Daihatsu Copen (2003-To Date) Car Review

When shopping for a used roadster, most buyers like to play it safe. TheyÕll look at a Mazda MX-5, an MG TF or possibly a Fiat Barchetta if theyÕre feeling a bit adventurous. The trouble is, thereÕs a whole lot more fun to be had if you could just broaden your view a little. Those who do a lot of city driving will often find these cars straining at the leash a bit in town, often resembling energetic dogs that just want a bit of space. Better to choose something that can take the cut and thrust of city traffic in its stride and offer the added security of a hard-topped roof. ThatÕs where DaihatsuÕs Copen comes in. You may never have heard of it and if thatÕs the case, youÕre forgiven. ItÕs not been a sales hit in the UK and as a result, used buyers can snap up some low mileage bargains.

History
We have Japanese K-car regulations to thank for the Daihatsu Copen. The same set of taxation rules that brought us fun tots like the Honda Beat and the Suzuki Cappuccino have given us a car that offers the same recipe but updated for a post millennial clientele. The first K-car to be imported with a folding hard top, the Copen was a little more expensive than other cars of its ilk but some customers reckoned it worth the additional outlay for the benefits in safety and security the metal roof bestows.
Introduced in June 2003, the Copen has been largely unchanged since launch. In July 2004 a Vivid limited edition model was offered, featuring red paintwork, heated cloth seats, a leather Momo steering wheel and a rear tonneau. This retailed at £12,995 on the road. The original 660cc engine was replaced in the spring of 2007 with a less buzzy 1.3-litre unit. This delivered better economy and performance, prices were under £11,000.

Opinion
The Copen looks good value, especially when one considers that many of its customer base will be young professionals looking for a second or even third car. It may well prove a little too cutesy for some, but with only 1,000 cars imported per year, thereÕs still an element of exclusivity about this car. You might expect said element of exclusivity to prop up residual values nicely, but the fact that the Copen has been on sale in Japan for a while and is priced from around £8,000 means that a few have reached these shores as grey imports but not in the sort of numbers to seriously undermine the carÕs UK valuations. Importers know that there is other fare that will sell far more easily than the quirky Daihatsu.
The CopenÕs chassis is based on a truncated version of the Cuore hatch and it feels agreeably stiff, the seat of the pants driving position giving the little Daihatsu a genuine sports car feel, although the Momo steering wheel may be a little too large for those with prop forward thighs. The gearbox is fun to snick the lever through and overall packaging is helped by the fact that the Copen utilises a compact front-wheel drive layout. At just 3,395mm long, it is simplicity itself to nuzzle into a tight parking spot.
The roof is the CopenÕs party piece and the car looks good with the hardtop folded or deployed. Fabricated from aluminium, itÕs a lightweight structure and it flips neatly up and down, courtesy of a series of electric motors, in 25 seconds. There are two catches on the header rail to flip and then a dash-mounted button does the rest. WhatÕs more, a proper metal roof makes a lot of sense in the city proving a less tempting target for knife-wielding idiots. A more basic version of the roof is offered in Japan which may well help to explain some of the price differential, watch out for imported models featuring it. The interior is nicely, if a little unadventurously, styled and features a compartment behind the seats for odds and ends. Otherwise the boot space is briefcase-sized, due to the fact that the roof ÔcassetteÕ impinges into the luggage bay. If you commit to driving with the roof up, youÕll achieve more room.

Cost
Prices for the Copen start at £8,100 for a 53 plate car with around 29,000 miles showing on the clock. ThatÕs the book price at least. In reality, the prices will vary quite significantly, often because these cars tend to cover less than the usual 12,000 miles a year annual mileage. YouÕll need around £8,700 for an 04-plated model. Vivid special editions kick off at £9,000 for a 54 plated car. Insurance for all Copens is a very reasonable Group 9.

Problems?
The Copen is a tough little thing but the big ticket item in case of a fault is that folding hard top. Raise and lower it several times. Check the seals, check that it sits squarely in the boot cassette and ensure that it hasnÕt been damaged in any other way. Aside from that, precious little problems have been reported. Check the alloy wheels for kerbing and make sure the log book is well stamped up. These cars run better on 98 RON petrol than standard 95, the difference feeling quite marked in terms of outright performance.

Parts
(Estimated prices) A clutch assembly will cost around £130, and the front brake pads approximately £50. A radiator will be in the region of £145, and an alternator £220. A broken starter motor will require £260 to replace.

Road
The Copen manages to pack a lot of goodies into a tiny footprint but the tape measure dictates that it will always feel very comfy for two, especially for bulky western shoulders. Head and legroom isnÕt such an issue and the pedal box is surprisingly spacious. Luggage room is at a premium, but the Copen is never going to be a car youÕd plump for if you were planning a fortnight away.
Its 660cc engine fizzes, whooshes and zings all the way to 8,000rpm, a bobbin-sized turbocharger helping the tiny powerplant develop 63bhp. True, thatÕs not going to generate retina-detaching acceleration but due to the fact that the Copen weighs less than some cars ownerÕs manuals, it will sprint to 60mph in an acceptably brisk 11.7 seconds before topping out over 100mph. ItÕs well up to the cut and thrust of a motorway journey, although on longer inclines you may have to drop a gear in order to realise some meaningful acceleration. It feels astonishingly vivid at normal speeds, the constant chattering of that engine giving the impression that itÕs travelling a good deal quicker than it is. Zip the Copen along a set of country lanes and youÕll feel as if youÕre achieving some heroic velocities only to realise thereÕs a Kia Pride in the dinky rear view mirror impatiently trying to get past. ItÕs huge fun.

Overall
If youÕre prepared to think outside the box a little, a used Daihatsu Copen could be a smart solution. ItÕs got just enough about it to satisfy those who enjoy driving but wonÕt punish you during the sort of city trips that many of us have to put up with. As long as you donÕt take yourself too seriously, the Copen offers a fun, vaguely exotic, alternative to more prosaic roadster offerings.

By ANDY ENRIGHT.

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Daihatsu Applause (1990 - 1996) Car Review

The Japanese have long been clever lateral thinkers. Adept at taking an undeveloped concept and spotting the potential for leveraging a big profit they seemed onto a winner with the Daihatsu Applause. Market research had shown that hatchbacks sold cars due to their versatility, but many buyers wanted the security of a boot. Daihatsu came up with an ingenious solution. The Applause looks like a saloon, but pop the rear ÔbootlidÕ and youÕll find it stretches up to the roofline, making the car something of a stealth hatchback! Others have since realised that this was a neat trick, take todayÕs Skoda Octavia for instance. The Applause never received much of an ovation with UK buyers and you may have more luck discovering the Ark of the Covenant, the Chinguetti meteorite and Lord LucanÕs car keys before you find an example in your preferred colour, condition and trim level. Nevertheless, as a used buy, itÕs certainly not run of the mill.

History
When the Daihatsu Applause first hit these shores in 1990, the reception wasnÕt so much lukewarm as absolute zero. Why would the British public want a rather oddly proportioned hatchback masquerading as a saloon when the Rover 200, the Peugeot 309 and the Ford Escort were vying for their attention? There were two versions launched, both with DaihatsuÕs 16-valve engine Ð at the time quite an advanced piece of machinery. The 1.6L used a carburettor, whilst the 1.6Xi was fitted with fuel injection and a catalytic converter. The injected version developed 105bhp and 99lb/ft of torque.
In 1993 the carburettor version was dropped, the range then consisting of two mechanically similar models, the GXi and the plusher GLXi. The Applause soldiered on in this form until chronic buyer apathy finally asphyxiated it in 1996.

Opinion
If you like grey plastic, the Applause will be your idea of motoring nirvana. Despite boasting an advanced engine, the Applause harks from a time when Japanese interiors resembled the last memory of a man trampled by a bull elephant. Greyout everywhere, with only some rather bland upholstery to break up the visual sterility. Whilst the feng shui may have been slightly wonky, there couldnÕt be too many problems with the ApplauseÕs practicality. The driving position lacks adjustability but this isnÕt too much of a problem because itÕs very good in the first place, and the low waist line of the car gives an airy feeling and helps visibility.
Headroom is, as expected, fine all round, but taller passengers wonÕt want to spend much longer than it takes to develop cramp in the back of the Applause. The Applause GXi was fitted with colour-keyed mirrors, electric windows and mirrors, central locking, a rear spoiler and an adjustable steering column. Steady now. The GLXi added some cross spoke alloy wheels, body coloured door handles, a rear wash/wipe and an RDS stereo cassette, which together would be worth the additional £75 in most peopleÕs book. Some owners will have plumped for the optional air conditioning on this model, but theyÕre so few and far between that being choosy could mean no round of Applause for quite some time.

By ANDY ENRIGHT.