irishcar.com - Daihatsu Sirion

Well, Daihatsu is back with a new lineup after being out of the Irish market for quite some time. It’s quite a different model range too, since the old days when there was the Charade hatchback and the Charmant saloon. The former was very popular, especially in CDV form, while the Charmant didn’t really charm.

I’ve recently been driving the current range, the Cuore mini, the Sirion supermini, and the Terios small RV. For this article, we’ll take the middle of that trio. And first off, the Sirion is a car that grows on you.

It has to be that way, because on first sight in the metal it looks a little odd, as do many small cars out of Japan and Korea this last while. Over-styled might be one description, with strange proportions and swirling curves. But the Sirion’s aesthetics are really OK compared to many, if one does feel a little overwhelmed by the strong chrome effect (not peculiar to Japan - even the latest Fords seem to be going the silvery route a fair bit too). The strong-styled headlights actually look very well, giving a decent first impression to any oncoming motorist.

The side-on view really does grow on you, and the rounded rear quarterlights integrate well when you get used to the idea. The car is fairly high, but doesn’t suffer from the lack of proportion of, say, a Hyundai Atoz, (arguably the ugliest car on Irish roads today). Indeed, it looks rather more advanced than the Ford Fiesta, though since that particular car’s basic shape has changed little since it first rolled out, maybe this is not to be a surprise.

The back end of the Sirion is nearly as interesting as the front, and the spoiler on the hatchback lid is quite useful in directing away mud and gunge from the back window as well as seeming reasonably well integrated in the whole thing. It covers a boot that is not bad in capacity, but not great either.

The inside of the car is well finished, bright and chirpy in looks, and there’s fairly good room in most places. Elbow-knocking can happen between two people in the front, but probably not any more than in most cars in this class. Legroom behind me is a little short if I extend to what I really like in distance. On the other hand, I did have to travel with four of us up at one stage during the review period, and nobody complained.

Back to looks, and the dashboard has a certain amount of ‘fancy’ metallised plastic which might have been better not there. Still, taste is personal, and there are probably a lot of people out there who would find it attractive. Otherwise the overall dashboard design is at the excellent end of things.

Before driving, a note about soundproofing. The car’s doors do not ‘thunk’ ... they ‘dunngh’ or something like that. I’ve no reason to believe that the metal is any thinner than in any other similar car, but a little padding on the inside of the door skin would improve the sound of door-closing enormously.

Switching on is a noisy affair too, because the power unit here is the 1-litre 3-cylinder motor that the car shares with the smaller Cuore. So it sounds a bit like a sewing machine slightly out of sync ... Daihatsu have long experience of producing really good 3-pots, but they could now learn a fair bit from GM Opel’s superb unit as used in the Corsa.

That said, the engine is adequately powerful (even seeming more urgent than in the smaller Cuore), though the rather low gearing is probably a factor here. The pedals and stick needed to get its power through the running gear are all easy and neat to use, and the Sirion proves to be a pretty untiring car to live with. The seats also proved themselves well, and gained positive comment from some passengers. Deservedly so.

The model under consideration was the more expensive version, at around £10,800 (you can start at just under a grand, and there’s an automatic option too), and had electric front windows and central locking as well as dual airbags. (The car also had side-impact airbags, which are a £417 option, and the Sirion is probably the only car in its class to have such an option.) More importantly, it had air-conditioning, which I used on occasion ... but I suspect that, given the small size of the engine, full use of the system would do serious things both to pulling power on a hot day and to the fuel consumption.

By the by on that, there seems to be a small fuel tank, as I had to replenish at around 300 miles ... AND there is no low-fuel warning light, the second car in the last month where I’ve experienced this (t’other was the Suzuki Jimny), which is a trend I don’t like.

The car drove well. The suspension is a bit Japanese, floating rather over awkward surfaces, but on ordinary main roads it’s fine. Tootling around town, the Sirion is a good shopping cart and transporter to narrow-street cafes. I’d maybe have reservations if asked to drive 300 miles to Ballina and back in the one day in it. But then, that’s not what the car is really for.

It is up against stiff opposition, including Nissan’s Micra (a super supermini even at its stage of tooth length) and, most recently, Toyota’s Yaris. It will probably remain a niche seller against these, but the strength of the Daihatsu name in Ireland is respectable and it will probably do enough to be viable.

It’s a good car. But there are a lot of good cars out there against it. That said, it grows on you.

Sirion is a star whose sparkle finds you	April 1999 by Brian Byrne.
Well, Daihatsu is back with a new lineup after being out of the Irish market for quite some time. It’s quite a different model range too, since the old days when there was the Charade hatchback and the Charmant saloon. The former was very popular, especially in CDV form, while the Charmant didn’t really charm. I’ve recently been driving the current range, the Cuore mini, the Sirion supermini, and the Terios small RV. For this article, we’ll take the middle of that trio. And first off, the Sirion is a car that grows on you. It has to be that way, because on first sight in the metal it looks a little odd, as do many small cars out of Japan and Korea this last while. Over-styled might be one description, with strange proportions and swirling curves. But the Sirion’s aesthetics are really OK compared to many, if one does feel a little overwhelmed by the strong chrome effect (not peculiar to Japan - even the latest Fords seem to be going the silvery route a fair bit too). The strong-styled headlights actually look very well, giving a decent first impression to any oncoming motorist. The side-on view really does grow on you, and the rounded rear quarterlights integrate well when you get used to the idea. The car is fairly high, but doesn’t suffer from the lack of proportion of, say, a Hyundai Atoz, (arguably the ugliest car on Irish roads today). Indeed, it looks rather more advanced than the Ford Fiesta, though since that particular car’s basic shape has changed little since it first rolled out, maybe this is not to be a surprise. The back end of the Sirion is nearly as interesting as the front, and the spoiler on the hatchback lid is quite useful in directing away mud and gunge from the back window as well as seeming reasonably well integrated in the whole thing. It covers a boot that is not bad in capacity, but not great either. The inside of the car is well finished, bright and chirpy in looks, and there’s fairly good room in most places. Elbow-knocking can happen between two people in the front, but probably not any more than in most cars in this class. Legroom behind me is a little short if I extend to what I really like in distance. On the other hand, I did have to travel with four of us up at one stage during the review period, and nobody complained. Back to looks, and the dashboard has a certain amount of ‘fancy’ metallised plastic which might have been better not there. Still, taste is personal, and there are probably a lot of people out there who would find it attractive. Otherwise the overall dashboard design is at the excellent end of things. Before driving, a note about soundproofing. The car’s doors do not ‘thunk’ ... they ‘dunngh’ or something like that. I’ve no reason to believe that the metal is any thinner than in any other similar car, but a little padding on the inside of the door skin would improve the sound of door-closing enormously. Switching on is a noisy affair too, because the power unit here is the 1-litre 3-cylinder motor that the car shares with the smaller Cuore. So it sounds a bit like a sewing machine slightly out of sync ... Daihatsu have long experience of producing really good 3-pots, but they could now learn a fair bit from GM Opel’s superb unit as used in the Corsa. That said, the engine is adequately powerful (even seeming more urgent than in the smaller Cuore), though the rather low gearing is probably a factor here. The pedals and stick needed to get its power through the running gear are all easy and neat to use, and the Sirion proves to be a pretty untiring car to live with. The seats also proved themselves well, and gained positive comment from some passengers. Deservedly so. The model under consideration was the more expensive version, at around £10,800 (you can start at just under a grand, and there’s an automatic option too), and had electric front windows and central locking as well as dual airbags. (The car also had side-impact airbags, which are a £417 option, and the Sirion is probably the only car in its class to have such an option.) More importantly, it had air-conditioning, which I used on occasion ... but I suspect that, given the small size of the engine, full use of the system would do serious things both to pulling power on a hot day and to the fuel consumption. By the by on that, there seems to be a small fuel tank, as I had to replenish at around 300 miles ... AND there is no low-fuel warning light, the second car in the last month where I’ve experienced this (t’other was the Suzuki Jimny), which is a trend I don’t like. The car drove well. The suspension is a bit Japanese, floating rather over awkward surfaces, but on ordinary main roads it’s fine. Tootling around town, the Sirion is a good shopping cart and transporter to narrow-street cafes. I’d maybe have reservations if asked to drive 300 miles to Ballina and back in the one day in it. But then, that’s not what the car is really for. It is up against stiff opposition, including Nissan’s Micra (a super supermini even at its stage of tooth length) and, most recently, Toyota’s Yaris. It will probably remain a niche seller against these, but the strength of the Daihatsu name in Ireland is respectable and it will probably do enough to be viable. It’s a good car. But there are a lot of good cars out there against it. That said, it grows on you.

Sirion is a star whose sparkle finds you