Daihatsu F20 Reviews

It is pitching the boxy new funkster straight at twentysomething women who want a lifestyle car that's compact, easy to park, economical and a bit of fun. No one is saying it, but Daihatsu hopes the car will take over from the Hyundai Excel, which became a favourite car for thousands of young Australian women. Daihatsu says the Sirion, born-again after seven years as the brand's best seller in Australia, will take the action right up to rivals, including the Toyota Echo and Suzuki Swift. It has even teamed with Portmans, a youth-focused clothing brand, to push the message to women with a range of joint promotions. "Our primary target is 20 to 30-year-old women. Women 45-plus are the secondary target," marketing manager for Daihatsu in Australia Adam Gowans says. "Our tag for the car is 'Uncramp your style'." So it's not for blokes, though Daihatsu thinks it will attract some men aged 20-30 who want the flexibility of a baby box at a value price. The new Sirion is priced from $15,490 and has made important moves everywhere, from a bigger body to a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine and twin airbags. It still looks like a Sirion, but park it side by side with the old car – as we did this week – and you see one is the past and the other the future. The new model has a longer, taller, wider body that translates into a much bigger cabin. It looks more substantial. Distinctive styling, from giant headlamps to pumped-out guards, will help it stand out. The price is not as sharp as some of its rivals, but Sirion is a five-door hatch in a class in which budget specials all have three. DAIHATSU points to everything from standard aircon and CD sound to electric windows and mirrors as reasons for the $15,490 starting price. It also says quality is up in every area and the vital measure of its youth appeal – the number of storage nooks – hits an even dozen. The Sirion ends Daihatsu's emphasis on three-cylinder motors, a company signature since the original Charade. It has switched to a bigger four from the Toyota Echo. Toyota owns Daihatsu and is moving to bring the brand forward in Australia and around the world. The engine comes with 64kW and 120Nm for solid sprinting ability and fuel economy as low as 5.8 litres/100km in official tests. There are two basic Sirion models, the SX and the Sport, but the number rises to eight with gearbox choices and optional safety packs. The Sport, from $17,990 and about 25 per cent of sales, gets alloy wheels, anti-skid brakes, a body kit, foglamps and chrome door handles. The safety pack on the SX means anti-skid brakes, side and head airbags for $1980. Daihatsu says the Sirion has always been in the top six in the light-car class and predicts sales will stay steady at 2500 cars this year. "We will be happy with the same result. Because of production restrictions, stock will be tight at first," Daihatsu Australia sales manager Andrew Phillips says. ON THE ROAD THE new Sirion is a much nicer drive. Then again, it needs to be a lot better to survive in the baby-car melee. It gets along more briskly, feels more substantial and has plenty of space. It also looks a lot funkier, inside and out, particularly with the Sport pack's alloy wheels and body kit. But it's impossible to drive the Sirion and not compare it with the Echo and the Swift. How's that? Well, the Sirion has more than a touch of Echo around the cabin, even coming with the Echo engine, and the Swift is our new benchmark in the class. It scores ahead of the Echo in some important areas, including cabin space and doors that open super-wide for easy access, and even drives a little nicer than we remember from our last run in a three-door model. But you'd expect that, because the Echo is about to get a total make-over and the new model will be in Australia in the second half of the year. Measured against the Swift, the Sirion loses. It's not as quiet, comfortable or refined, and the Japanese emphasis – against European for the Suzuki – shows in the narrower front bucket seats and cheaper-style trim. The Sirion is a traditional Japanese compact, whereas the Swift is a mini Volkswagen Golf. Still, the boxy Sirion is very practical and that will be important for people who want a practical car that's easy to park, light to drive, and doesn't need to stop too often for fuel. It's a big step forward for the Sirion, and a solid sign Daihatsu is finally moving away from silly little baby cars into something more substantial and sustainable.

Nobody really cared about the snail's pace performance or the ride-on-lawnmower sound of the engine.Then the price went up and people looked elsewhere.Sirion has been a bit like the invisible man since, even after the appearance of a sporty GTVi model.But the diminutive Daihatsu should hold appeal for certain buyers, mainly city dwellers and those not concerned with performance or handling.The Sirion we drove last week was a four speed auto and while it could cope on the freeway and willingly cruise at the legal limit, it is much more at home as a city run-about.The really good thing is it has five doors so there is no need to put up with a three door econobox if you are buying in this end of the market.Sometime during the past couple of years, Sirion received a makeover – a face lift and heart transplant giving it a more contemporary look and a little bit more zing under the bonnet.It still looks like a rice bubble on wheels, a style that was pioneered years ago by Mazda's 121 bubble and copied by plenty.It scored some crash protection goodies like two front airbags and the chassis is designed with requisite crash structures.The engine is a 1.0-litre, three cylinder, twin cam, 12 valve unit with 40kw/88Nm output. While on paper it doesn't look like much, the reality is Sirion goes pretty well. It weighs 800kg.Equipment is good offering just about all you will need for a comfortable ride including power front windows and mirrors and multiple front seat adjust- ments. The seats are flat providing minimal lateral support, which you shouldn't need anyway.The interior is airy but features too much hard, grey plastic.Air conditioning is optional which would push the price of this little puppy to over $17,000 on the road – a big sting for a little auto with air and no tacho.But on the positive side, it is easy to live with, and drive, super economical at around 6.0l/100km and a breeze to park due to power steering and compact dimensions.Daihatsu has a reputation for long lived engines and transmissions regardless of their capacity.The interior is roomy with plenty of headroom and the boot is a decent size.The lack of central locking of any kind is an issue as it can be considered a safety feature rather than a luxury.The sound system is OK, and the cabin is comfy on a trip though the engine is raucous and the the gear changes hardly smooth. Fits in the garage with heaps to spare at both ends.

The conspicuous lack of buttons and lights is soothing and doesn't seem to detract from the comfort of driver or passengers.There are no tricks here. What you see is what you get. This little ripper could be more aptly called the Terrior: feisty, compact, reliable and ready to take on anything.Terios is the baby of the 4WD brigade – both in size and price. It is in constant all-wheel-drive mode and proper 4WD is available at the flick of a switch. While I didn't get off-road with it, the constant rain in my driving week made even car parks almost a 4WD challenge – one the Daihatsu was well up to. I subjected the Terios to my usual weekly run of work, school and shopping, and added a few surprises to see how it handled itself. I was a little nervous taking such a small car on the Southern Expressway to Noarlunga but the trip proved I had little to worry about.I felt no vulnerability and cruising at 110km/h was no effort for the engine – apparently the same used in the Toyota Echo. Dual airbags and side cab protection add to the feeling of safety.And on the safety side, there are some nifty additions. If you crash, the fuel is automatically cut off, any locked doors are immediately unlocked and the interior and hazard lights activate.Travelling with four people was a little challenging but only in terms of storage for a pram and all the subsequent paraphernalia. Like my weekly shopping, this was wedged into the modest rear storage but at least it couldn't all fall about the place – it was packed tightly.The mysterious omission in this car is the cup holders. This is the first new car I've driven in the past two years of reviews that has no cup holders. While it's probably due to space restrictions, I can't say it was a great loss – just a curiosity. The absence of any other storage up front, apart from the glove box, was also a bit odd.However, I was grateful for the absence of beeping warning signals for reversing, seat belts, keys in ignition and so on. There's no chance of backing into anything in this little space miser. Oh, the joy of parking in normal parking spaces with plenty of room to alight on either side.However, I did find I was parallel parking about a metre from the kerb regularly as I adjusted to the Daihatsu's little frame.The back seat is perfect for two. Three kids would be a squeeze and two large adults might rub shoulders.This is not a big family car and doesn't pretend to be.While there are a few more mod cons I wouldn't have minded, such as remote central locking, I was not inconvenienced by the Terios's back-to-basics approach.It perhaps illustrates that many of the extras on pricier new cars are just that – complicating our lives unnecessarily.LOVE IT LEAVE ITPrice $23,000LOVE ITThis is a low-fuss, low-frills terrier of a vehicle that doesn't pretend to be anything more or less.LEAVE ITStorage, please. There's nowhere to put CDs, drinks, coins ... anything.

There is a clear-cut champion in the compact four-wheel-drive class.It is the Subaru Outback, which does easily the best job for the majority of shoppers who want the size, comfort and command driving position of a soft-roader but don't plan to do much of the rough-and-tough weekend work in the bush.The Outback is a high-riding and tougher-looking Subaru Liberty wagon, which means it is a new-age station wagon for people who are convinced that four-wheel-drives are the best bet for the 21st century.But it's not the only way to go in a class which is as varied as any in Australian motoring.The all-paw smalls are a split-personality line-up which ranges from serious bush buddies to suburban shopping trolleys, with everything in between.Some talk the talk, but don't go remotely close to walking the wilderness, and others are surprisingly capable despite their soft-form looks. And looks aren't always the best – or easiest – way to make a choice.The Daihatsu Terios has the high-rider style you expect to see in a serious four-wheel-drive, but it could have come just as easily from the world's best-selling carmaker – Matchbox.The Suzuki Jimny is much the same, though it can really romp in the rough and is priced from just $17,990.At the other end of the action, there are several contenders which push past $40,000, including the over-priced and under-done Land Rover Freelander.The compact class also opens the options between "all-wheel-drive" vehicles focused on blacktop work and "four-wheel-drive" vehicles with serious off-road grip and dual-range gears, in a battle which rages all the way to the $100,000-plus machines in the luxury four-wheel-drive world.The split between the soft-road and hard-rock vehicles means it's important to split the winners, with the Nissan X-Trail taking top honours for real off-road work and the Subaru Forester and best-selling Toyota RAV4 – now with a punchier 2.4-litre engine – scoring on the soft side. The Outback was completely updated last year and picks up the five-star safety and top quality from the latest Subaru Liberty.But it also gets a tougher look, extra ground clearance, rough-road tyres and all the other gear you need for weekend expeditions.The price is pretty rich in a class where most of the action is below $30,000 – the H6 engine can lift it from $31,180 to more than $50,000 – but it's the one to recommend to friends and family if they can afford it. The Nissan Patrol is a heavyweight four-wheel drive star and you can see and feel the family connection to the X-Trail.It has the stumpy looks of a serious off-roader and backs it with a 2.5-litre engine hooked to a grippy drivetrain and a tough body.Nissan has also created a funky cabin for the X-Trail, with all the right stuff for twentysomething owners.It's not cheap, with pricing from $31,990, but the price is right for the class and the competition. The Forester, like the Outback, was developed for rougher roads than the regular all-paw Subaru family wagons.So the Forester sprang from the Impreza, as the Outback did from the Liberty, but with a much bigger change to the body.The Forester looks like it will work off the bitumen and it does, provided you recognise its limits.It also comes with a punchier turbo engine, though it's not WRX, and Subaru Australia has just rejected a Forester STi which would have really rocked the compact four-wheel-drive scene.            

The baby-car world was dominated by a single star through the 1990s.The Hyundai Excel was the benchmark for every rival – on price, style and sales – until the death of the Korean king led to a fundamental shift in the noughties.Now the lightweight division is split down the middle and there are two separate contests: one powered by price, the other by class. In the price group are people buying their first new car, usually on a tight budget with less emphasis on features, and the class group wants a compact car for city work or as a second vehicle in the family garage.The bargain-basement contenders are battling in the sub-$15,000 range, just as they did when the Excel was the pacemaker, while the starting price for seriously good babies is close to $17,000 and can run to well beyond $20,000.Toyota changed the game last year when it decided to lob its baby Echo with a sub-$15,000 bottom line including power steering and airconditioning.Although the price has crept up to $14,790, it is still the sales leader. In the first quarter of this year Echo grabbed more than 20 per cent of light-car sales, reflecting the strength of the Toyota brand...despite the design being five years old.Hyundai is still playing the price game with the boxy little Getz. It's second to the Echo in the price fight and leading the Korean contenders against a line-up which includes a broad range of imports, including the Holden-badged but Opel-designed Barina.At the top end of the business, the Japanese really are on top. The classy Mazda2 and Honda Jazz set the standard for shoppers with plenty of cash to splash, even if Ford has arrived – far too late after the loss of its top-selling Korean-made Festiva – with a European Fiesta which is the light star of 2004.The $14,490 starting price for the Fiesta is going to create plenty of action in Ford showrooms, because the blue-oval baby is a good drive and well designed. But buyers will still have to add $2000 for airconditioning – a crippling extra in such a price-sensitive arena.But that's typical of the light-car class.There is always something new, always a price leader and a class champion, and they're all elbowing for space in a bargain basement that introduces many people to their first new car.This is how the Cars Guide team rates them:1. MAZDA2Lowdown: Five-door hatch with 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 82kW and priced from $17,490.Verdict: Another direct hit by MazdaPlus: Quality and comfortMinus: Pricey for the sizeRating: 18/20The baby Mazda is one of the stars of the Japanese company's product-driven comeback.Mazda battled through the 1990s with outdated and cost-down cars that were a poor reflection of the brand's traditional strengths, but when it got serious – with Ford funding – it cranked out the classy Mazda6, RX-8 and Mazda3.The smallest of the crop is the Mazda2, but it has the condensed strengths from the same design team and gene pool.That means it looks good, drives well and is built to class-leader quality.2. HONDA JAZZLowdown: Five-door hatch with 1.3-litre (61kW) or 1.5-litre (81kW) four-cylinder engine, priced from $15,990Verdict: Stylish and practical but harsh ridePlus: Good looks, versatile cabinMinus: Bouncy rideRating: 17/20The Jazz outsold the Mazda2 by 1280 in the first four months of 2004, and that comes down to price and funky looks.It's really a 21st-century Civic, as compact as the original and just as trendy for young buyers.Honda was smart to start with a 1.3-litre motor below $16,000, but doesn't scrimp on the cabin. It's comfortable for four and the seats fold to carry almost any load.People who want the best go straight to the punchy VTi-S with all the fruit for $22,490.3. FORD FIESTALowdown: Three-door and five-door hatch powered by a 74kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, from $14,490Verdict: Perky and enjoyablePlus: Goes well, roomy insideMinus: Cheap-ish plastics, finishRating: 16/20Ford went backwards with the Ka, which didn't have the space or automatic to compete, but it now has the right sales ingredients.The Fiesta is a star in Europe and way better than the long-dead Festiva, a Korean version of the previous Mazda 121.It drives well, has plenty of space and is good value, thanks partly to the strength of the Australian dollar.The Fiesta just edges the Toyota Echo and the Hyundai Getz out of the final medal spot in the light-car class.HYUNDAI GETZ 16/20Price: From $13,490Engines: 1.3-litre (60kW) and 1.5-litre (74kW)Body styles: Three-door hatch and five-door hatchNot an Excel, but still packed with Hyundai strengths.TOYOTA ECHO 16/20Price: From $14,740Engines: 1.3-litre (63kW) and 1.5-litre (80kW)Body styles: Three-door hatch and five-door sedan.Shows age inside, but Toyota has done well to keep the price sharp.HOLDEN BARINA 16/20Price: From $15,990Engines: 1.4-litre (66kW) and 1.8-litre (92kW)Body styles: Three-door and five-doorLooks good and drives well, with bonus deal adding appeal. CITROEN C3 14/20Price: From $19,990Engines: 1.4-litre (57kW) and 1.6-litre (83kW)Body styles: Five-door hatchOne of the funkiest babies on sale in Australia. The engine is dozy and there are some quality niggles.RENAULT CLIO 14/20Price: From $19,990Engines: 1.4-litre (72kW), 1.6-litre (79kW) and 2.0-litre (124kW)Body styles: sedan and hatchNot as trendy as the bigger Megane with the J.Lo rump, but still a solid effort from the French brand.VOLKSWAGEN POLO 14/20Price: From $19,990Engines: 1.4-litre (55kW)Body styles: hatchToo costly by far. The Polo is a nice car but smaller than many rivals, and Volkswagen doesn't do enough in Australia to compensate.PEUGEOT 206 13/20Price: From $19,990Engines: 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre (80kW) and 1.8-litre (100kW and 130kW)Body styles: hatchLIKE the C3, the Peugeot is too much and too little. The price is too high and the cabin too cramped.SMART FORTWO 13/20Price: From $21,900Engines: 0.7-litre (45kW)Body styles: Two-door coupeThe smallest and trendiest of the light cars is a phonebox-on-wheels that will only be bought by the trendiest shoppers.DAEWOO KALOS 12/20Price: From $14,990Engines: 1.5-litre (62kW)Body styles: Three-door hatch, five-door sedanA good Korean effort – compact and good-looking but trails in refinement and design.MITSUBISHI MIRAGE 12/20Price: From $15,990Engines: 1.5-litre (69kW)Body styles: Three-door hatchMitsubishi has kept the price competitive, the body is still stylish, and there is potential to add some Evo-style body bits.DAIHATSU SIRION 10/20Price: From $13,250Engines: 1.0-litre (40kW)Body styles: Five-door hatchbackThe Sirion is the best of the Daihatsu contenders, with a roomy cabin and passable power, but it is let down by the driving experience.DAIHATSU YRV 10/20Price: From $15,990Engines: 1.5-litre (40kW)Body styles: Five-door hatchThe funk leader in the D-brand line-up shows what's missing from the mix, with clunky controls and sub-standard driving dynamics.KIA RIO 9/20Price: From $14,990Engines: 1.5-litre (71kW)Body styles: Four-door sedan or five-door wagonThe wagon option gives it a unique selling point, but the sedan was one of the worst cars we drove last year.PROTON SATRIA 9/20Price: From $14,990Engines: 1.5-litre (64kW) and 1.8-litre (99kW)Body styles: Three-door hatch, five-door hatchAnother oldie that struggles to do anything but fill showroom space.SUZUKI IGNIS 9/20Price: From $14,990Engines: 1.3-litre (61kW) and 1.5-litre (83kW)Body styles: HatchThe baby box doesn't have enough of anything. Suzuki hasn't had enough cash to continue.DAIHATSU CHARADE 8/20Price: From $11,950Engines: 1.0-litre (40kW)Body styles: Five-door hatchThe great name is all that remains from one of the earliest bargain-basement stars. Today's Charade is cheap and unimpressive.

It has an engine capacity equal to four cups of tea and, on paper at least, about the same amount of kick.But the motorcycle-sized heart of the Daihatsu Copen can get the small, quirky, Noddy-esque convertible off the mark quickly enough to surprise onlookers.Taking one of these baby cars to the streets of Perth produces questions directed at the driver's sanity, prefixed by "What the . . .?"So Big Ears made rude signs at the motorists and they went away. As they do in a non-politically correct Toyland.The Copen – apparently a tragic mishmash of the words closed and open to recognise the car's convertible nature – would be ideal for Toyland's lethargic traffic speed.It is more at home in a big, congested city than the relatively open byways of Perth.But that's not to say the tiny two-seater with attitude can't provide its owner with hours of joyful commuting.It is a remarkably nimble and sprightly creature.The steering is direct, the engine a screamer with an 8000rpm redline, the gearchange is light and the clutch pedal action feels like it's not attached to anything.Low-end power is weak. You become used to giving it a heavy right foot to stir the 659cc four-cylinder and provoke its weeny turbocharger to spin in an attempt to kindle the 50kW buried deep under the rolled bonnet.That's not a lot of power. The performance is attributed more to the Copen's mere 830kg weight than what's under the bonnet.Part of the fun is the car's ambience.Because the occupants sit so low, cosseted in a comfortable cabin, the impression is of travelling in something just shy of a rocket-propelled Porsche.If things get too messy, the folding-steel roof rises electrically from the boot – similar to the security benefits of other metal-tops such as the Peugeot 206CC, Mercedes SLK and Lexus SC430.The Copen's boot is small with the roof up, impossibly tiny with the top stored.That this is no long-distance traveller is confirmed after two hours of country driving where 100km/h sees a buzzy 4000rpm on the tacho and much numbing of the derriere. The accurate handling and neat city ride also dissolve into body shake and bounce over rough bitumen roads.But in its environment, the Copen works.It's clearly for individual players who work in the city.Take a passenger and there's not much space left for a sandwich, let alone a picnic lunch.Given the $29,990 price tag, the car's equipment level is high – airconditioning; electric windows, mirrors and roof; alloy wheels; dual airbags; MP3 CD player and a tyre repair kit instead of a spare.

DAIHATSU was once the king of the tiny tots.  Before the onslaught of the Korean carmakers, it ruled the roost among the baby-car clan with its top-selling Charade, successful Feroza four-wheel-drive and steady-selling Applause sedan.But as these cars disappeared from the showrooms and the Koreans came blasting in with cheaper and trendier-looking cars, things started to go downhill for Daihatsu.  It has been riding with a three-car line-up, the cut-price Cuore, the cute Sirion small hatch and the toy-like Terios off-roader, for two years, and sales have slid from more than 30,000 in the early 1990s to a little more than 5000 last year.But the past year has been busy for the carmaker that still calls itself ``Japan's big small-car company''.  Toyota Australia has taken over day-to-day running of the local operation, giving Daihatsu access to administrative resources previously out of reach.  It has already updated the Cuore and Sirion, including adding a powerful GTVi version, and sales have picked up slightly.But the car Daihatsu has been hanging out for is the funky-looking YRV mini wagon, which it believes adds a new dimension to its line-up.  Australians haven't taken to the boxy little runabouts that litter the crowded streets of Tokyo - and the good-quality but awkward-looking Suzuki Wagon R+ and the tiny Daihatsu Move have disappeared from showrooms after dismal results.But the YRV could change that, simply because of its good-looking wedge-shaped body and long list of standard creature comforts and safety features.  Daihatsu says the designers knew the YRV's rivals lacked style so they concentrated on giving the car a distinctive look that would appeal outside Japan.  It revealed its intentions this year by launching the production version at the design-driven boutique Geneva Show.The car's most distinctive feature is a double-wedge window treatment that highlights theatre-style seating inside.  The car has the 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine from the Sirion, which Daihatsu says is the most powerful powerplant in its class.It has variable-intake valve timing to increase top-end power and improve fuel economy, and low-down torque to reduce exhaust emissions.  The engine produces 64kW at 6000 revs and 120Nm at a reasonably low 3200 revs. The front-wheel-drive car comes standard with a five-speed manual gearbox, but there's also an F1-style self-shifter with steering-wheel-mounted buttons for up and down shifts and a digital indicator screen inside the instrument dials.Daihatsu says safety is a key aspect in the design of the YRV and it has inbuilt crumple zones and standard driver and passenger airbags and seatbelts with pre-tensioners.  In the event of an accident, the doors automatically unlock, the interior light and hazard lights switch on and the fuel supply stops, to reduce the risk of fire.The YRV comes standard with air-conditioning, a four-speaker CD sound system, power steering, electric windows and mirrors, central locking and an engine immobiliser.DrivingThere is much potential in this car. On paper, the performance figures and standard features look great -- until you see the price.  The YRV is a small city runabout loaded with gear. But its hefty price tag means it will compete with the likes of base-model Ford Lasers and Holden Astras -- both of which have more space, more-powerful engines and are world-class, quality cars.Against its own natural rivals, the YRV's wedge-shaped body is one of the best-looking in this class of vehicle.  Its interior is modern and attractive, but the golf-ball-dimpled dash is made from hard plastic that doesn't stack up these days, even against cheaper rivals.The instruments are easy to read, but the CD sound system has more buttons than the cockpit of a jumbo jet and there's a blank hole between the air vents, where something is obviously meant to go.   The rear seats are actually 75mm higher than the front seats.The seats are relatively comfortable and there's a reasonable amount of front legroom for the passenger and good adjustability in the driver's seat to get a good driving position.  Mechanically, the YRV is a bit of a disappointment, considering Daihatsu's partnership with Toyota.The engine is not outstanding, but it is probably the best mechanical feature of the car. It is reasonably quiet under normal driving conditions and revs smoothly and freely thanks to the variable-valve timing system.  On the flipside, even a week of stop-start city driving produced reasonable fuel consumption of a little more than seven litres/100km.The four-speed automatic in our test car was relatively smooth changing cogs, but the standard five-speed manual would get the most out of the underpowered engine.  The steering-wheel-mounted shift buttons are a gimmick on a car like this, and once the novelty wears off you're unlikely to use them again.The suspension feels fine on perfect-quality tarmac roads, but the slightest bumps will come crashing through the cabin on anything less than billiard-table smooth.  Handling is nothing special and there is plenty of body roll, vague steering and front-end push as the tyres roll over on themselves when hurried through the twisty stuff.The bottom line2/5 Good looks, headroom.  An over-priced and under-performing small car, especially considering Daihatsu's previous record.Daihatsu YRV Price as tested: $19,790Engine: 1.3-litre four-cylinder with double overhead camshafts, variable-valve timing and fuel injectionPower: 64kW at 6000 revsTorque: 120Nm at 3200 revsTransmission: Four-speed automatic, front-wheel driveBody: Five-door hatchDimensions: Length: 3765mm, width: 1620mm, height: 1550mm, wheelbase: 2355mm, tracks 1380mm/1365mm front/rearWeight: 880kgFuel tank: 40 litresFuel conumption: 7.8 litres/100km average on testSteering: Power-assisted rack and pinionSuspension: MacPherson front struts and semi-independent torsion-beam axle with coil springsBrakes: Front discs and rear drumsWheels: 5.5x14 steelTyres: 165/65 R14

When it was introduced a few months ago, the five-door Charade CS cost less than $15,000 before on-road costs. Now, thanks to the strong yen, it is not far away from $16,000.But the Charade is not on its own. It was not so long ago that this sort of money bought bigger cars such as the Ford Laser, Toyota Corolla/Holden Nova or Nissan Pulsar. However, today you will have to pay over $20,000 to get even the cheapest versions of these Japanese-based cars on the road. If your budget will not stretch this far, and a compact car is adequate for your needs, you should seriously consider the Charade.It is powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine which is largely carried over from the previous model, but with significant changes. More than half the fuel-injected engine's components have been re-designed and it includes revised cam profiles and intake arrangement. With four valves per cylinder, it develops more than enough power and torque to shift a car that weighs less than 850kg in the no-frills CS guise.Getting the most out of the engine through the five-speed manual gearbox means keeping the revs high, but that does not mean you will be forced to wear ear muffs. Daihatsu has made noticeable improvements in the sound deadening, with the cabin surprisingly well insulated from engine and road noise.Steering is better and, despite the lack of power steering, you don't need super-human strength to slip into parking spots. The Charade's handling and good adhesion encourage the driver to push hard, and it eventually develops understeer which can be easily controlled by the throttle. A good balance between handling and comfort comes from the MacPherson strut suspension. Fuel economy is a strong selling point for the Charade, with the manual CS averaging 7.5 litres/100km during a week's driving.Inside, the driver's seat needs a longer squab to support the thighs properly, especially over longer distances. Rear-seat passengers have good legroom for this size of car, but the luggage area behind the hatch is small.The CS price does not include power windows or electric adjustment for the external mirrors. But, overall, the Charade has more appeal than most of its rivals.Daihatsu CharadeENGINE: 16-valve, single overhead camshaft, 1.3-litre in-line four-cylinder, electronic fuel injection. 55 per cent of parts are newly designed, with revised cam profile and intake arrangement.POWER: 62kW at 6500rpm, torque 105Nm at 5000rpm. Increased torque at low and medium revs, and higher geared top gear.SUSPENSION: Independent by MacPherson struts with stabiliser bar at rear. Reduced steering effort for cornering, improved feel for straight driving.BRAKES: Front discs, rear drums. Standard in this price range.FUEL CONSUMPTION: Average 7.5 on test. 50-litre tank gives range of 600km+ highway driving.PRICE: $15,945. (Auto $17,810).OPTIONAL EXTRAS: factory air $1657, metallic paint $200.