The original Daihatsu Charade stems from 1977, and I still remember the second version Charade Turbo making its name in Group N racing in the mid 1980s.

Already before Toyota took a 51 percent stake in the Daihatsu Corporation, Daihatsu had set about producing mini cars aimed at offering buyers an option for a good yet affordable small car.

The latest offering from Daihatsu is the new Charade. Available in two models, the entry level Celeb and the higher-specced Classic, both models come standard with aircon and a service plan. The Charade is available with an automatic transmission making this the most affordable auto on the local market.

It’s also got the green credentials. With a claimed fuel consumption of 4.4l/100km and emissions reduced to a miserly 104g/km CO2, even 70 percent of the plastics in the Charade are recyclable.

Designed to optimise interior space, the Charade is longer and wider than its predecessor with ample front and rear legroom for adult occupants. The ergonomics are functional — even spartan — but in line with the competition. The boot is small yet will accommodate the daily shopping bags and even the kids’ school paraphernalia.

The Charade is powered by the award-winning 1000cc engine shared with Citroen’s C1, Toyota’s Aygo and Peugeot’s 107 models. Producing 51kW and 94Nm of torque, the Daihatsu is an easy car to drive; it nips around town with the small engine roaring while parking is simple. Out on the open road, the Charade handles the bustling highways with ease and keeps at the 120km/h speed limit without a fuss.

The fourth gear is strong and allows the car to reach 140 before asking for fifth. We did find the turn-in quite negative though, similar to the previous model. This is evident where the Charade seems lazy to turn in quickly. On the previous model we found that a set of alloys and wider tyres helped iron out this wrinkle.

The test results proved acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in 13.6 seconds reaching the quarter mile mark in 18.6 seconds and exiting this point at 118 km/h. Overtaking between 80 and 120km/h in fourth gear took 22.3 seconds while the Charade did not reach 160km/h for the 120 to 160 km/h test.

All in all, the new Charade is a good addition to the local market, and while competition may be tough in this sector, the good looks and low fuel consumption will add to the value of this package.

The Celeb retails at R86 900, with the Classic coming in at R95 900.

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