Daihatsu Sirion Road Test

Daihatsu Sirion

As for storage, there are plenty of cupholders in the doors and between the front seats but instead of lots of little oddments trays there is a so-called, ‘utility rack’. This is a trough that runs across at the base of the fascia, at knee height, ending at the rake-adjustable steering column and a small control panel. It bulges below the centre console forming a nook for mobile phones etc. and underneath is an enclosed storage bin.

Only the driver has a height-adjustable seat (in the 1.3S upwards) and in the SX version, the seats have a red and black fabric covering rather than just plain black across the rest of the range. In the rear, the long wheelbase allows for a surprising amount of legroom and all three seats have three-point seatbelts.

As usual, these seats have a 60:40 split function that increases the cargo space from 225 to 630 litres. As a halfway point to a completely flat floor, the rear seat squabs lift and slide out against the front seat backs, forming a soft platform for fragile items and preventing things from rolling off the seats and on to the floor, sometimes, never to be seen again. And, of course, being a 5-door, the rear seats are easily accessed.

I found the Daihatsu Sirion 1.5SX to be able and versatile. I liked the small pockets of non-conformity. It is bigger than it looks but is small enough to be nippy and easily manoeuvrable around town.

By the way, Sirion is not just a name made up by the marketing people – fans of Tolkien will recognise it as the name of a broad river in The Silmarillion and the Lord of the Rings.

Daihatsu Sirion