Subaru’s FWD straight-three Justy minicar

Subaru’s are famous for two things: boxer engines and symmetrical AWD mechanicals. The new Justy minicar, which has just gone on sale in Europe, has neither of these attributes and instead makes do with an ultra-efficient 1.0L inline three cylinder petrol engine and a FWD configuration.

The car’s tiny powerplant delivers up to 69hp and 93Nm (63lb-ft) of torque, which is enough to see it reach 60mph in 13.5 seconds and top out at 100mph. Though this is nothing to get excited about, the engine’s fuel economy figure is an amazing 64.2mpg (3.67L/100km) and its carbon emissions stand at just 118g/km.

Standard equipment for the entry-level model includes ABS with EBD, driver, passenger, side and front and rear curtain airbags, alloy wheels, air-conditioning, electric mirrors and reverse sensors.

The Justy is based on the Daihatsu Sirion and picks up the Sirion’s MacPherson front struts and rear torsion bar with separate coil springs plus gets its own anti-roll bars. It also features an electric power steering system to help save fuel.