Never heard of it before, but I can tell you right now that I like the fact that the seats fold flat enough to sleep on. Much more comfortable than just tilting the driver's seat back. Though I wouldn't want to take it around an AX course.

Other than that, it looks oddly tall and van-like. Not at all like the "standard" marketed Subaru in the USA, at least. Kind of like Mercedes doesn't imort their small cars, as it doesn't fit their image in the USA.

One big plus is you can get it with a 5MT in either 2WD or AWD.

 

Unfortunately it seems the driver has just realized he lost his wallet.

 

^^^LOL

I still have no idea what that diagram is trying to tell me!

EDIT: ah I get it..buttocks between wheels, no leg room, buttocks over wheels, lots of leg room.

 

Unfortunately it seems the driver has just realized he lost his wallet.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
:6: :6: :6: :6: :6:

 

Does it come with the chick? If so, sign me up. But not sure what the wife would think.

Joking aside, what's up with that dash? Is it so retro it's modern?

 

...

By looking at that shift lever, I can see why ladies would like this vehicle so much.

:15: :10: :22:


Ok ok ok...fine, I deserve to be :25: :11: :9:

 

/me high fives fellow Rochestarian and then heads off to update his profile.

 

Joking aside, what's up with that dash? Is it so retro it's modern?

Yeah I wasn't quite sure what to make of that. It's as if they found some old dash from an 1980's Fiat and threw it in last minute.

The rest of the interior is pretty impressive, in a practical sense. I really like the seats and those door panels, and the interior appears huge. Look at all the cargo space behind the rear seats. Those folding beds are nice also for camping, using it as a base camp etc.

 

Vans like these are very common throughout Asian countries. Most places they are used for delivery vans for really light loads, but there are usually passenger versions available.

Here's one page about the Dias with some info on it: http://www.batfa.com/newcar-subarusambardiaswagon.htm

I saw the Korean's take on this idea all the time when I lived there. GMDaewoo makes the Damas van, and it's about the same size as the Dias....which is to say really tiny, with just enough room for 4 close friends to ride in one. One person could put it on its side without trying too hard...just get it rocking side to side, and it'll roll very easily. Despite that, they are cool, intensely maneuverable, and inexpensive.

Here's a pic of the Daewoo take on the tiny van. This one is several years old, but there have been few updates over the years. Notice the relative size of the shopping cart.

 

Yeah I wasn't quite sure what to make of that. It's as if they found some old dash from an 1980's Fiat and threw it in last minute.

The rest of the interior is pretty impressive, in a practical sense. I really like the seats and those door panels, and the interior appears huge. Look at all the cargo space behind the rear seats. Those folding beds are nice also for camping, using it as a base camp etc.

Exactly. The rest of the car is fairly modern yet for the dash they just gave up. I sort of like this trend of "mobile living" that we're heading down. Heh, with this economy we're probably going to end up with a lot of people living in fancy "vans down by the river".

 

www.japanoid.com

They bring cars into Canada from Japan. There are a couple of the diesel 4x4 vans up in our area. I like the 668cc super charged, 4x4, 50 mpg., Subaru Sambar.

 

Heh, with this economy we're probably going to end up with a lot of people living in fancy "vans down by the river".

LOL, yep exactly why I'm interested!

 

I like the 668cc super charged, 4x4, 50 mpg., Subaru Sambar.

:7:

 

From this picture here the interior looks huge!

Look at all the leg room both front and back. And there also appears to be a lot of cargo space behind those rear seats. I wish I could read Japanese so I could find the actual specs somewhere.

 

From this picture here the interior looks huge!

Look at all the leg room both front and back. And there also appears to be a lot of cargo space behind those rear seats. I wish I could read Japanese so I could find the actual specs somewhere.

I like em, I just dont like being part of the crumple zone.

nipper

 

I like em, I just dont like being part of the crumple zone.

nipper

LOL

It would make our planned trips to Alaska a little cozier. No sleeping in roof top tents. And it solves your gas consumption issue!

 

I know its a whole different type of vehicle, but those seats look awefully close to the floor. As in I see my knees in my chin. I really want to go look at some of these things though. So maybe we should have "foreign car shows" I know I'd like to see the cars other countries get. Looking at pictures just isn't good enough.

 

LOL

It would make our planned trips to Alaska a little cozier. No sleeping in roof top tents. And it solves your gas consumption issue!

700cc and climbing mountain passes? I dont like driving something that can be intiminated by a squirrel :5:

thats why i got the DOHC instead of another 2.2, though i will admit i have thought about older VW campervans for the trip.


nipper

 

I know its a whole different type of vehicle, but those seats look awefully close to the floor. As in I see my knees in my chin.

You have it exactly right, at least for the Korean interpretations of the micro-vans. When I moved to Seoul in 2002, I wanted to get one of the Daewoo micro-vans because I thought they were cool, maneuverable, economical, and the perfect vehicle for living in a city of 12 million people. I'm 6 ft tall and about 200 pounds. I don't fit in them...my knees & shins were tight up against the dashboard. I was disappointed since I really wanted one. So after a short stint driving a '92 Hyundai Elantra (for which I had absolutely no love), I picked up a 2002 Kia Visto (see http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=374&perpage=20&pagenumber=15 page 15 for a pic). I could at least be comfortable in the Kia if I wore thin-soled shoes. But the micro-van idea just didn't work for me.

 

I may be a skinny little twig, but I am ~6 ft, and run into problems mostly only when there isn't room for my feet and lower legs below the seat. I have no problem with seats that are right next to the floor, like sports cars, as long as there is enough room forward for extended legs, but those pics just show no vertical/horizontal room.

 

The Subaru Samba van actually is what the Japanese call a Kei car. Never seen one here but I have seen the Sambar in Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car

The Sambar actually can trace it's roots back to the Subaru 360 which was offered in a van verison like this. They sold them here in the late 60's, they also sold a pickup truck version. Here is a link to the 360 club in the US, click on Photo Gallery to see pics.

http://www.subaru360club.org/

As far as the one diagram showing the drivers position, I think it has to do with safety and maybe your legs in a crumple zone and where the steering wheel may go if crushed?

 

Did anyone hit the link for the Dax? Looks like Subbie's answer to the Scion XB.

 

Did anyone hit the link for the Dax? Looks like Subbie's answer to the Scion XB.

I like that one too. Only in AWD of course.

 

http://www.subaru.jp/channel/

I'm not sure what you all will get but this is a series of short videos one of which is Britian's Peter Mann describing Subaru's entry into the European diesl market with it's own new and uniquely designed powertrain package. Very fast, very very clean, and very much not for the US market.

(translated by Google from the English ideosyn)

 

I would like to see how this van perform in a offset front crash.... Poor crash dummies legs.