THE last version of the Daihatsu Charade was one of those happy surprises, a rock-bottom-priced city car that was decent to drive and carried a lot of refinements.
Well, the latest realisation of Daihatsu's babe is even better and the entry price, for the three-door manual model, is still only £5,960, the five-door model under test costing just £1,000 more. Keep that in mind continually.
Built on a new platform, the 2006 Charade has greater body rigidity and a thoroughly revised suspension that includes a front anti-roll bar. The outcome is a ride that is both supple and secure, although there's still some cornering lean in a relatively tall vehicle.
Although dimensionally a city car, it behaves more like a supermini - Daihatsu openly admits it took a long look at the Renault Clio - and certainly it feels at ease on the motorway.
The distance-driving comfort is helped by the seating, lengthened by 30mm to give extra support, and, with a height-adjusting steering wheel, a satisfactory driving position can be attained.
Handling is via electric power steering and its lightness is a considerable asset in town. The system is speed-progressive - although more firmness and feedback would be welcome at pace - and braking is good, with ventilated discs at the front and electronic brake force distribution in the ABS.
Talking of pace, the Charade is powered by a three-cylinder 989cc engine that can take the car a whisker away from 100mph. With variable valve timing, double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, it's an impressive bit of engineering and the joy is that it delivers nearly 70mpg on the open road.
It's not exactly muscular, with power at 58bhp and pull of 67lb/ft. Ask a lot of it and it coarsens up, while lengthy uphill climbs make themselves felt; but a 12.2 seconds time for the standstill-to-62mph sprint is quite respectable and, on top of the fuel consumption, the financial advantages are appealing.
With carbon dioxide emissions of 114g/km, the manual Charade qualifies for a £40 road fund licence.
Here the engine was mated with a five-speed manual transmission, not particularly slick - especially in selecting reverse - but a four-speed automatic is available.
On a more aesthetic level, the car has undergone a cabin makeover and the cloth seat and door trim, red and black in this car, is really quite attractive, as is the fascia
Air conditioning is standard - are you still remembering that price tag? - and you also get electric front windows and door mirrors, front airbags, central locking, engine immobiliser, radio/CD player and split/folding rear seats.
The last allows luggage capacity to be increased from 157 litres to a useful 421 litres; with the seats up, leg space for rear passengers is pretty good for a car that is only 3.4m long - it turns in just 8.4 metres.
Little things betray the pricing - the doors and hatch don't exactly clunk, for example _ but there's three years unlimited mileage and roadside assistance on the warranty.
Fun, practical - for a city car - and super value for money, the Charade is well worth considering.
FAST FACTS
Daihatsu Charade 1.0 5dr
Price: £6,960
Mechanical: 58bhp, 989cc, 3cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 99mph
0-62mph: 12.2 secs
Combined mpg: 58.9
Insurance group: 5
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
BiK rating: 15%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage, 3yrs paint, 8yrs anti-rust