Why is the Asia Motors Towner still interesting to say the least?

Definitely underappreciated nowadays, the Asia Motors Towner was a Korean license-made derivative of the Daihatsu HiJet, and had its fair share of commercial success in the '90s on export markets such as Brazil for instance. Against all odds, once in a while I still see well-preserved examples of the Towner in my hometown Porto Alegre, mostly of the passenger versions which seem to be taken better care of than their cargo counterparts. Undeniably underpowered even for the standards of the "popular" cars in Brazil in the '90s, with its 3-cyl 0.8L engine, it's quite uninviting to go on a highway, yet it's possible to eventually rely on one as the only motor vehicle of a household due to its interior volume and the ease to find parking spots even on a crowded street.

Finding suitable tires due to the small wheel wells turns out to be the major hardship when it comes to maintenance, even though mechanical components or even the entire engine may also be replaced by something out of some other small car or even motorcycle engines can be adapted, as long as keeping one functional is more relevant than retaining fully-stock features. While the solid-axle rear-wheel drive layout may seem outdated, and a 5-speed manual transmission may seem unappealing for most modern drivers, it's still easier to repair than an automatic transmission or CV half-shafts. Maybe wouldn't be so bad to get one, as it's convenient for city traffic and could eventually also go occasionally on highway with plenty of space for luggage...