At $11,250 (plus delivery and statutory charges), the Daihatsu Cuore 5-speed is Australia's cheapest new car. Despite its rock-bottom price tag, however, the Cuore is a very capable vehicle equipped with a few generous features...
Almost unbelievably, the little Daihatsu comes decked out with standard driver and passenger airbags - incredible when you consider they're usually an (expensive) option.
Add to that a standard detachable-face CD/tuner, electric mirrors and an engine immobiliser and the Cuore really starts to appeal. It's hard to believe we're still talking about an $11,250 cheapie, isn't it?
These unexpected features aside, the Cuore's 4-seater cabin is pretty much as you'd expect in a low-cost minicar. The door trims are completely vinyl covered, the dashboard design is basic and there's lots of grey plastic. Its run-of-the-mill type accessories include dual vanity mirrors, an array of storage compartments and cup holders, lights-on buzzer and intermittent wipers. Instrumentation is limited to speedometer/odometer, fuel level and coolant temperature - there's no tachometer.
The Cuore's only interior option - at an extra $1695 - is air conditioning.
Despite its pint size, you never feel 'cooped up' inside the little Daihatsu; its low waistline and high roofline effectively creates a feeling of spaciousness. Headroom is ample (there are inches to spare for people 6-foot tall), though shoulder and elbowroom is a little tight - it's not uncommon to accidentally brush against the opposite passenger.
Offered as a 2-door only, access to the rear seat is by releasing the front backrest and sliding the whole thing forward in another separate action. Stepping through to the rear is particularly awkward - the gap between the B-pillar and the front seat is narrow and, to make things worse, there are no grab handles along the way.
Once seated, however, there's no lack of space - there's headroom for 6-footers, reasonable shoulder width and generous feet room. Legroom is quite good so long as the front seats aren't slid fully back.
Further astern, the cargo area is accessible via the outside key lock only. The hatch opens reasonably high (supported by a gas strut) and the load lip is low and wide. Cargo volume is adequate to fit a few shopping bags, but any bulky object will require you tilt the 60/40 split rear backrest forward; it doesn't sit flat, but it does hugely increase load capacity. A space-saver spare wheel lives beneath the chipboard floor.
Okay - so the Cuore's reasonably roomy for its size, it's practical and there are a few bonus goodies - but how does it drive?
The first thing that grabs you is the amount vibration and noise from the three-cylinder engine - it's ghastly. At idle, vibration absolutely floods through the steering wheel, gearknob and pedals - and it doesn't get much better when you're moving along. A loud offbeat snarl erupts when the engine is under load, and the whir of the balance shaft is obvious.
NVH problems aside, the 989cc 3-cylinder EJ-VE engine is surprisingly capable of propelling the 720kg Cuore - and it's also pretty high tech.
With its high 10.0:1 compression ratio, multi-point fuel injection, DOHCs and 4-valves-per-cylinder, it can rustle up 41kW at 5200 rpm and 88Nm at 3600 rpm. (In comparison, the rival Daewoo Matiz has a SOHC, 2-valve-per-cylinder 800cc engine producing 38kW at 5900 rpm and 69Nm at 4600 rpm).
Tractability is good (partly thanks to low gearing), throttle response is generous and there's an even spread of torque. Climbing hills the lack of outright power is obvious, but the Cuore is willing and able in all other urban conditions. The engine revs out cleanly and you can keep the pace flowing thanks to the quick-changing 5-speed gearbox. Zero to 100 km/h performance is in the high 13-second bracket - very good for such a small-engined, cheap car.
As you might expect, the Cuore has excellent fuel consumption. Official AS2877 figures are 5.8 and 5.0-litres per 100km on the city and highway, but we averaged nearly 7-litres during our test. Fuel tank capacity is 40 litres - quite generous.
In addition to the engine NVH, the Cuore's ride is unrefined. With just the driver onboard, the body bobs up and down awkwardly over sharp bumps; much of this can be blamed on the relatively heavy unsprung mass. Load another person onboard along with, maybe, some luggage and the ride becomes much more supple and composed - it's still not great, though.
Poised on MacPherson struts, lower L-arms and a swaybar at the front and coil springs and a beam axle at the rear, the Cuore is a definite understeerer. Its 155/65 radials - mounted on 13-inch steel rims - don't offer a great deal of lateral grip. Despite this, however, the 1475mm wide Daihatsu is a buzz to punt around - it's demented fun.
We love the standard power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering - it's communicative, responsive and nicely weighted. Certainly, there's none of the load-up we experienced in the Matiz. Oh, and the Cuore also has a wonderfully tight turning circle - a 4.6 metre radius is all it needs.
Braking performance is adequate using just solid front discs and rear drums; there's no ABS or EBD.
Of course - for $11,250 - the Cuore hatch is hardly going to have any prestige look about it. In fact - when painted white - it's so-called "town cube" profile bears some resemblance to a fridge turned on its side...
External features are limited a centre roof-mounted aerial, offset front number plate, a high-mount brake light, multi-reflector headlights, hub caps, rear mudflaps and colour-coded bumpers. There are no protective mouldings to prevent parking dents.
The Cuore's build quality is pretty good overall - Daihatsu has been manufacturing small cars for many years, and it shows. Paint quality is good, panel fit is competent and the interior fitment is fine. It all feels quite durable too - the Cuore strikes us as an unburstable little car that'll be trundling along for many years to come. Daihatsu backs their product with a 3-year/100,000km warranty - a great attraction for people who just reliably want to get from Point A to Point B.
We must point out, though, the Cuore does not feel like a very rigid or safe structure; we'd never want to have a major accident in it. When you apply thumb pressure to some panel sections, for example, they flex by an alarming amount. Fortunately there's side impact protection, a driver's seatbelt pre-tensioner, collapsible column, adjustable front head restraints and those dual airbags. We still can't get over that...
but they won't do you much good if a 4WD truck runs over you.
So there we have it - the Daihatsu Cuore 5-speed. Apart from its NVH and patchy suspension, it's an astounding bargain; here's a practical $11,250 new car equipped with dual airbags, CD/tuner, immobiliser, electric mirrors, power steering and backed by a 3-year 100,000km warranty.
If you're in the market for a cheap and compact 4-seater hatch, you can't go wrong with the Cuore.
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Daihatsu Cuore 5-Speed Fast Facts...
- Terrible engine noise and vibration
- Surprisingly eager acceleration
- Body feels flimsy
- Expect a brilliant 5 - 7-litres per 100km fuel consumption
- Relatively spacious - especially in the back seat
- Definite understeerer
- Awkward ride, which improves as the vehicle is loaded
- Well sorted standard power steering
- Dual airbags, CD/tuner, electric mirrors, immobiliser
- Good value
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The Daihatsu Cuore was hired by AutoSpeed for this test.
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