Road Test: At first sight, you'll either laugh or grimace but, says Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor, behind its geeky image the Fiat Qubo has a lot going for it.
OH, STOP sneering and don't be such a motoring snob. The Qubo - pronounced "kobo" - is a kooky name for an even kookier car. This car takes over where the original Fiat Multipla left off in terms of looks. Only this is for the smaller family, so instead of six seats you get five and instead of people carrying ability, you get more of a van-like feel.
First impressions are worth recording when people encounter the Qubo. Some laugh, some grimace, young children point in wonderment or hug their parents in fear. I just laughed.
Having seen the photos several months earlier, I mistakenly had the impression that - due to its billing from the press releases - this was a relatively small derivative of the Punto or suchlike with sliding rear doors.
Instead, a large luminous green box with blue seats awaited me in the car park. It certainly takes you by surprise.
If that's what you like, then the Qubo is a hoot. Parked in the drive, I couldn't help but double-take every time I passed its chubby-lipped front nose. And every time it brought a chuckle.
It's the motoring equivalent of those Amazon chiefs who used to wear wooden frisbees in their bottom lips and hung out with Sting for a while. It creates great dinner conversation and elicits comments from strangers. As an ice breaker, only a Ferrari is its equal.
Take another look at the images of this car and remember that it's ultimately from the same firm that moulds Alfas, Ferraris and Maseratis. What sort of an off-day were they having?
The element of surprise doesn't end there, however, for the press release that accompanies it waxes lyrically about its "fresh, contemporary design" and the "big-car refinement".
While they might get away with "fresh" on a generous day, assigning "refinement" to the inside of the Qubo is a step too far. Ignoring the heavy-duty plastics, there are vast areas of uncovered metal carried in from outside. What sort of refined "big car" has rear windows that just latch out slightly at the back rather than open or roll down?
Sitting up front, it's functional; sitting in the back it's just like travelling in a minibus.
Now all this criticism would seem to suggest this car is a waste of space on any forecourt.
The truth is, however, that while it's all valid, we're being a bit cruel to the Qubo. Unless you've grown up as the school bully, you can't help having a soft-spot for this underdog.
There's no question but that the Qubo is a little short on the style front. It's the motoring geek who came from a family of pin-ups. But just as in the movies, this geek has a lot going for it in place of good looks.
Let's take it for what it is - a van-like family car for people who have accepted their fate as family taxi-driverson a limited motoring budget. The Qubo offers an alternative option to the plethora of high-roofed people carriers. Well, it offers a Fiat alternative at least.
Two engines are on offer: a 1.4-litre petrol or 1.3-litre diesel. The petrol engine saves you €800 in the purchase price, but its emissions of 165g/km mean its road tax is €430 a year compared to €100 for the diesel.
Factor in fuel saving over longer journeys and you quickly see that the diesel is the only show in Qubo-ville.
It's a punchy little engine that records better fuel economy and emissions than any of its competitors, yet it has a better kick - torque for the technical readers out there - than those rivals.
Official figures show it pips its rivals as well in terms of 0-100km/h acceleration, though that word does seem a little misplaced when discussing cars that all take over 16 seconds to get up to speed.
In the funky Fiat 500 this engine manages a time of 12.5 seconds, but here it adds four seconds. That's a noticeable time when you're on the other side of the road passing a truck.
Overtaking is only undertaken with a clear road ahead and the horizon line in sight in any of these cars.
Given the load it's pulling, it's hardly surprising that the Qubo diesel is not the quietest car on the market, but even in traffic when cold, the engine noise is not overbearing. All in all, this is a very sweet little diesel engine.
That's not surprising, for Fiat always had a reputation for great engine technology, even when other elements were recording more chequered pasts.
Small cars are what Fiat do best and this, to all intent and purpose, is a big small car. That's why it works.
The ride is rudimentary, comfortable on smooth roads and a bumpy over uneven surfaces. On rutted roads in Mayo it was juddering. Wind noise does play its part, but again you shouldn't expect anything less given its shape.
In terms of handling, the Qubo is surprisingly pliant, even around town, with a decent turning circle.
However, the driving ability of this car is secondary to what's going on behind the driver. Access to the rear seats is through two sliding rear doors. That's great for loading children and in crowded car parks with little room between spaces. It's one of those features that really makes a difference in family life.
The raised rear seats also offer a good view, front and sides, reducing the risk of car sickness, though the clip system in the back windows is a bit too penny-pinching for our tastes.
Round the back and the great big boot door is perhaps the clearest indication that this is as much van as car. Given the thought that went into the sliding side doors, a little more effort here, such as a secondary rear-opening screen, might have been useful. Reverse within two metres of a wall and you'll have to pull out to get into the boot.
In terms of space, for all that height, it's no bigger than rivals like the Renault Grand Modus or Opel Meriva, while cars like the Skoda Roomster or Citroën Berlingo leave it slightly red-faced. You can access more space by folding down the rear seats but that sort of defeats some of the purpose.
While the Citroën would seem the best benchmark in the "looks are not important" segment of the market, it's €5,685 more expensive than the entry diesel Qubo. In this market segment that's a huge sum.
A closer challenger is the Skoda Roomster. The price may be slightly more, but the bootspace is bigger with the rear seats up - though significantly less when folded down. It's also not quite as quirky-looking as the Qubo. No one is going to point and laugh at you at least.
That, for us, would suggest the Czech takes the prize, but there's no doubting the soft spot one can develop for the Qubo.
Sensible people who study psychology reckon we anthropomorphise our cars too much, thinking of them as if they were our pets. That's nigh on impossible with many Asian cars, but hard to avoid with the Italians or even the French. Call us mad, but these cars have characters. Some of us were that geeky child at school, and that's probably why we carry a soft spot for this car.
For all the jibes about its looks and silly marketing comments from its maker, the Qubo is a statement about the character of its owners. It isn't as much bought as adopted by a good home.
Factfile:
Engine: 1248cc 4-cylinder in-line Multijet diesel engine with 75bhp at 4,000rpm and 190Nm of torque at 1,750rpm
Specification: There are two trim levels available. Active trim has ABS; four airbags; sliding side doors; remote central locking; body-coloured bumpers
Dynamic trim adds: air conditioning; foglights; 16" alloys; front seat armrests; height and lumbar adjustable driver's seat; body-coloured door mirrors; removable and split rear seat (60/40).
L/100km (mpg):urban: 5.9 (47.9); extra-urban: 3.9 (72.9); combined: 4.6 (61.4)
CO2 emissions: 119 g/km
Tax: VRT charged at 14 per cent; motor tax €100 (€104 from January 1st)
Price: €15,395 to €17,295