Daihatsu Terios 1.3 DVVT CXS

Somewhere in Japan, there is Therios Kid, which is half a meter shorter than Therios you see in the current photographs. This one may seem like an adult, an adult next to Toddler, but when you throw the Teriosa among the average European cars on the Central European (or Slovenian) road, it suddenly turns into snot. Okay, okay, it's tall, but partly because of the decent ground clearance, partly because of the body of the off-road van. Otherwise, at 3 meters long, it is short, and 85 meters wide, extremely narrow and thin. ...

If everyday life forces you to shamelessly narrow parking spaces in a damp city at least once, and even more so several times a day, you can find a friendly partner in Therios. Once you're in a standard parking space, you can (almost) open all the doors on both sides. And you can be grateful to him for that.

But the reason must be really strong to want a narrow one. At the same time, as long as you own Therios, you will join a sect of gentle masochists. Measure the width of your corpse, also measure the shoulders of the most ordinary passenger, add both measurements and hope that the sum does not exceed a good meter. The transverse narrowness, reminiscent of the good old Katrs from a distance, in Terios is 1 meter, which means that the driver's left elbow (if he is not exactly six years old) will rub stubbornly against the door handle, and his right hand will look for the space behind the passenger's left hand.

And now for another surprise: in the back, where there is room for three passengers (three seat belts, government permit to carry five people in Therios, but only two pillows!), There is a few inches less headroom. During the tests, in practice, both the permissible capacity of this SUV was checked, and the testers (adults, but with dimensions below average) withstood exactly four kilometers. However, despite the cold outside, they were very warm. ...

So much for your concern. If you haven't stopped reading, then you are on the right track. You may be tall, but your head won't slide on the ceiling and you may have long legs and have to admit that you've already sat in larger cars that have less knee room.

Even from behind. There you may be pleased (well, if you are not the driver of this car) by the possibility that the backrest tilt can be smoothly adjusted by half almost to the very sun lounger.

Again, the boot is not quite shiny, which mostly takes only a mid-sized ride, and the possibility of enlargement is not encouraging as the maximum available liters is only 540 liters. You will have to be careful when packing your luggage. is, first of all, very optional.

Therios has been on the road for almost five years and we have already tested it in the Auto store. Since then, it has been technically updated; The already acclaimed motorcycle has moved on to a more modern product, which is also available in the Daihatsu YRV model, which we recently wrote about. Therefore, the engine is new, including the block and pistons. They are sized so that their stroke is greater than the diameter, which already theoretically promises better engine torque.

At the head is a new valve or camshaft control (DVVT) system that takes full advantage of the theoretical design possibilities, but also allows the engine to rotate at high speeds. Thus, this engine has significantly increased the torque: there is more, and its maximum value is reached at significantly lower engine speeds than before. So in most conditions (I also mean off-road driving) the engine starts perfectly and the once cluttered clutch load disappears, but there is a huge urge to spin, a good overall performance impression, but also an unpleasant volume (partly from - for poor sound insulation) and a fairly high gas mileage.

Yes, if you choose a crochet SUV for a city car, no matter how small, you will spit in your pelvis. Despite its small size, Terios already weighs over a ton and, despite its narrowness, its frontal surface is noticeably large. The factory does not state the air resistance coefficient, but even if it is a record for SUVs, it is still significantly higher than that of modern passenger cars. Anything that comes out less than ten hundred kilometers of liters is like winning the lottery. And there is nowhere to complain.

Since our previous Terios test, the car has also been slightly improved, but very little really. The appearance received a different look of the hood and a modified bumper (along with the headlights of a new design), but the interior was almost not touched - only the width at the knee part added an extra centimeter, which looks like a spit. sea. You still have to ask the passenger to lift their knee to change gears, the accelerator pedal is still too far to the left and it still feels like you're sitting in an 80s car.

Ergonomics also remains an old Japanese conundrum; the steering wheel is thin, plastic and poor, and the switches are still awkward and outdated; The undisputed winner is the windshield travel switch in the driver's door. In general, the interior and living in it are not impressive: all the wipers are extremely poor (both wiping and washing, which still cannot be combined in one movement of the lever), and at 100 kilometers per hour they are almost completely useless; the rear wiper can only work constantly; the slot on the torpedo is not individually adjustable, but still weakly blows through it; and regardless of the setting, the difference in climate between the front and rear of the vehicle is significant.

Even Japanese precision has partly failed (the seams are no longer for pattern and there is a creak from the tailgate), the door mirrors are too low and the hardware is too darn short. There is only one light inside (and another in the trunk), only one mirror in the visor, a box on the dashboard without a lock, no outside temperature sensor (not to mention an on-board computer), no piece of leather, no remote central locking, no. ... So at Daihatsu they fell asleep a bit. The disturbance is not compensated by the changed graphics of the counters or by a simple, but more than satisfactory, in terms of appearance and function, a radio receiver.

When used in the city, most of the flaws will be less annoying, and if you get off the road with Therios, they will be (almost) forgotten for the time being. Outwardly, it may look childish, but under the belly it is quite a real SUV. It has permanent all-wheel drive, but there is a real differential in the middle, which means there is no joke with the drive: it is constantly transmitted to all four wheels. In the event of a breakdown, an electrically switchable center differential lock can help, which means that in this case at least two wheels will rotate, one on each axle. If you are still in place, take comfort in the fact that the belly of the vehicle, along with the moving parts, is chunky enough that you most likely will not get hurt.

Otherwise, if the Terios doesn't stop, you can count on a favorable short overhang, which is good for the bumper, especially when you "attack" a steeper slope. As such, the Terios allows you to play virtually true off-road games in mud, snow and similar surfaces, despite its self-supporting (but fairly reinforced) body. Just don't forget the right tires!

Most of all he is associated with Therios on long journeys. There, you needlessly demand comfort (inner width, but the roar of the engine, wind and some additional whistle of unknown origin) and performance. The motor only turns there to a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour, and then begins to lose power very quickly; a little because of the low volume, a little because of the long fourth and fifth gears. Very good mechanics leave a great impression at low speeds, so it disappears and the ride can turn into a tiresome countdown.

Very sorry. In the city, on city roads and in the field, driving is pleasant and easy. The agility of the engine manifests itself in all of the above conditions, the precision of the gear lever complements the good impression, and the very good drive allows you to stay in neutral for a long time and move the car completely evenly from the intended direction, which can be controlled. His great agility is also evident throughout, mainly due to the very small riding circle. In these conditions, the Terios is truly driver-friendly.

This is why the name speaks for itself: with Therios, you will feel great in the city and in the field, but in other places, feelings will be more dependent on personal criteria and the ability to forgive. Otherwise: do you know any ideal car?

Vinko Kernc

Photo: Aleš Pavletič.

Daihatsu Terios 1.3 DVVT CXS

Basic data

Sales:	DKS
Base model price:	15.215,24 €
Test model cost:	15.215,24 €
Power:	63kW (86 KM)
Acceleration (0-100 km / h):	16,1 with
Maximum speed:	145 km / h
Mixed flow ECE:	7,7l / 100km
Guarantee:	General warranty 2 years or 50.000 miles

Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)

Technical information

engine:	4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - gasoline - longitudinally front mounted - bore and stroke 72,0 × 79,7 mm - displacement 1298 cm3 - compression ratio 10,0:1 - maximum power 63 kW (86 hp) c.) at 6000 rpm - average piston speed at maximum power 15,9 m / s - power density 48,5 kW / l (66,0 l. valves per cylinder - light metal block and head - electronic multipoint injection and electronic ignition - liquid cooling 120 l - engine oil 3200 l - battery 5 V, 2 Ah - alternator 4 A - variable catalyst
Energy transfer:	engine drives all four wheels - single dry clutch - 5 speed manual transmission - gear ratio I. 3,769 2,045; II. 1,376 hours; III. 1,000 hours; IV. 0,838; v. 4,128; reverse 5,286 - locking center differential (electrically engaged) - gearing in differential 5,5 - rims 15J × 205 - tires 70/15 R 2,01 S, rolling range 1000 m - speed in 27,3rd gear at XNUMX rpm / min XNUMX km / h
Capacity:	top speed 145 km / h - acceleration 0-100 km / h 16,1 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 9,4 / 6,8 / 7,7 l / 100 km (unleaded gasoline, elementary school 95)
Transportation and suspension:	Sedan - 4 Doors, 5 Seats - Self Supporting - Cx = N/A - Off Road Van Front - 5 Doors, 5 Seats - Self Supporting Body - Cx: N/A - Front Single Suspension, Spring Feet, V-Beams, Stabilizer - Rear Rigid , double longitudinal rails, Panhard rod, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers - dual-circuit brakes, front discs, drum drum, power steering, ABS, EBD mechanical parking brake rear (lever between seats) - steering wheel with rack and pinion, power steering, 3,5, XNUMX turns between extremes
Mass:	empty vehicle 1050 kg - permissible total weight 1550 kg - permissible trailer weight with brake 1350 kg, without brake 400 kg - permissible roof load 50 kg
External dimensions:	length 3845 mm - width 1555 mm - height 1695 mm - wheelbase 2420 mm - front track 1315 mm - rear 1390 mm - minimum ground clearance 190 mm - driving radius 9,4 m
Inner dimensions:	length (dashboard to rear seatback) 1350-1800 mm - width (at the knees) front 1245 mm, rear 1225 mm - height above the seat front 950 mm, rear 930 mm - longitudinal front seat 860-1060 mm, rear bench 810 -580 mm - front seat length 460 mm, rear seat 460 mm - steering wheel diameter 370 mm - fuel tank 46 l
Box:	normally 205-540 liters

Our measurements

T = 2 ° C, p = 997 mbar, rel. vl. = 89%, odometer status = 715 km, tires: Bridgestone Dueler
Acceleration 0-100km:	15,2s
1000m from the city:	37,3 years ( 130 km / h)
Flexibility 50-90km / h:	12,7 (IV.) S
Flexibility 80-120km / h:	24,4 (W) p
Maximum speed:	145km / h (V.)
Minimum consumption:	9,8l / 100km
Maximum consumption:	11,9l / 100km
test consumption:	11,0 l / 100km
Braking distance at 100 km / h:	43,6m
Noise at 50 km / h in 3rd gear	60dB
Noise at 50 km / h in 4rd gear	58dB
Noise at 50 km / h in 5rd gear	58dB
Noise at 90 km / h in 3rd gear	68dB
Noise at 90 km / h in 4rd gear	66dB
Noise at 90 km / h in 5rd gear	66dB
Noise at 130 km / h in 4rd gear	73dB
Noise at 130 km / h in 5rd gear	72dB
Test errors:	unmistakable

Overall rating (249/420)

• If you look at the Terios as an everyday passenger car, it fails in many ways, especially in terms of ergonomics, roominess and safety - three key points. Otherwise, it has excellent mechanics and, together with a few other advantages, can be a pleasant vehicle for daily hardships and Sunday trips into the unknown. A bad three is just what he needs.

• Exterior (12/15)

  This is not the freshest product anymore, as it has been on the market for almost 5 years. The seams and appearance are very close to an excellent grade.

• Interior (63/140)

  The very bad side of Therios. For the most part it is average, rarely above average, often below average. In terms of roominess, it is decided by height (and partly by width), ergonomics and materials are very poor. He also lost because of the noise and rather rare equipment.

• Engine, transmission (30
  
  
  / 40)

  The engine lacks volume, especially at high revs. The gearbox is too long, but it shifts beautifully and completely satisfies even the most demanding driver.

• Driving performance (70
  
  
  / 95)

  Due to very good mechanics, I scored a lot of points, only bad pedals stand out, and because of the rigid rear axle, it is inconvenient to swallow pits from impacts, which is very worrisome, especially for passengers behind the bench.

• Performance (23/35)

  Low top speed comes into play here due to poor performance on expressways. Flexibility is excellent at speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour, but much higher at higher speeds. Overclocking is boldly better than promised.

• Security (34/45)

  The stopping distance is too long for a car and acceptable for an SUV. The fifth seat does not have a pillow, but only a two-point seat belt, there are only two airbags. In terms of active safety, it's stuck mostly due to faulty wipers, the good side is good four-wheel drive and, as a result, a good position on the road.

• Economy

  Consumption is acceptable for this body, but in absolute terms it is absolutely high. The price of a car is not low, but almost all four-wheel drive vehicles are quite expensive. Plus, the warranty is average, and the resale potential - because it's an SUV - is quite reliable.

We praise and reproach

field insensitivity

external narrowness

internal height

adroitness

performance at higher speeds

fuel consumption

only two airbags

wipers

inner narrowness

plastic and non-ergonomic interior

low door mirrors

tight feet

noise inside