Daihatsu Charade 1993 Overview

When it was introduced a few months ago, the five-door Charade CS cost less than $15,000 before road expenses. Now, thanks to the strong yen, it is not far from $16,000XNUMX.

But the Charade is not alone. Not so long ago, that kind of money could buy bigger cars like Ford Laser, Toyota Corolla/Holden Nova or Nissan Pulsar. However, today you will have to pay over $20,000 to get even the cheapest versions of these Japanese cars. If your budget isn't that big and a compact car suits your needs, you should seriously consider the Charade.

It is equipped with a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine that is largely carried over from the previous model, but with significant changes. More than half of the fuel-injected engine components have been redesigned, including revised cam profiles and intake. With four valves per cylinder, it develops more than enough power and torque to shift a car that weighs less than 850kg in no-nonsense CS guise.

To get the most out of the engine with a five-speed manual transmission, you need to keep the revs high, but that doesn't mean you have to wear headphones. Daihatsu has made notable improvements in soundproofing, with the interior surprisingly well insulated from engine and road noise.

The steering is better, and despite the lack of power steering, it doesn't take superhuman strength to get into a parking space. The Charade's handling and good traction encourages the rider to push harder and eventually develop understeer that can be easily controlled with the throttle. A good balance between handling and comfort is provided by the MacPherson strut suspension. Fuel economy is a strong selling point for the Charade, with a manual CS averaging 7.5 liters per 100km per week of driving.

Inside, the driver's seat needs a longer cushion to properly support the hips, especially over longer distances. Rear seat passengers have good legroom for the size of a car, but luggage space behind the hatch is small.

The CS price does not include power windows and electrically adjustable exterior mirrors. But in general, Charade is more attractive than most of its competitors.

Daihatsu Charade

ENGINE: 16-valve, single overhead camshaft, 1.3-liter inline-four engine, electronic fuel injection. 55 percent of the parts are redesigned with redesigned cam profile and intake.

POWER: 62 kW at 6500 rpm, torque 105 Nm at 5000 rpm. Increased low to mid-range torque and increased top gear.

SUSPENSION: MacPherson strut independent with rear anti-roll bar. Reduced steering effort when cornering, improved straight-line feel.

BRAKES: Front discs, rear drums. Standard in this price range.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: average score 7.5 on the test. The 50-litre tank provides a range of more than 600 km on the highway.

PRICE: $15,945 $17,810 (Auto $XNUMXXNUMX).

OPTIONS: factory air $1657, metallic paint $200.