Sirion is one of the subcompact cars produced by Daihatsu that become people’s favorite nowadays. However, Sirion has had such a long journey back then until being improved now. Daihatsu Storia was the first generation of Sirion. Get to know the journey of this car from year to year until today in this article.
The Story of Daihatsu Storia
Daihatsu Storia or you know it as Sirion these days is a vehicle manufactured by Daihatsu. This manufacturer never stopped making such a new innovation in the automobile field. Additionally, this subcompact vehicle is one of the most capable vehicles that was produced from 1998 to 2004.
The first generation of Sirion was shown at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show with the main concept of the NCX car. During the event, Daihatsu confirmed that Sirion is the product they would make for the next year which is 1998.
Next Journey of Storia
Further, in early 2000, there was the first improvement of Daihatsu Storia. The new changes included engine enhancement into the DVVT engine system with a 1300cc and minor restyling. There is also a minor improvement to the front grille, interior style, and handling refinement changes.
However, in the 2000s, Sirion had new tail lights and additional reverse lights on the right and left. The new updates of Sirion were rolled out in the Japanese market in May 2000. Then in the next year, the United Kingdom and Australia followed the rule to release that model.
What’s more, in late 2001 which was around December, there was a new development in Storia’s body look. A facelift occurred at that moment with a new front grille and bumper that made the appearance look sportier. In some markets, the new look of Daihatsu Storia with silver accent details on the side was detached.
Several updates on the dashboard and interior were required while combining the spacious storage space. Improvements for the dash and interior come with the purpose of making easier-to-use control systems and higher-quality trim.
In the next year, which is around 2002, Australia followed the journey to introduce the new update of Storia. Day by day coming with more updates till make it into the second generation of Daihatsu Sirion.
Versions of Daihatsu Storia
Storia has introduced several versions of the vehicle. Those versions are somehow exclusively to be introduced in certain marketplaces including in the UK market. Rally, 4Track, and Storia X4 are the well-known versions with particular engine systems. Below are the explanations:
1. Rally
The first two special versions of Daihatsu Storia that are exclusively introduced in the UK market are the Rally series. This series is separated into two types which are Rally 2 and Rally 4 with a major system in the four-wheel drive.
Additionally, in the engine system, there is a slight update with increased output engine power. In this new update, this model’s engine power can reach up to 81 kW or 109 horsepower (110 PS).
The amount of engine power that Rally has, can run up to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.1 seconds. On the other hand, Rally 4 can be run with a top speed of 185 km/h. The top speed of Rally 4 can reach up to 115 mph in a range of time 8.9 seconds.
2. 4Track
Another version of the first generation of Daihatsu Storia is the 4Track which is called 4WD outside the Japanese market. This model comes with a four-wheel drive version with a standard 1.3 L engine model.
The 4Track model is available with an F-Speed engine type that is capable of being an automatic model. The transmission is able to be switched by using the button placed on the dashboard. You can use the push button persistently to change gears on the steering wheel.
3. Daihatsu Storia X4
Daihatsu released the sporty version of Storia that comes with the name Storia X4. Produced in the specialty of racing, this model is equipped with a four-wheel drive layout with front and rear limited-slip features. This model is also capable of producing engine power up to 88 kW with a JC-DET 713 cc engine.
Additionally, there is slight use of the kei car engine within the X4 to fill the regulation of 1 L racing class vehicle. The 1 L racing class engine established the move of the turbocharged engine system. This rule is used to make it possible to be a racing car with a larger body that is not even regulated by kei car requirements.
Key Specifications of Storia
As the first generation of Daihatsu Sirion, this subcompact vehicle came with two types of petrol engines along with multi-point fuel injection. The two types include a 989 cc engine system with a three-cylinder that can pull engine power up to 44 kW (55 horsepower or 60 PS).
Furthermore, in 2000, released a new type of petrol engine with a 1.3 L four-cylinder engine power. In this case, the Daihatsu Storia can pull 64 kW or 86 horsepower (87 PS) which makes this vehicle have great performance.
All series were purchasable with options for the transmission system. The options include a five-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic transmission.
Further, in 2001, improvement happened to the 1.3 L model that has 76 kW or 102 hp (103 PS). The improvement would be experienced by the engine system to accelerate. This car would be running from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) to full speed which is 111 mph (179 km/h).
Hence, you could enjoy an average fuel consumption of up to 21.1 km/L with the 1.3 L engine model. On the other hand, the 989 cc engine model is probably able to pull an average fuel consumption up to 21.85 km/L.
The Most Useful Subcompact Car
A subcompact car is probably labeled as a small car that is only able to carry several people inside. Yet, a subcompact vehicle is also able to show good performance with the engine system and appearance. Daihatsu Storia was the first generation of Sirion shown a great report on its performance and capability.
Since the first generation was released, this subcompact vehicle has even been capable of sports activity. In this situation, Storia carried a JC-DET 713 cc engine model that was probably able to pull up to 88 kW. Therefore, particular enhancement proves that this subcompact vehicle is considerable to have.