ROOMY SIRION SCORES POINTS WITH THE FAMILY

By Kate Young - Friday, April 4, 2008

The Daihatsu Sirion, roomy yet frugal to run. It can take three adults in the back, thanks to its design with a wheel on each corner and very little overhang. Picture by PETER BOAM.

ON THE ROAD
THE new Daihatsu Sirion offers more space for passengers than ever before.
I recently drove the new Sirion 1.3-litre SE automatic courtesy of Island Daihatsu dealers Osborne Garage and thought this practical five-seater was a great choice for everyday life.
The new Sirion qualifies for a great value-added deal, featuring a five-year warranty with five years’ roadside assistance on all models registered before March 31.
From the outside, the newly-facelifted Sirion has a modern yet functional look, with a wheel at each corner for excellent stability and gentle aerodynamic curves.
It has short overhangs to maximise interior space and a distinctive style that sets it apart.
Inside, it really does have space in adundance. I took three large adults, of up to 6ft 4in in height, out in the back seat of the vehicle and they were pretty impressed with the amount of head and legroom available.
The instrument panel and centre console is sensibly laid out and the car has loads of storage spaces for bottles, maps, CDs and other bits and pieces.
It’s easy for the driver to get comfortable with seat height adjustment and a height-adjustable steering column and every Sirion has air conditioning; electric power steering, electric windows front and rear, Isofix child seat anchorage points, remote central locking, driver, passenger and side airbags, ABS with electric brakeforce distribution and much more. There’s a radio/CD player with decent-sized buttons, so it’s easy to change channel or adjust the volume, while if you want to play your MP3 player through the speakers, then simply plug it into the external AUX imput.
The boot is more generous than on many superminis and the 60/40 split and fold rear seat means you can load some pretty big or long items into the car.
The SE trim level also includes five-spoke alloy wheels, electric colour keyed door mirrors, rear parking sensors and several other features as standard — it makes a refreshing change to have parking sensors included, rather than having to pay copious amounts for them as an optional extra.
The Daihatsu Sirion handles the Island roads very well and I found the automatic transmission was smoother than I expected.
The 1.3-litre engine has dynamic variable valve timing and produces a sprightly drive with a maximum power output of 91PS and top torque of 120Nm at 4,400rpm.
The new Sirion does well in the fuel consumption and emissions stakes — the 1.3-litre automatic I drove does 44.1mpg on a combined cycle and produces 151g/km carbon dioxide.
But the really green star of the Sirion range is the 1.0-litre manual, which does 56.5mpg combined and produces just 118g/km, so it qualifies for Band B £35 a year road tax and a free IW Council parking permit.
The new Sirion also has lots of standard safety features, including side airbags, side impact protection beams, front and rear crumple zones, a rigid safety cell, childproof rear door locks and much more.
The new Sirion supermini is available in 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre versions, plus the sportier 1.5-Litre SX model.
Prices start from £7,495 on-the-road for the entry-level 1.0-litre S, rising to £10,295 for the 1.5-litre SX Auto.
The mid-range 1.3-litre SE automatic I drove costs £9,295, plus £325 for metallic paint.

ROOMY SIRION SCORES POINTS WITH THE FAMILY

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