Vehicle: 2009 Subaru R1
Price as tested: HK$92130

Performance: Even though Subaru is a brand name associates with great performance and driving abilities, R1′s performance prowess is nothing more than any Japanese kei-cars which are more suitable for daily commute than any track event.

The subject of this test drive, R1, is powered by a minature 658cc DOHC in-line 4-cylinder 16-valve with adjustable valve timing. Because of R1′s tiny size, its not cost-effective to engineered Subaru’s legendary flat-4 into this mickey mouse engine bay. This 54hp mill has proper amount of acceleration for a K-car, even acceptable consider its Subaru roots. Throttle response is decent enough for quick acceleration, in relative to others of same level of engine displacement, for active safety. 64 lb/ft of torque’s plateau at 4000rpm seems more than reasonable. Once accelerate, you have to get used to all those rough engine noise that translate into the cabin noise. The best engineering aspect of this tiny powertrain is the use of CVT. With the use of CVT, it can deliver this little mill into a more efficient manner instead of filtering through the torque-slipping torque converter of those traditional automatic gearbox. That means it delivers power more effectively and efficiently than many of R1′s competitions.

Handling: R1′s platform also shares with its 4-door silibings, the R2. What it differs from R2 is R1 hosts a stiffer suspension and shocks for sportier handling and better driving experience. Platform wise, R1 has stiff enough platform for its basic suspension design to hang its heads. Given R1′s tall center of gravity on a short length with long, once again in relative to other K-cars. R1 handles more confidently than R2 when pushed because it tends to hang itself better before it settles after lots of body rolls and terminal understeer. R2, on the other hand, felt softer with more pronounced body rolls. Steering wise, it continues Subaru’s tradition of providing plenty of great feedback and precision. Its responsivness and lack of twitches have seperated both R1 and R2 from other K-cars I have ever driven. If I have to name one car company which consistently engineered great steering feel right from the bottom of the hierarchy to the top, Subaru definitely on the top of the list. The ride quality is surprisingly civilized, as in the beginning, R1 has fundmantal flaw when it comes to wheelbase and overall length. It absorbs bumps and roughness in decent manners.

Brakes: Given R1 has a curb weight of 810kg. Its front discs/rear drums have done a really good job. The stopping distance is short and modulation sharp. Even if it builds at the price point, it doesn’t have the usual brake numbness once assicates with this sort of basic transportation. If Subaru is able to afford ABS standard on both R1 and R2, as with the rest of the Subaru product portfolio, it could well become the best brakes in the entire K-car universe.

Interior: If you are looking for acceptable amount of cargo and rear seat space, R1 is not your type of car as both are at premium, even by K-car standard. R2 is more acceptable for rear passengers even though the access is better.

As for the rest of the interior, R1′s use of materials have to be considered as one of the best in this price range. Although there remains plenty of hard plastic materials, Subaru designers have dressed it up with nice moldings and color combination which make them look far classier and fancier. Our tester’s red velour seats with black dashboard remind me of some more expensive car. The rest of the layout is typical K-car simple. Simple dials for air conditioner and clear instrumentation. That’s despite I found the stereo buttons a tard too small.

Conclusion: At the time of our writing, Subaru has announced they will stop producing the R1 and R2. The next R1 and R2 will be produced by Daihatsu, which is another brand owns by automotive giant: Toyota. Given the execution of R1, its level of engineering and attention-to-details are something that are Subaru exclusive and will definitely benefit Daihatsu in the long run. Subaru’s engineering prowess will be better leave to making those great high-performance machines.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2009 Subaru R1
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Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.25/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 3/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 1/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 2.5/5