Daihatsu Sirion (05-10) - Review

Although the interior is far from luxurious, the Sirion’s spacious interior ensures that legroom is good throughout - two adults can sit in the back for short trips without much complaint and there's adequate headroom for all. The seats are quite hard, but supportive enough to prevent backaches on a long drive, and the height adjustable driver’s seat is great for finding a comfortable driving position. Road and wind noise are kept low, but the sound of the three-cylinder 1.0 engine can sometimes be intrusive.

The boot is quite large for a car with such compact proportions and loading is made easier by the low load height. Inside there are a number of cubbyholes and storage boxes – such as the flip-down compartment under the centre console, which is ideal for concealing a mobile phone - plus there’s a reasonably sized glovebox and cupholders throughout. The rear seats fold down - but not totally flat - for added interior space, and a neat trick is that they can slide forward and butt-up against the backs of the front seats, so any items on the back seat do not fall onto the floor.

The dash layout is similar to that of the Toyota Yaris - simple and easy to use with chunky buttons and oversized switches. All the major dials are housed in a central pod, which is easy to read and attached to the steering column, while 1.3 SE models add a spherical rev counter which is fixed to the top of the dashboard. The driving position is good and comfortable for motorway trips. All models have a height-adjustable steering wheel and all - with the exception of the 1.0 S - have driver's seat height adjustment. Visibility is good, but the rear view can be limited when it's fully loaded.