Friday, December 22, 2006

Daihatsu Materia: A Scion xB Look-Alike for Europe

BOLOGNA, Italy — Japanese automaker Daihatsu, an affiliate of the Toyota group, has announced a European version of its home-market Coo, a boxy compact based on the Toyota bB.Daihatsu MateriaIn Europe, the car will be rebadged as the Daihatsu Materia and will go on sale in mid-2007.

The Materia will share a 103-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine from the Daihatsu Terios crossover. Prices are expected to start at just over $21,000.

Toyota meanwhile is planning to replace its Scion xB next spring in the U.S., but has said the next-generation model won't be a clone of the Japanese-market bB.

© Source: article on insideline