THE LOVE it or hate it approach to car styling can be a dangerous tightrope - but it's a sure-fire way to get a vehicle noticed. It's certainly worked for Daihatsu's new Materia. You quickly lose count of how many heads have turned while driving the distinctive small MPV. At least I think that's what it is.

With so many styling cues and elements incorporated it's hard to know. It has the chunky square-jawed body of a Range Rover Sport, the front end of a Kia Picanto and the arches and slanted rear of a Chrysler PT Cruiser. An oddball collection, but an intriguing one all the same.

Daihatsu sees the Materia as a competitor to the Renault Modus and Vauxhall Meriva - only with more pizzazz. With room for five and a respectable boot it's hard to argue with the car's practicality. The rear seat backs can adjusted to a less upright angle to allow weary passengers a more comfortable ride. For the ultimate in roadside kipping the seats fold flat and link up with the fronts to form a makeshift bed.

The Materia's well put together with a comfy and sturdy interior. The completely black dash assembly isn't as gloomy as you might think, mainly because it's quite a funky piece of architecture with pleasing angles and tweeters where you wouldn't expect to find them.

The central position of the dials and gauges is easy enough to get used to, but doesn't feel as natural as the normal location behind the steering wheel. It also means that when driving in the dark there's no backlighting to the wheel or stalks, which can be disconcerting.

To counter the shadowy exterior Daihatsu has added mood lighting in the form of a soft blue tint in the armrests and bright blue neon encircling of the front door speakers. If you find it a bit too Vegas the lighting can be switched off, although it can be a welcome accompaniment on a long drive.

The high driving position of the Materia makes it very relaxing on the motorway and the 1.5-litre petrol engine has just enough get-up-and-go for the Materia to keep pace with fast moving traffic. An enlarged version of the 1.3-litre twin cam unit found in the smaller Sirion, the engine is much more refined in the Materia offering a quieter ride thanks to double door seals and improved sound insulation.