Exterior design
There's just no getting past the Rukus' styling and, as tired as the phrase is, the Rukus is truly a love it or loathe it car. For the record we love it and that's "we" used as a royal plural. At CNET Towers fans were few, with the Rukus' only supporters being like-minded folks who share our interest in kei cars, boxy Alphard people movers and all manner of Japanese automotive weirdness.
In the US, where it's sold as a Scion xB, the Rukus has been a hit with the west coast tuning scene — think of SEMA and MTV's Pimp My Ride — where it's often bedecked in lurid paint jobs, adorned with massive alloy wheels and brought closer to terra firma.
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(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)
All Rukus models come equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED indicators in the wing mirrors and projector headlights. Oddly, two favourite modding signatures, LED tail-lights and xenon headlights, aren't offered down under.
Interior design
Stylistically, the box-on-wheels philosophy has its roots in the Japanese penchant for all things small and boxy. The current generation Rukus/xB is based on the Corolla, with the two vehicle's dimensions remarkably similar. The Rukus is about 10cm taller than its sibling, giving it a higher seating position that allows for even the long-limbed to be seated comfortably behind one another.
There are plenty of cup holders scattered around the cabin and quite a few storage nooks, handiest of which is an underfloor space in the boot. The boot's load area is predictably tall and can be expanded by fold-down rear seats, which don't quite lay themselves flat.
Click through for an in-depth look at the Rukus' interior.
(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)
Although it isn't clad in soft-touch plastic, the dashboard feels well built and suitably rugged. Silver plastic imitating brushed metal is a common enough design trick, but we doubt that the dark purple faux wood highlights on the armrests and around the gear shifter really speaks to the Rukus' intended audience.
Unlike most centrally-mounted instrument pods, the Rukus' works really well. That's because the digital speedo lies in a viewing sweet spot — just below the base of the windscreen and at about 10.30 to the steering wheel — allowing drivers to quickly spy their speed before refocussing on the road ahead.
Features and pricing
In many ways, the Rukus is marginally better value than the Corolla that it shares much of its oily bits with. Safety kit across the range includes six airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, brake assistance and seatbelt pretensioners.
There are three equipment levels in the Rukus line-up, christened to fit the car's utilitarian looks: Build 1, 2 and 3. The AU$27,490 Build 1 comes with keyless entry and start, electric windows (all with auto-down), a space saver spare tyre, map lights, air-con and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Click through for an in-depth look at the Rukus' features.
(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)
Build 2 vehicles (AU$29,990) gain an upgraded sound system (more of which later), leather for the seats, steering wheel and gear knob, climate control air-conditioning and cruise control. For AU$1800 more, the Build 3 comes with all that plus a tilt-and-slide sunroof.
All prices include GST, but exclude dealer and statutory charges.
Entertainment
All Rukuses come with a sound system that sports an auxiliary jack, CD audio, USB port for both flash memory sticks and iPods/iPhones, and Bluetooth for hands-free and audio streaming.
Build 1 owners make do with a six-speaker stereo, while Build 2 and Build 3 driver can luxuriate in the nine-speaker, including sub, sound system that's pretty good for an AU$30k car. Lovers of bassy music will be pleased by the inclusion of a subwoofer high up in the Rukus' C-pillar. As in other wagons, the optimum listening spot is somewhere on the rear bench; from the front-seat bass and lower frequencies can be a bit muddy unless you've set your system up just so.
Click through for an in-depth look at the Rukus' sound system.
(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)
The head unit in the Build 2 and 3 features a six-CD stacker and a colour 4.3-inch LCD screen that's operated by six buttons along its sides. MP3 and WMA files stored on disc or USB stick are navigated by folder, while iPods can be searched by artist, playlist, album, title and so forth, although scrolling through long lists is a tiresome task. Steering wheel controls for the audio system are handy but, except for the Mode button, aren't lit. Despite the presence of the large screen, reversing cameras, parking sensors, sat nav and movie playback aren't on the menu.
On the road
Strangely for a car that's taller and should roll about more, the Rukus feels sportier than the Corolla on which it's based. The suspension feels a tad firmer, but the electric power steering feels artificial — although it's light at parking speeds, it does have a nice, albeit numb, weight at speed. Body roll isn't noticeable until you begin getting delusions that you're driving a GTI.
Much of the car's extra dash of sportiness comes from the 2.4-litre engine that's shared with the Camry and RAV4. The motor's 123kW of power and 224Nm of torque — a big step up from the Corolla's 100kW/175Nm 1.8-litre unit — provides plenty of pep even with a full complement of people and gear on board.
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(Credit: Toyota)
The big engine also makes up for the four-speed automatic transmission — the only one on offer. While the gear lever has a +/- section, it doesn't allow for sequential gear selection, rather it allows you to restrict the gearbox to a maximum gear. Around town and with a rather enthusiastic right foot our Rukus drank 8.7L/100km.
Conclusion
If you love the styling, there's a lot to like about the Rukus. In Build 2 form it offers plenty of space and decent value for an AU$30k car. For the target market, though, that might be a bit rich; for them we'd imagine a Build 0 that does make do with steel wheels, manual transmission, a basic stereo and fewer features would be perfect.
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