Daihatsu Terios (1997 - to 2006) Car Review
How much road space do one adult and two kids need on the school run? The Renault Espace takes up 81.8 square metres and a Land Rover Discovery 103.1m. A used Daihatsu Terios will cast a shadow over only 60.1, the same as ToyotaÕs baby Yaris. How can a proper 4x4 look this funky, be so manoeuvrable and yet so inexpensive? ItÕs part of DaihatsuÕs aim to target buyers in the family hatchback market and offer them something completely different. The 4x4 fashion market is still growing hugely, and the Terios has been one of a number of small 4x4s such as the Suzuki Jimny, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin that have aimed to reap a share of it. The idea has been to steal sales from ÔwarmÕ hatches, mini MPVs and also from sectors where buyers were purchasing utility they didnÕt need. Part of the appeal is low pricing, and in the used arena this usually means nearly new cars at bargain prices. In this respect the Terios doesnÕt disappoint. Interested? HereÕs the background on DaihatsuÕs baby.
History
Though it sounds as if it could have been named after a mythical Greek God of Lifestyle 4x4s, Terios was in fact named after the Latin derivation of ÔGroundÕ. In fact, ground zero for UK Terios sales was in August 1997, with two trim levels being made available, the base model and the Terios+. Both models shared the same 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine developing 82bhp. The following April saw the launch of a limited edition SE version, which was on sale until August.
Two months later, in October 1998, Daihatsu decided that the SE was, after all, a good idea, and installed it as a part of the range proper before withdrawing marketing support for it shortly afterwards. Since then the Terios range has remained largely unchanged, benefiting from a price cut of over £2,000 in autumn 1998.
The first major changes came in August 2000. This new model boasted styling that was a whole lot beefier, especially around the front end. There was a more aggressive looking grille, bigger bumpers, aerodynamic spoiler lips on the front bumper and revised headlamps. The most significant change however, was reserved for the engine Ð now a state-of-the-art 1.3-litre 16v all-alloy unit borrowed from ToyotaÕs little Yaris. As well as revising the interior, Daihatsu also unveiled a different logic with trim levels. Out went the Terios and Terios+ designations: in came Terios E, EL and range-topping SL. A Terios Tundra special edition made a brief appearance but the range was thoroughly rationalised in April 2003.
The E model was dropped, the EL became the Tracker and the SL became the Sport. Prices were slashed and the Terios was in the best shape of its life. The all new Terios hit the streets in Spring 2006 replacing this model.
Opinion
You may have noticed the terms ÔlifestyleÕ, Ôsports activityÕ and Ô4x4Õ being used a fair amount when discussing the Terios. One term noticeable by its absence is Ôoff-roaderÕ. As you may have guessed, the Terios doesnÕt make a convincing case for itself as a rugged mud-plugger. The driverÕs handbook makes this abundantly clear, threatening all kinds of bodily injury should the vehicle be driven inappropriately. As this includes most heavy off road work, it is perhaps not surprising that the Terios isnÕt fitted with a low range gearbox. There is a differential lock that will enable exit from muddy fields, but thatÕs about the extent of the TeriosÕ off road remit.
As you would expect from a vehicle taking up less road space than a Toyota Yaris, the Terios is, as eighties estate agents once crowed, compact and bijou. ItÕs narrowness Ð only 1715 mm Ð makes seating four people a task best reserved for intimate friends. ThereÕs a fair amount of standard equipment considering the price. A driver's airbag, power steering, central locking, an engine immobiliser, tinted glass and a Pioneer audio system all come as standard. The Terios + adds air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, a passenger airbag, alloy wheels, electric front windows and mirrors, plus stylish roof rails. All this plus the three-year unlimited mileage warranty that's standard on all Daihatsu models and which can be transferred to the new owner.
By ANDY ENRIGHT.
Visit the Blog about daihatsu mira l500The Four Generations of the Daihatsu Charade
The Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacture who has its base and headquarters located in Japan. This Japanese car manufacturer is commonly known as Daihatsu and it is famous for its production of compact cars and small cars that are known in Japan as kei jihosha.
The Daihatsu Charade is actually one of the cars that this automobile manufacturer has produced. And this vehicle is actually a subcompact car, making it fit nicely in the line of vehicles that this company has been producing. The Daihatsu Charade was born in the year 1977. It lived through several decades up until the year 2000 when its production was halted. However, the company thinks that this vehicle is actually a large compact car. This is most likely because the Daihatsu Charade is the largest compact car that the company has produced compared to all the other compact cars in its line up of vehicles.
Last year, 2005, the Charade name was actually brought back in the automobile market in the United Kingdom and in Australia as well. In fact, the vehicle that holds the Charade name is actually a rebadged Daihatsu Mira which is more known as the Daihatsu Cuore in other markets in Europe.
The previous Daihatsu Charade was known in the automobile world to have gone through four specific generations. The first generation was known as G10 and it lived through the years 1977 up until 1983. It was made available as a hatchback that either held three doors or four doors. Its power came from a 993 cc engine with three cylinders and could produce 50 units of horsepower.
The second generation, known as G11, lived from 1983 up until 1987. The body styles offered were still the same. However, as per the power, there were several variations of the engine. There also was a five speed manual transmission made available.
As per the third generation of the Daihatsu Charade which was known as G100, it lived from 1987 up until the year 1994. This time around, the subcompact car had trim levels available for this vehicle. The vehicle also had features like a sunroof, power windows, air conditioning as well as a power steering. In the United States, the Daihatsu Charade was sold with a high price and was not marketed well so much so that it sold poorly in this area.
The last generation of the Daihatsu Charade was known as the G200 and this generation started in 1994 and it ended in 2000, which also was the last year for the Daihatsu Charade. This time, instead of just having a hatchback version, there also was a sedan version made available for the consumers.
By Joe Thompson.
