It's the smallest Subaru to be found on Singapore roads. The compact Subaru R1 is a Kei or K-car, a category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans and pickup trucks specific to the Japanese market that conform to a specific physical size, engine displacement and power output and which enjoy a reduced road tax.
The Subaru R1 is the two-door version of the Subaru R2, but with a shorter body and wheelbase. In this sense it is unique in that it does not use up the maximum allowable length under the Kei car specifications. First introduced back in early Jan 2005, my present R1 is just under 2 years old with 28,500 km on the odometer. With an engine of 658 cc, the Subaru R1's EN07 powerplant is a DOHC rated at 40 kW (54 horsepower) at 6400 rpm. Maximum torque is 63Nm (6.4 kg m) at 4,400 rpm. The in-line 4 cylinder 16-valve engine comes with Active Valve Control System (AVCS), Subaru's description for variable valve timing of the intake valves. Bore and stroke is 56.0 × 66.8 mm with a compression ratio of 10.5. The front wheel drive R1 comes equipped with EGI multi-point fuel injection and continuously variable transmission (CVT). In short, it's got plenty of trick technology for a small car.
Prior to the switch, I've been driving my trusty old Opel Combo van for the last 7 years. Derived from the Corsa, it shared the same interior layout. Overall it did what it was supposed to do as a means of getting around and the odd transporting of goods. When I first had it, diesel was less than 70 cents a litre and a full tank was less than $40. With a fuel consumption of about 18 km per litre, one could achieve an impressive 850 km or so on a tankful. The 1.7 liter turbocharged diesel made by Isuzu was powerful and for the most part reliable. Mine had a rack and pinion manufacturing recall which was fixed by the agent early on. The only big ticket repairs over the years was an air-con compressor that needed replacement and a new ECU to replace a faulty one. But it was starting to show its age and being a Euro 3 diesel engine it was always a hassle to have it inspected for black smoke during the annual road worthiness inspections.
So it was time for a re-think of what my transport options were. Being classified as a goods vehicle, my Opel had no residual scrap value, so keeping it another 3 more years would mean the prospect of possibly having to pay a sizable amount for a replacement vehicle down the road. I felt it was better to act now and switch to a small car as it gave me more options down the road.
In a nutshell, this blog seeks to chart the ins and outs of driving a Kei car in Singapore. In a place where the car population is heavily managed and costs of ownership spiralling upwards, I decided that the best way to answer the pressing questions of driving a small econobox was to actually go out and own one and experience the day to day issues of driving one in Singapore.
