SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
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First posted: May 6, 2008
If you have ever said: “I don’t care what it looks like, just as long as it gets me from A to B comfortably, economically and with the minimum of fuss,” the Daihatsu Sirion 1,5 Sport could be just what you need. Admittedly, it is an ugly duckling, but at least it’s ugly-cute rather than ugly-ugly. Furthermore, there’s a swan inside just waiting to get out, so bear with us.
Based on the Sirion 1,3 that walked away with two Car magazine awards, in their “Compact car shootout” and for “Best small automatic,” this is a more refined and slightly more powerful version with improved roll rigidity and uprated rear axle location for better handling.
By comparison with another 1,5-litre small Japanese car driven recently, the Sirion is more softly sprung, with an initial feeling of top-heaviness, but the feeling soon passes as you discover that cornering ability and general handling are well up to scratch – not super car standard, obviously, but very acceptable. The softer springing pays off in the form of improved ride comfort on deteriorating roads and over the ever-proliferating ‘Maritzburg humps. This car even takes the small-but-deadly monsters outside Cowan House in its stride.
Inside, there is something almost Gallic in the quirkiness of the layout of certain controls and accessories; for example, the door mirror controls are low down on the right of the dash, rather than on the driver’s door armrest where one usually expects to find them, and the cigarette lighter is down near the front passenger’s right calf. On the same theme, but more practical, is the fact that the instrument pod is attached to the top of the steering column so that when you adjust the steering wheel height, you don’t have to worry about obscuring the instruments as you do so.
Apart from these small idiosyncrasies, storage spaces abound and your average user should find a place for everything. One I particularly liked was a miniature cubbyhole with lid – just the right size for either a fistful of CDs or a clumsy male wallet. While on the subject of storage, the boot is the usual small-hatchback affair, not huge but extendable by folding the rear seats. What sets it apart from others is that the hatch door opens all the way down to the loading sill and the seat cushions are pulled forward before the seatbacks are lowered, resulting in an almost-perfectly flat loading area.
Equipment-wise, the Sirion Sport boasts air conditioning, ABS brakes with EBD, dual airbags, power steering, central locking (driver’s door key operated), electric windows on all four doors, electrically-adjustable side mirrors, side skirts, boot spoiler, front fog lamps and alloy wheels.
While key operated central locking might sound dreadfully low-tech, bear in mind that a replacement key from the dealer costs about R26, rather than hundreds or even thousands of Rand for some of the fancier all-electronic devices. The same thought applies to the tyres – the Sirion Sport is fitted with 175/65 R14s that are far less costly to replace when the time comes, than some of the ultrawide, low-profile creations found on others.
The driving experience is one of being upright and in control, the cabin is bright and airy with good visibility all around, the driver’s seat is adjustable for height to accommodate both shorties and the “fully grown,” while two friends can get comfortable in the back even if they are taller than your average supermodel.
It’s economical to run, too and a read out on the instrument pod helps you keep in touch with consumption as you drive. By the way, there is truth in the advice to get up to your desired travelling speed as quickly as possible, then change into the highest gear you can. The read out confirms that accelerating gently uses almost as much fuel as accelerating quickly and it takes so much longer, resulting in wastage in the long run.
While not quite as pretty or as luxurious as certain competitors in its engine size class, the Daihatsu Sirion Sport costs less to buy initially and should ultimately cost less in the long run as well – a true swan in duck’s clothing, in fact.
Test unit from Daihatsu SA press fleet
The numbers courtesy of Car magazine:
Engine: 1495 cc, DOHC 16-valve, with DVVT
Power: 76 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 132 Nm at 4400 rpm
Top speed: 180 km/h
0 to 100 km/h: 11,1 seconds
Fuel consumption index: 7,5 l/100 km
CO2 grams per km: 175
Tank: 40 litres
Luggage: 192 – 1000 cu.dm.
Prices at time of writing: R119 995 manual or R128 995 automatic
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Service plan: 3 years/75 000 km
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8