Using the same platform...

Using the same platform as the next Yaris - due in the spring - the Boon should be a capable all-rounder. Hi-tech features such as a keycard locking system will be a first for Daihatsu.

As you can see in this week"s issue, the new model is tall and boxy, giving room for a spacious cabin. The wheel-at-each-corner design that engineers have gone for will also help boost interior practicality.

The dash has a funky Smart ForTwo-style layout, while the interior features many useful storage bins and cubbyholes. Fold-flat rear seats will add versatility, and the extensive use of Toyota switchgear should ensure durability.

Even though the wheelbase is 70mm longer than that of the current Yaris, the Boon is 45mm shorter overall. It"s also 5mm wider and 30mm taller, which gives a good indication that the new Yaris is likely to be larger than ever before.

Available in two and four-wheel drive, the 900kg supermini will come with a choice of petrol engines. Entry-level cars will feature a new 71bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder, while other variants get a reworked version of Toyota"s 1.3-litre four.

Both models have a four-speed auto gearbox with a steering wheel-mounted selector. The Daihatsu has just gone on sale in Japan, alongside the near-identical Toyota Passo. But there are no plans to bring the Toyota to the UK.

Boon, which means something helpful or beneficial, is an appropriate name for the newcomer. However, it"s expected to change before it arrives here.