Daihatsu comes up with a dynamic little package

Press, 30 January 1986, Page 27

Daihatsu comes up with a dynamic little package

BEHIND the WHEEL with

Peter Greenslade

In an era when it is not considered fashionable to worship at the shrine of orthodoxy, it is refreshing to encounter a small car, the sophistication of which is confined to its 993 cu cm, turbocharged,

single overhead camshaft engine. The car is the turbocharged Daihatsu Charade, a two-door hatchback that is virtually indistinguishable from any other hatchback of

1.5 litre engine capacity or less. And that, I believe, is but one of the sacrifices we must make if we wish to own a popular computer-de-signed car today. As is also common-

place, the Charade Turbo is a front-wheel-drive hatchback of transverse engine configuration. The drive is through a fivespeed gearbox. Compared with a similar sized four cylinder

engine, the Charade’s three cyclinder power unit has 25 per cent less friction-producing parts and, in its turbocharged form, it develops a very healthy 60kW at 5500 r.p.m. What is more, this little engine produces its peak torque of 117 Nm at 3200 r.p.m., a lowly engine speed considering the size of the power unit.

As the Charade has a kerb weight of only 665 kg, it is very lively. The suspension is by MacPherson struts with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers in the front, and at the rear by a solid beam axle located by five trailing links, the lot suspended on coil springs and damped by telescopic shock absorbers. I believed this simple solution to one of the more complex problems encountered by suspension engineers could havea prejudicial effect upon the handling of what promised to be quite a spirited small car. However, a few kilometres of open road driving was all that was needed to convince me that the simple rear end layout works extremely well. Combined with the rack and pinion steering, which is perhaps heavier

than some drivers like, the directional stability of the Charade is almost sensational and the general riding qualities, although firm, are admirable, taking into account weight and size. The Charade measures nearly 360 cm overall. I have no doubt that the stabiliser bars, which are of greater diameter than those employed on norm-ally-aspirated Charades, makes a significant contribution towards the highly civilised handling qualities of this lively turbocar.

There is a tremendous amount of performance there for anyone with the mind (probably disordered) to use it. But the real bonus the Charade Turbo’s power provides is its capability of being driven within the legal open road speed limit in a manner that will not delay travellers in larger and faster cars.

Small cars trailing along behind slower moving trucks and buses are frequently the cause of traffic build-ups on New Zealand’s relatively narrow main arteries. These small cars quite simply do not have the reserves of power needed to overtake long commercial vehicles expeditiously and safely.

Moreover, their very presence behind such a vehicle negates all chances of a careful following driver attempting an overtaking manoeuvre.

In a country in which many inhabitants still cringe in the shadows of their great-grandparents, there is a widely-held opinion that small cars, like the Charade Turbo, should not be offered to the car-buying public because, to Edwardian minds, like some contemporary wearing apparel, they tempt frail" mortals to sin!

It really does not matter whether a car happens to be a 1929 Austin Seven or the latest Testarossa Ferrari, the individual behind the wheel is the controller of his or her own destiny and that of others. It is not the car, but the individual.

On the regular test circuit, which includes some steep and tight climbing turns, I felt sure that with all the power available, the Charade would display the vices of an armwrenching torque steering car. In practice there was not even a suspicion of torque steer. In fact, I found the Charade rather better mannered than some of the more pretentious hatchbacks that

range up to 1500 cu cm in capacity. Although there is nothing eye-catching about the instrument layout, it is workmanlike; everything a driver needs is there and clearly visible.

I particularly liked the large and well-bolstered front seats. Other manufacturers would make a prime selling feature of them. Maybe Diahatsu, a member of the Toyota group of companies, considers such seats should be the norm these days. For such a small car,

the accommodation for rear seat passengers is more than passable also. This, I believe, is due at least in part to the simplicity of the rear suspension layout which, in more sophisticated designs intrudes and tends to take up a considerable amount of space in the rear of the car. Rear seat passengers have reasonable head and legroom and there is sufficient width for two broadhipped adults to sit back in comfort.

As one who might be regarded as of the older generation of motorists, the price of the car submitted for test (it was fitted with alloy wheels) was a bit hard to swallow — $18,395. A steelwheeled version runs out at $17,795, but a metallic paint finish adds $BO to the price of either car. As I understand it, the package does not include a radio and cassette player, but, things being what they are in the motor business at present, I certainly would not drive off in my new Charade Turbo without one, for which I would expect to pay precisely nothing! I am certain that most Daihatsu dealers would not let the price of a reasonable radio-cas-sette player stand in the

way of the conclusion of a deal.

Incidentally, the young woman who photographed the Charade said she was a proud owner of a 1982 normally-aspirated model which she had bought second-hand for $lOOO less than list price. Apart from a regular tune-up, it has cost her nothing. It is extremely economical and she is well satisfied.

Surely a good enough testimonial, especially when spontaneously given.

As the movement of the petrol gauge needle was barely discernible after more than 100 km of hard driving, I would not need much convincing if a well-balanced Charade Turbo owner told me he had driven almost to Invercargill from Christchurch on 35 litres of petrol, the capacity of the Charade’s tank. Taking into account the performance available, the road manners and the comfort of this small hatchback, maybe $18,395 is not an outlandish price after all.

In fact, if there is any reason for concern with the Charade, it is its willingness to run over 6000 r.p.m. into the red on the counter. However, I suspect that the three cylinder engine can take plenty of that.