Daihatsu Terios

Numbers first, because with the Daihatsu Terios they are the story: Petrol engine, 44 –. Daihatsu built from 1997, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard.

Where it came from

The Daihatsu Terios (Japanese: ダイハツ・テリオス, Hepburn: Daihatsu Teriosu) is a mini SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Daihatsu since 1997 as the successor to the F300 series Rocky. It was initially offered in both short- and long-wheelbase configurations before the former stopped production in 2016 to be replaced by the A200 series Rocky crossover in 2019. The long-wheelbase variant is available mainly for the Indonesian market with three-row seating options. A smaller kei car model called it the Terios Kid/Lucia was also available for the first-generation model.

Rear-wheel drive is standard across all generations, while four-wheel drive option was available for the first- and second-generation models. Since August 2016, the Terios has been sold exclusively in Indonesia. Throughout three generations, it has also been marketed by Toyota and Perodua under various nameplates as well. The name "Terios" is originated from the Old Greek word, which is roughly translated to "making dreams come true".

Under the skin

Power comes from Petrol engine; 44 – is the published figure; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. It weighs 1025 –. Work it out per tonne and you get about 43 horsepower — leisurely, which for a car of its age and purpose is the point. It shifts through a 5-speed Manual transmission / manual / 4-speed Automatic transmission / automatic. The wheelbase is 2420 mm (Terios series/Perodua Kembara) / 2500 mm (Taruna C-series) / 2750 mm (Taruna F-series). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

In context

Its family tree is legible: it took over from the Daihatsu Rocky/Feroza/Sportrak (F300); its successor was the Daihatsu Cast / Daihatsu Cast Activa (Terios Kid/Lucia) / Daihatsu Taft (LA900) (Terios Kid/Lucia); assembly was at Nakatsu, Ōita. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Chery A11, the Toyota Vitz — show what else the money bought that year. Nearby in the Daihatsu catalogue sit the Daihatsu Applause and the Daihatsu Atrai.