Review
It's a little bit unfair to criticise the Matiz for most of its immediately obvious failings. This is a car that's sold entirely on the grounds of value for money, with typical buyers unlikely to mind too much about its outdated driving dynamics, poor equipment or indifferent safety systems.
The narrow, upright styling is inoffensive enough, although the plasticky cabin is finished in very cheap materials and without much in the way of standard equipment. The driving position isn't very comfortable and the Matiz gets very loud over longer journeys.
Handling feels at least 15 years out of date - a million miles away from the dynamic standards of the best modern superminis. The Matiz has an almost comical lack of front-end grip, although this can get alarming in the rain. Performance is also extremely limited with either the basic 0.8 litre three-cylinder engine or the very slightly more potent 1.0 litre unit.
Running costs are very low, but buyers should also consider the sort of nearly-new mainstream supermini that the same amount of money could land them.