Daihatsu Terios Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Daihatsu Terios range
Prices: £12,725-£14,680 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-8
Emissions: 185-191g/km
Performance: [Terios SX] Max Speed 99mph / 0-60mph 12.2s
Fuel Consumption: [Terios S] (urban) 29.1 (extra urban) 40.4 (combined) 35.8mpg
Safety: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD
Dimensions: (length/width/height) 4055/1695/1690mm

AN SUV THAT ISN’T OTT

Our Rating: 7.0 / 10

If you can accept it for what it is, Daihatsu’s Terios represents a very affordable route into 4x4 motoring. Jonathan Crouch reports

Daihatsu’s Terios makes a genuinely strong case for itself if you want an inexpensive small 4x4 but don’t want the hassle of buying used. It isn’t intended for serious off road duties but for small families in rural areas living active lives, it might be a clever alternative to a conventional compact car.

Just because you need a compact runabout, you don’t have to buy a supermini or a family hatchback. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have something like one of those small Freelander-sized 4x4s? Well yes it would as long as the car came with affordable running costs and a sub-£15,000 price tag. If you think that’s a big ask, then perhaps you need to be thinking about a Daihatsu Terios.

This rare combination of virtues isn’t an easy one to perfect and the Japanese brand has had a couple of stabs at getting it right. The first generation version arrived here in 1997, but a noisy engine, a bouncy ride and a narrow cabin meant it wasn’t universally well received, many choosing to find another grand or so for something like a Suzuki Grand Vitara. The MK2 Terios we’re looking at here, announced in 2006, was however, a considerable improvement. Much bigger (though still on the small side), it was a far better steer. Finally, you could happily recommend it to budget buyers bored with ordinary runabouts.

You don’t buy an affordable 4x4 and expect it to be much fun to drive – they simply aren’t. We’re not about to pretend that this Terios bucks the trend but the ride and flat cornering stance are both better than we were expecting. No, they’re not up to the standards of conventional class-leading compact cars but many will happily trade that for this Daihatsu’s high-set 4x4-like seating position and trendy go-anywhere looks. It certainly feels a lot more nimble than most compact SUVs, though both steering and gearbox feel a bit vague.

The penalty for that nimble handling is off road ability that’s decidedly modest. At first glance, this car looks a more ‘serious’ 4x4 than more car-like rivals like Suzuki’s SX4 or Fiat’s Sedici but with a mere 17cm of ground clearance, the reality is that it isn’t. Find a little more for Suzuki’s Grand Vitara if that’s what you want. Still, though the Terios isn’t the ideal tool to take out into the wilds, wheel articulation is surprisingly

More likely usage will be from potential owners living up steep hills in rural areas or down unmade roads. For them, permanent four-wheel drive with a 50:50 front-to-rear torque-split and a locking centre differential that cuts in automatically or can be selected manually should be fine to keep the family from getting snowed in, even during the coldest snap. What you won’t buy this car for is a lifestyle that involves regular motorway trips. They’ve rather oddly named this car the ‘Be-Go’ in Japan, but ‘go’ isn’t really a feature of a 103bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine that isn’t really at its best in these conditions. Since it’s not got much pulling power, to make meaningful progress, you’ve constantly to extend it to the point where it becomes slightly raucous. Sixty is 12.4s away but top speed is limited to just 99mph.

This Terios shares many of its underpinning with the second generation Toyota RAV4 – which is in fact a pretty good recommendation. Unlike the first generation version, there’s enough space inside to suit young families, even though at just over 4000mm long, it’s about the same size as a Ford Fiesta. The cabin remains rather narrow for three across the back seat, but there’s enough head and legroom for four tall adults to sit comfortably.

Luggage space is 380 litres with the rear seats in place and 778 with them folded (though they don’t go completely flat). That’s respectively a little more and a little less than you’d expect from a conventional supermini. The luggage bay is square and accessible via the side-hinged tailgate: ideal for those humping around small children’s buggies, or for wheelchair users.

The interior is clean and unfussy, though still obviously built to a budget price. All the controls are simply laid out, there’s a beautifully integrated stereo system and the cowled instrument panel is a very nice touch. The seats aren’t that comfortable for long journeys but they do adjust for height, as does the steering wheel (though not for