Subaru is best known for four-wheel drive cars like the Subaru Impreza WRX or Forester SUV but the Japanese car company has a proud history of building little cars like the Justy, although in this case Justy is simply a reworked Daihatsu Sirion.
Subaru has played it smart with the Justy by hooking up with Toyota (who has the controlling share of Daihatsu and a chunk of Subaru also) to deliver a town car that will help bring down the company's high CO2 average.
The boxy styling is an evolution of every Japanese 'Town' car and you cannot deny the shape makes for a very functional mode of transport. Access is easy thanks to doors that open very wide. This is managed thanks to the wheels being placed very far out on the car’s extremities. Justy is a near perfect car for nipping through narrow gaps and parking in tight spots.
The 3-cylinder engine is the same unit found in the Aygo triplets (Aygo, Peugeot 107 & Citroen C1), Toyota Yaris and of course the Sirion itself to name a few. About town it is nippy and quick.
Outside the 50/60km/h zones the little Justy needs a clever driver behind the wheel to maximize the 68bhp on offer to best effect. My foot was to the floor 80% of the time on my rural commute but that said I enjoyed planning my lane selection and overtakes to keep up with the bigger boys! Although at times I felt like a jaded cyclist desperately hanging on to the back of the pack, aware of the danger that if I couldn’t hang on to them I would rapidly lose ground.
The downside to the tax efficient engine is the racket it makes. On anything more than a 20 minute journey the drone will start to get to you. Justy is stable and comfortable on the open road and a bit of fun about town.
Inside the cabin is huge and three kids will fit in the back without complaints. The interior is well built and the materials used are in keeping with the competition. It is easy to find a decent driving position also.
Justy starts at €13,995 but come July and the VRT changes it should be a lot cheaper and quite tempting. My test car was fitted with an optional €2,000 styling kit that has nice alloys, racing stripes and of course, a roof spoiler. Not to everyone’s taste but smaller kids won’t mind if one is in the driveway. Justy is too expensive with the kit fitted as there are far superior cars in the16K bracket e.g. 1.3 Mazda2 etc.
Subaru is an interesting brand that has a rally heritage to be proud of. Sadly, its four-wheel drive performance cars are having a hard time fitting in to a world that’s gone ‘Green’. Help is on the way in the form of Subaru’s first diesel engine and it cannot come soon enough.
Justy can deliver great fuel economy (up to 64mpg) and there is kudos in the Subaru badge but for now at €13,995 it’s just too dear!
Michael Sheridan
