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This caught our interest, so we had a drive in one to find
out just what makes these multipurpose vehicles tick. For someone who’s used to cars, would they be any good to
drive? And are they a
genuine alternative to increasing expensive vans like the Hi-Ace,
Hyundai Starex, Mitsubishi Space Gear and Kia Carnival? Getting into the driver’s seat of the Revo means a big
step up, with some wiggling into the bucket.
Once you’re there it’s a car-like driving position.
Steering wheel, dash and other controls are from the Toyota parts
bin—parts bin of the early 1990s, that is! Everything
clicks into place well, but appearance is awful—don’t expect Lexus
or even Echo; think more like Corolla of five generations ago.
Beside the driver’s seat is a two-person bench, adjustable for
seatback rake only. Boot space is nonexistent with the third row up, but huge
when it’s folded. The
third row is a cinch to fold and tumble forward.
It’s almost clever, except there’s no lock on the seatback
and probably won’t pass U.S. or Euro crash safety standards.
There are no seatbelts also for third row passengers.
Headroom is quite limited in the third row; people only 1.7
meters tall (five-foot-seven) are scraping the ceiling. We fired up the engine, expecting something unrefined like a Lite-Ace’s or 1970s Tamaraw’s. Instead, the 1.8 EFI engine was smooth, with robust torque from idle all the way to its low 5500 rpm redline. It’s good for only 94 bhp, but tuned for low-end performance, torque peaking at 155 Nm at 3200 rpm. Acceleration was brisk, and we didn’t have any difficulty keeping up with other traffic. We were only carrying two persons, though, and no luggage. If you tend to carry a full load more than half the time, then you’d certainly need the 2.0-liter. Cooperating well is the five-speed manual gearshift.
Gear changes are notchy but easy to engage.
The gearlever is the longest you’ll see this side of an F150
manual. Perhaps it would
have been wiser to mount the gearlever on the dash or the steering
column to free up space for the front middle passenger; I suppose that
parts-beggars can’t be choosers. The clutch was light and easy to modulate; no problem for
the Metro’s stop-and-go traffic. There’s a clear view of the road ahead, thanks to the high ground clearance. The Revo is compact for its interior volume—30 mm shorter than the new Civic; maneuvering and parking is easy. Brakes are adequate to stopping the 1405-kg vehicle, but lacks pedal feel of any kind. The power-assisted steering is likewise light but lifeless. |
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