Overview
 
The Rush did, of course, deliver. In terms of sales, at least. The number of them you see out on the road is proof of this. But how well a car sells isn’t always a barometer of how good it actually is. There’s the marketing to consider, as well as the badge and the presentation—three things the Rush nailed perfectly. As for actual driving? Well, this is what we’re here to find out.
 
Technical Overview
 
The Rush is powered by a 1.5-liter DOHC gasoline engine capable of 101hp at 6,000rpm and 134Nm of torque at 4,200rpm. If that doesn’t sound like much for a seven-seat mini-SUV, that’s because it isn’t. Those numbers are nearly identical to what the Avanza, a car that’s both smaller and lighter, produces.
 
With two occupants, the Rush handles itself relatively well. It’s not the fastest car to get going, but we don’t expect that out of something like this—it performs fine in city conditions. Add more people or fill the rear with cargo (as I did), and the engine begins to complain. It’ll groan at times as you accelerate and make your way uphill, and the four-speed automatic transmission doesn’t do it any favors, either.