select the option. Though this Materia has some new power additions, the space inside the boot and cabin has not been made any less practical.

Whoosh!

The turbo is a ball of fun to drive. A bonnet scoop feeds the intercooler and the waste gate lets go with a wild whoosh with gear shift. Anybody nearby will know this is not a run-of-the-mill Materia.

This model is worth considering if you're in the market for an entry-level hot hatch.

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