2001 Daihatsu Sirion 1.3 from South Africa

Summary:

An unbeatable city car and lots of fun on the highway

Faults:

The car has given no problems.

The alarm (not factory fitted) had to be replaced after a year.

General Comments:

The 2001 1.3 Sirion has 75kw and at the time it had a better power to weight ratio than anything in its class.

It also had higher specs than almost anything in the class.

The new models don't have the same performance - my car is very lively with a sporty engine note and brisk handling.

I like the quirky retro styling, but it has been changed on later models.

The car is very economical and utterly reliable.

It has enough interior space to carry four adults in relative comfort. We have used it for weekend family getaways. With the back seat down it has a surprising amount of space for luggage etc.

The 1.3 Sirion has the same basic engine as the Toyota Yaris. For some reason, the Sirion has not been marketed properly and now the Yaris is imported here in direct competition.

The only reason I can think of why the Sirion is so much underestimated and not very popular is image - competitors like the Yaris and the Clio are more aggressively marketed and have a more glamorous image.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th October, 2006