Hyundai Matrix Tested 2006-11-01

Rating Quick Summary Not Recommended. A compact MPV let down by poor practicality and a lacklustre driving experience.

Full Road Test

If you're in the market for a basic, no-thrills compact people carrier then the Matrix should be somewhere on your shortlist. But for most people the gawky styling, lack of refinement and poor practicality will knock it out of contention early in the process.

The Matrix's design has never been particularly successful, with the tall windows making it look like a vertically expanded supermini. And the rest of the compact MPV segment has expanded and grown up around it, leaving it looking small and squat.

The interior is very old-school Hyundai - well assembled, but made from cheap feeling materials which lack much in the way of perceived quality. Space is decent for front and rear seat occupants, if not up to the standards of some more recent rivals, and the boot is relatively small.

The driving experience is pretty much as you would expect. Dynamic limits are low, with the front end running out of grip early on wet corners and roundabouts. Not that this is the sort of car you're likely to want to chuck around, of course. The soft suspension settings give a decent ride quality.

Three engines are available. The basic 1.6 litre petrol lacks punch and the more powerful 1.8 litre unit is loud when revved hard, although respectably rapid. Both are better than the truly dreadful 81 bhp 1.5 litre diesel option, which feels completely overwhelmed trying to motivate a car this size.