The Daihatsu Storia is a subcompact car which was produced by the Japanese automaker Daihatsu between 1998 and 2004, and was also sold as the Toyota Duet in Japan. It effectively replaced the similar sized Charade, which was produced alongside it for a year until being discontinued in 1999. Outside Japan, with the exception of a few countries, the Storia was sold as the first generationSirion. The name "Storia" is Italian for "story".
Overview
The 1998 Storia/Duet came with two petrol engines : a 989 cc three-cylinder engine with and a 1.3 L four-cylinder engine with unit. Both were available with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. As of 2001, 1.3 L models have engines capable of accelerating from in 9.6 seconds and reaching a top speed of. This engine has an average fuel consumption of and the 989 cc models averaging. UK market only had the Rally versions of the Sirion: Rally 2 and Rally 4; the latter being the four-wheel drive version. The Rally models have a slightly increased engine output of and has a time of 8.1 seconds and reaching a top speed of. The 4Track is a four-wheel drive version of the standard 1.3 L model. The F-Speed is an automatic model which can be switched using a dashboard button to use push buttonsequential gear change on the steering wheel. A version called the Storia X4 was released for racing in Japan. This model has a four-wheel drive layout with front and rear limited-slip differentials and is powered by a JC-DET 713 cc engine producing. The use of a slightly enlarged kei car engine on the X4 was designed to meet homologation regulations for 1-liter racing class, which imposes a displacement multiplier for turbocharged engines, while allowing for larger body that is not constrained to kei size regulations. The Storia/Duet was restyled in 2000 with most changes to the front of the car, most notably the grille design. From the A-posts rearward, the design remained almost identical. The dashboard was also extensively redesigned with innovative use made of storage space and a more luxurious appearance. The Australian market only had the 989 cc model up until early 2001, when the sporty 1.3 L model, known as the GTvi, was added to the lineup. At the time, the GTvi model had the most powerful naturally aspirated engine available in its class, developing at 7,500 rpm. In Australia, a sequential transmission option was made available in the GTvi version only from 2002. This was an electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission with sequential mode activated by a dashboard switch, then gear selection by buttons on the steering wheel. In December 2001, the Storia/Duet was restyled; the front grille and bumper were changed for a sportier appearance and in some markets the silver accents on the sides were removed. The dash and interior were redesigned, incorporating more storage spaces, easier to use controls and higher quality trim.
