DAIHATSU has taken the wraps of its new Sirion supermini model, which replaces the current car from next month.
Priced from £6,995 it is spearheading a European sales drive which the company predicts will lift annual sales from 28,000 to 70,000 within three years.
There are five versions of the newcomer; the 1.0 S and SE at £6,995 and £7,695 plus 1.3-litre versions at £7,795 and £8,395, with an automatic version of the 1.3 SE topping the range at £9,190.
The usual claims about the car beating every other rival in its class are made including the assertion that, although the external dimensions are the same as a Nissan Micra, in terms of interior space it matches cars in a class above.
This is partly because it is a tall vehicle, disguised by heavily flared wheel arches that create a lower, wider appearance.
Daihatsu says that the new Sirion undercuts its mainstream rivals by about £2,000 when its generous equipment is taken into account.
All models come with air conditioning, front and side airbags, a CD player, four electric windows, remote central locking and electric power steering.
As far as performance is concerned, the one-litre model has a top speed of 100mph, a 0-60mph acceleration time of 13.5 seconds, economy of up to 64mpg and a CO2 figure of 118g/km.
The major drawback is that at this stage there is no diesel option, although parent company Toyota could make one available in due course.