Daihatsu Sirion 1.5 SX Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Daihatsu Sirion 1.5 SX
Prices: £10,275 - on the road
Insurance Group: 6
Emissions: 142g/km [est]
Performance: Max Speed 109mph / 0-60mph 9.8s
Fuel Consumption: (extra urban) 54.3mpg
Safety: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, EBD, stability control WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length 3605mm/Width1665mm/Height1550mm

LEFT FIELD, RIGHT ON THE MONEY

Our Rating: 6.9 / 10

The Daihatsu Sirion probably isn’t the most obvious supermini choice, but in 1.5-litre guise it has a lot going for it. Andy Enright reports

Sometimes the obvious choices aren’t always the most rewarding. Yes, there is an element of meritocracy that makes a best selling car, but is it outweighed by the depressing feeling that you’re following an extremely well-worn tyre track? If that is indeed the case, the next option is to search for an alternative that’s a bit different but which won’t punish you financially nor be obviously off the pace. The Daihatsu Sirion is just that car and in 1.5-litre SX guise, it’s punchier than the class average too.

The Sirion has had quite a big job to do, having been given the task of replacing two car ranges. Not only did it pension off the old Sirion, but the latest car also had to cover for the YRV which bit the bullet. Marketed in Japan as both the Daihatsu Boon and the Toyota Passo, the Sirion has already got off to a sharp start. Since Daihatsu is part owned by Toyota, it has access to a huge amount of know-how when it comes to small cars. Not that the marque lacks anything in pedigree itself having been selling cars in the UK since 1964 – longer than any other Japanese manufacturer.

Driving a Sirion feels as if you’ve stumbled onto a secret that other supermini buyers aren’t privy to. While it’s resolutely modern in all the regards that matter, there remains an effervescent liveliness to it that seems to have been engineered out of many of its rivals, buried beneath layers of sound deadening and heavyweight materials. That lack of inertia gives the Sirion real get up and go and although the 1.5-litre engine only generates 102bhp, it’ll still sling the Sirion SX to 60mph in 9.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 109mph.

Peak power arrives at 6,000rpm, so you’ll need to give the throttle pedal some aggro to extract the best of the Sirion’s performance but there is some low down torque thanks to Daihattsu’s Dynamic Variable Valve Timing system. Handling is sharp with quick steering helping the Sirion to an almost neurotic ability to change direction. Roll resistance is better than the class average although the brakes and gearchange can be bettered elsewhere. The fitment of stability control adds a welcome safety net to the car’s handling repertoire, braking each wheel individually to prevent a loss of traction and to help correct an incipient skid.

The truncated nose and nicely contoured rear wheelarch and rear wing combination are redolent of the sharply-styled Mitsubishi, although the front grille is a little anonymous. The front end of the car has been designed to do well in pedestrian safety tests, the deformable bumper and nose cone section and ample space below the domed bonnet being a whole lot friendlier than many rivals. Front, side and curtain airbags are standard on all models, as are ISOFIX child seat fixings in the outer rear seats and a trio of three-point seat belts in the rear. Anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution are also included.

There’s certainly no shortage of headroom inside the Sirion. Six footers should find no issues in either the front or the rear and legroom is also surprisingly good. It’s even possible to adjust the rake of the rear backrest. Naturally this abundance of cabin space comes at a price and rear luggage space isn’t the best. Like most modern superminis, the Sirion features a multitude of cup holders, stowage spaces, trays and cubbies and it also includes a split level glove box, neither compartment yielding much in the way of useable space. Rather surprisingly, the seats are firmer than you’d expect and give good support, even to broad-shouldered drivers.

To date, the Sirion has campaigned with either an 87bhp 1.3-litre, developed from a unit shared by the previous Sirion – and indeed, the Toyota Yaris - or the entry-level engine which is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit that punches above its 69bhp weight. The addition of the 1.5-litre powerplant in SX trim moves the range a little further upmarket but Daihatsu has been realistic about the limits of this car’s badge equity and kept the price sensible at around £10,275 on the road. This means it undercuts cars like the 86bhp Mazda2 1.3, the 1.2-litre Vauxhall Corsa and the 1.2-litre Renault Clio. Although these cars are bigger, the Sirion counters with more engine.

It’s also very well equipped, a c