The Terios has been a worthwhile addition to the soft-roader line-up in SA, due to its compact size and affordable pricing. Two things might have put people off in the past, however. One is the engine size, which, at 1,5-litres, is rather small for a SUV. But this is rapidly changing, due to the massive increases in the fuel price. Everyone is pondering ways to save money and buying smaller-engined vehicles is one of them.
With 77 kW, the engine is certainly willing, and, as we found out after driving over 900 km on half tar roads and half dirt, we can confirm that these vehicles are capable of exceeding the speed limit with relative ease, although overtaking takes some planning and patience. We also noted managing 250 km on half a tank including some dirt sections, which relates to 10 litres per 100 km consumption in real life conditions.
The other possible gripe with small SUVs is the limited interior space. Well, now Daihatsu have a solution and it’s called the long wheelbase Terios and is assembled in Indonesia. The wheelbase is stretched by 105 mm and the overall length by 315 mm. You can use the extra space for luggage, if you choose the five-seater version, or you can join the seven-seater brigade. Hopping from the front to the middle row reveals good legroom and headroom. Also noted are the overhead air vents with a two-speed fan operated by the right hand side passenger. There is also some fore and aft seat movement but not much and adjustable backrest rake.
Not expecting much from the third row in a car of this size, I was pleasantly surprised to find sufficient room for adults up to about 1,8 m tall. Access isn’t too bad, after pulling a tab under the middle seat and tilting the seat forwards, or first lowering the backrest and then flipping the entire seat forwards. Grab handles and drink holders with some storage space is also provided even at the back. What isn’t there is a retractable parcel shelf, but the Daihatsu engineers are working on this so expect this to be available as an option soon.
A choice of front-wheel drive or 4×4 is available, with the 4×4 fitted with a lockable centre diff, although the system will transfer torque automatically to the rear wheels when necessary. Ground clearance is 200 mm, which is much better than average for a pukka 4×4, let alone a soft roader. Apart from 100s of km of gravel, we tried the vehicles out the dunes near Lambert’s bay, a day after some heavy winds that formed new ridges, covered with ultra soft, fine sand. Although some of us did get stuck now and then, this was mainly due to inexperience and not using sufficient momentum. We had dropped the tyre pressures to one bar and locked the centre diff. After that it was a simple matter of using lots of revs in first gear and keeping a steady line. The ground clearance, short overhangs and light mass did the rest and, when getting stuck on a ridge, all it took to get going again was two or three helping hands to help the tyres find some grip. The standard tyres on the LWB were Dunlop ST-20 Grand Trek with a 215/65 R16 size.
The nice thing about this vehicle is that, while it has the usual luxuries such as air-con, dual airbags, power windows, ABS, and central locking, it doesn’t go overboard with too many features that means more that can go wrong and cost you a fortune when it does. In some ways the build is old-fashioned and in some cases this better, such as the hydraulically-assisted steering. I know we all like remote central locking on the key fob, but do you know what some manufacturers charge you if you lose or damage your remote? Sometime many thousands of rands! Easy money for them. Also noted is the way many panels are fitted – with Phillips screws, not hidden clips that make assembly much quicker, but tend to break off if you ever need to do some repair work. So this is a car that should be good to hang on to for many years or alternatively to buy as a good second-hand vehicle. The fact that the engineering comes from Japan and some parts are shared by Toyota count a lot.
Models available:
4×2 7 seat R194 995
4×2 7 seat AT R203 995
4×4 5 seat R208 995
4×4 7 seat R213 995
A maintenance plan instead of the service plan is available for an added cost of just under R5 000.
Daihatsu Terios off-road
The package offered by Daihatsu SA gives the SWB model even more off-road ability and appeal and includes power pushed up from 77 to 80 kW with torque increased from 140 to 150 N.m. This comes as a result of a free-flow stainless steel exhaust system. The suspension has also been raised by 50 mm to increase the already class-leading ground clearance of 200 mm to 250 mm. To further enhance the bundu-bashing ability, a limited slip diff was added to the rear to compliment the standard switchable centre diff lock. A DVD/satellite navigation system replaces the normal sound system and washable seat covers are supplied. To increase the grip, a set of Yokohama Geolanders are fitted with a wider than usual section of 235/60 R16. The impressive approach and departure angles made short work of the steep ascents and descents on the soft sand at “the dunes” near Lambert’s bay.
Price: R219 995