DAIHATSU have always been good at small cars and the last model to carry the Charade name reverted to these roots.
The very first Charade was a little 1.0-litre three or five door hatch with a three cylinder power unit which showed many others in the eighties just how good a small engine could be.
And with the last model to bear the name, the company went back to that format - small and light with a 1.0-litre three cylinder powerplant.
It's good looking in a bluff sort of way, but that exterior holds a cavernous interior bigger than any other city car on the market.
It held five adults on a 20 mile trip to a friend's wedding in decent comfort and, most surprisingly, still producing decent performance.
The engine is superb, hugely willing and reasonably refined at almost any speed.
Unlike most other such small units, it pulls well from fairly low revs and carries on pulling all the way to the red line.
With one person up it is a hoot and has better acceleration than I would have believed possible from such a small unit.
Interior
The turning circle is excellent, road holding and handling are good enough for plenty of fun, and the level of equipment is superb for the money.
The ride is decently comfortable even over rough country roads at 40 to 50 miles an hour and also at under 30 in town.
FAST FACTS
Daihatsu Charade
Price: Pay about £1,450 for an '03 53-reg EL 3dr, £2,100 for an '04 54-reg SL 5dr, or £2,800 for an '06 06-reg EL 5dr
Mechanical: 58bhp, 989cc, 3cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 99mph
0-62mph: 12.2 seconds
Combined mpg: 58
Insurance group: 5
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Marks: 9/10
Rivals: Ford Ka, Daewoo/Chevrolet Matiz