The Suzuki Every Turbo is just one amongst the many kei vans sold in Singapore. But most kei vans, expectedly, were never officially sold outside of its native Japan.
Given their pervasiveness, it wouldn’t be a far-fetched concept if they were offered by their authorised dealers. But just like how Honda locally isn’t importing the N-Van, the Every is Parallel Import only.
These kei vehicles are built to suit strict Japanese government regulations, and enjoy tax breaks back in its native Japan. High vehicle prices and a lack of overall space in Singapore actually makes kei vehicles a very attractive proposition for the car buyer locally.
Small but Capable
Its diminutive proportions make it unbelievably adorable, and with a quirky character. Expectedly, these kei vans have a smaller payload than their minivan counterparts.
But you don’t buy these vans to haul huge loads; if you actually need to transport large amounts of goods and cargo, you would be better off getting one of the stalwarts like the Toyota HiAce or Nissan NV350.
Instead, the Every is tailored towards small businesses who do not have as much goods to carry, whilst still retaining the ability to ferry up to four passengers. In essence, the Every doubles both as a tool of business and a daily driver, given how it is designed with both ample cargo (for its size) and passenger space.
Ideal for the Small Business
A regular saloon absolutely dwarfs the Suzuki Every Turbo. However, the first clue to the Every’s capability comes from its height. It stands at an impressive 1.89 metres in height, which is sizeable for a compact van.
With that height and boxy shape, there is actually a lot more interior space than what you might imagine. Even with the rear seats in place, there’s still sufficient room for a decent number of boxes. A foldable Decathlon trolley will fit in the back lengthwise with some room to spare on the side for smaller items.
You can still take advantage of the tall interior space to stack up more cargo. The additional real estate means you can haul taller boxes or objects that might have trouble fitting into regular-sized vehicles.
It Can Carry, But Can It Run?
Locally, the Every comes in 2 flavours. The 660 and the Turbo 660. But what good is a turbo going to do for a kei van? Surprisingly, more than you think.
The tiny 658cc turbocharged 3-cylinder engine only produces 63 horsepower and 95 Nm of torque. It sends drive to the rear wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission. The forced induction really helps bump up the torque figure.
As the Suzuki Every Turbo only weights 930 kilograms, 95 Nm of torque is quite sufficient to get the Every up and running with traffic. It is perfectly capable of getting you up to that speed cap at a comfortable pace. And with some pep too.
While not pertinent to this review, one little feature of the turbocharged Every is the sound of the blowoff valve venting pressure when revs surpass 3,000 RPM. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. Is it childish? Perhaps. But is it a cool little bit of fun to have? Very much so.
It is also ridiculously fuel efficient, with an efficiency of 19km/L. The 37-litre fuel tank the van comes with means that despite Singapore’s propensity for stop-start traffic, you’d be able to do an estimated range of mid-400 kilometres.
The Every will make U-turns in spaces that would usually take a regular-sized car a three point turn to accomplish. Still, with its skinny 13-inch tyres, it’s also advisable that you don’t take turns too aggressively in the Every, because skinny tyres and a higher centre-of-gravity could result in “potential mishaps” if your driving is too exuberant.
What About The Cabin?
Kei vehicles are usually very rudimentary, and the Every is no exception. There are no electronic controls in the cabin, except for a small digital screen in the analogue gauge cluster to give you readouts for the trip counter, odometer and remaining range.
There’s also no central-locking, though it is a common aftermarket retrofit. This also means it doesn’t have push button start too. The only real feature you’d get is its automatic headlights.
There’s no real need to fit overcomplicated electronics in a utilitarian vehicle. You’d want to keep manufacturing and maintenance costs as much as possible. The most technologically advanced piece of hardware in this feature example is its aftermarket Pioneer head unit.
Interior materials consist mainly of hard plastics for the dashboard and door panels, and vinyl for the seats. The doors slide back manually too – no power assistance here. Yes, the interior built to a cost, but given how overcomplicated new cars can be today, something this basic actually feels extremely refreshing. Plus, materials like these are hard-wearing and easy to maintain, perfect for a fuss-free daily-use vehicle.
Is it Worth Every Penny?
If you are looking for an internal combustion van that rivals the running costs of many electrified LCVs, it’d be wise to shortlist the Suzuki Every Turbo. Yes, it is small, but that doesn’t mean it is limited in cargo capacity. It will also seat 5 people in relative comfort, even if they are over 1.85m in height.
With its small engine capacity, road tax is extremely affordable, as should the cost for insurance. And because it is a Japanese vehicle, it is more likely than not to be extremely reliable with basic maintenance.
Many used Suzuki Every Turbos are available on the market right now. But if you like your vans new, there are units available for sub-$80,000 (prices accurate at time of writing). This could very well be one of the most economically-priced vans currently on sale. Turned off by the stratospheric prices of cars?
A kei van like the Suzuki Every could possibly be a sensible (and affordable) alternative!
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