The all new five door has just been launched and is a terrific little machine. It is Tardis like with a compact smart exterior and massive interior.
The outgoing car was a bit of a bargain, but it was getting on and was never a ‘looker’ so the new car is most welcome.
The Sirion continues on where Honda’s Jazz left off with a more European look that is very modern and fresh.
With all four wheels pushed out to the max to free up interior space, and aid stability, the exterior now hints of Smart ‘ForFour’ at the rear. The front end with its stack headlights looks great and is now officially cute!
On the go the one litre Sirion is lively thanks to its three-cylinder VVTi petrol power plant. The engine may sound like a manic sowing machine when revved but it delivers lively performance where it matters most - about town.
In traffic the Sirion eagerly dashes about the place and returns a healthy 56 to the gallon or in other words it sips just 5 litres of fuel in order to travel 100 kilometers. On country runs it can return a massive 64 Mpg or 4.4L/100km.
Quite literally the big thing with the Sirion is the interior. There is simply tonnes of space and more usable bins and cubbies than a smuggler could want.
The standard specification level (GX) is high too (abs/ebd/centre three point safety belt/four airbags/colour coded mirrors and bumpers/four electric windows etc.) in fact there is only one option on the options list - Metallic paint (€250).
All Primary and secondary controls are easy to use and logically placed. The height adjustable steering wheel houses an integrated speedometer that adjusts with the wheel. It is well designed and contemporary.
The centre of the dash is dominated by a ‘big-buttoned’ stereo unit and ventilation controls that are finger nail friendly. Underneath the controls you’ll find huge storage bins. The seat is height adjustable, which is a great standard feature.
The boot is spacious enough. It swallowed my motorbike gear (helmet, boots, armored jacket, trousers etc. and laptop case!). The 60/40 split rear bench can also fold to form a flat load area. The tailgate allows effortless loading. Access to the rear seats is easy as the doors open very wide. The Sirion offers huge amounts of headroom also.
Daihatsu (est.1907) may be a small player in Japan where other brands like Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru and Honda have most of the market.
However, the specialist small-small car maker is now controlled by Toyota who has a 51% stake in the company so it must be doing something right.
Remember Daihatsu is a serious innovator, it gave Toyota it’s VVTi engine for the Yaris and has just invented a breakthrough Catalytic converter that is self-regenerating that will feature in the 1.3 litre four cylinder (due in May 2005). Th e1.3 will have an automatic gearbox option.
At thirteen and a half grand the Daihatsu Sirion is great value.
- Michael Sheridan
