Small is beautiful for Daihatsu

Aug 30 2008 by Phil Lambell, The Journal

SMALL cars specialist Daihatsu reckons it is perfectly placed to take advantage of the general downsizing that is gathering momentum.

The 100-year-old company’s line-up encompasses four models comprising the Sirion and Materia hatchbacks, the Terios 4x4 and the Copen convertible.

Both the Terios mini-SUV and Sirion five-door supermini now come with five years’ unlimited mileage warranty plus five years’ UK roadside recovery to support their already impressive whole-life costs.

The offer is designed to continue Daihatsu’s sustained sales growth which saw car sales increase by more than 24% last year.

The Terios 1.5 S costs £12,995 and includes air-conditioning, power-steering, ABS with EBD and full-time four-wheel drive with electronic centre diff-lock.

Also standard on the Terios are driver, passenger and side airbags, radio/CD player, four electric windows and reverse parking sensors.

Running costs are low for a 4x4 with potential economy of 40mpg for the Terios 1.5 S and a Group 7D insurance rating.

Meanwhile, the Sirion supermini, which achieved a 54% sales increase in 2007, starts at £7,995 with air-conditioning, ABS with EBD, side airbags, radio/CD player, four electric windows and remote central locking.

The Sirion also boasts economy of up to 64mpg for the 1.0 litre version, which has a low CO2 figure of 118 g/km.

This results in a £35 a year Road Fund Licence.

The Sirion also has a model with a 1.5-litre engine, front spoiler with mesh grille, front fog lamps, side skirts and rear tailgate spoiler to boost its appeal to younger buyers. Badged as the Sirion SX, it costs £9,495.

The entire Sirion range is refreshed with new bumpers and air-intakes, new wheel designs, revised front seats, higher-quality cloth trim and improved rear suspension.

Based on the top-specification Sirion 1.3 SE, the 103bhp 1.5-litre SX model comes with red interior trim, alloy wheels, air-conditioning, four electric windows, side airbags, a radio/CD player and remote central-locking.

There is an automatic option for the first time and electronic stability control is standard.

All new Sirions also gain a rev-counter and an information panel in the speedometer showing current and average fuel consumption.

There is an external input allowing an iPod or MP3 player to be played through the radio/CD player and the front passenger airbag can now be deactivated to accommodate a rear-facing carry cot.

The Sirion 1.5 SX uses the four-cylinder 16-valve petrol engine from the Materia and Terios models.

In the case of the Sirion SX there is a top speed of 110mph with a 0-60mph time of 10 seconds and economy of up to 50mpg.

The automatic version costs £10,295.

The Materia hatchback is a very distinctive-looking model with extra headroom and a higher stance to make it easier to get in and out of.

There is a single model with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a price tag of £11,495.

The open Copen uses a 1.3-litre petrol engine to endow it with 112mph performance and 47mpg economy. It costs just £11,495 following a hefty price cut.