2005 DAIHATSU Sirion 2 1.0L 5MT FWD (71 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Japanese automaker was known for its small-sized vehicles that sometimes looked unusual for the roads. Apart from Asia and Japan, it didn’t look like home anywhere else.

In 2005, the automaker unveiled the second generation of the Sirion, a vehicle aimed at the European market. At first, it was well received, but not even in its best-selling year, the brand couldn’t pass the 100,000 units mark on the Old Continent.

Its design didn’t impress customers too much. The front fascia featured high-mounted headlights, swept-back onto the front fenders, with a rather rhomboidal shape. Its front overhang was very small and dominated by a body-colored bumper that integrated an A-shaped lower grille to help to cool the engine. From its profile, the Sirion revealed a very short hood and a tall greenhouse related to the car’s overall height. At the back, the C-pillars were very thick, and that led to big dead angles. The hatchback shape was appreciated, especially for its rear tailgate that cut a part of the rear bumper. Thus, the access height was good enough when unloading from shopping carts.

Inside, the high-mounted seats at the front and the thin seatbacks allowed the carmaker to offer a roomy interior. The instrument cluster was very unusual, with a large speedometer in front of the driver surrounding an LCD. In addition, a tachometer was offered as an option and mounted directly on the dash panel. And yet, the car was budget-friendly and very dependable.

Under the hood, the automaker installed either a one-liter or a 1.3-liter engine, both being paired with a five-speed manual. It wasn’t a pocket rocket but scored high grades in the fuel efficiency table.