Every car is an argument about what matters, and the Daihatsu Sigra makes its case with Petrol engine and 49 kW. Daihatsu built from 2016 — as electrification stopped being an experiment and the crossover took every market.
The story
The Daihatsu Sigra is an A-segment MPV with standard three-row seating designed by Daihatsu and manufactured by Astra Daihatsu Motor in Indonesia since July 2016 to be sold exclusively in the country. Developed by Daihatsu chief engineer Nobuhiko Ono, it is built on lengthened Ayla's platform and positioned below the Xenia as a more affordable MPV option for the Indonesian market, where three-row MPVs have high demand in the country. It is also rebadged and sold by Toyota as the Toyota Calya with a differentiated front fascia. The cars were built to meet the "Low Cost Green Car" regulation by the Indonesian government that abolished luxury goods tax for economical cars.
The Sigra was previewed by UFC, UFC2 and UFC 3 concept cars that was shown in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. The production model was unveiled on 2 August 2016 alongside the Calya and launched at the 24th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show on 11 August 2016. Both cars are manufactured at the Karawang plant, with a claimed localisation level of 94%. The name Sigra was taken from the Sanskrit word meaning 'quick response', while Calya means 'perfection'. Same with the Ayla/Agya, the Sigra using a S-shaped front logo, while the Calya for the opting for a Garuda-inspired front badge, to comply with the requirements of the LCGC program.
What is underneath
Under the skin sits Petrol engine; it is rated at 49 kW; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 920 –. Power-to-weight lands near 53 horsepower per tonne, which is unhurried — enough for the job, not for the bragging. The gearbox is a 5-speed Manual transmission / manual / 4-speed Automatic transmission / automatic. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2525 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Where it sits in Daihatsu's history is not in doubt: it was built at Karawang. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Suzuki Brezza, the Honda BR-V, the Datsun redi-GO. Nearby in the Daihatsu catalogue sit the Daihatsu Applause and the Daihatsu Atrai.