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Daihatsu SA goes girly with Terios

<b>ONE FOR THE LADIES:</b> Daihatsu's Diva special should appeal to Diva-like guys as well. <a href="http://www.wheels24.co.za/Multimedia/Manufacturers/Daihatsu/2012-Daihatsu-Terios-Diva-20120323" target="_blank">Image gallery</a>
<b>ONE FOR THE LADIES:</b> Daihatsu's Diva special should appeal to Diva-like guys as well. <a href="http://www.wheels24.co.za/Multimedia/Manufacturers/Daihatsu/2012-Daihatsu-Terios-Diva-20120323" target="_blank">Image gallery</a>
What do you do if most of your buyers are female? You churn out a special edition designed for the ladies, of course!

Daihatsu, after realising that as many as 80% of its Terios SUV owners were female, decided to take a bold high-heeled step into the market with a car designed especially for female South African drivers.

According to Daihatsu SA's business development manager, Paula Santos, input was sought from a number of buyers and, based on their requests and observations, the Daihatsu Terios Diva model was born. The company's sales and marketing manager, Braam Faul, admits cars are generally designed by men, for men.

WOMEN'S NEEDS


Faul said: "It’s rare to find a vehicle that has been specifically created to address the needs of women. We believe this is an anomaly: it’s common knowledge that women influence around 80% of vehicle purchases."

While the Terios regularly comes with a number of safety and comfort features, among them adjustable steering, 60/40-split rear seats, and fog lights, the Diva designation adds a number of key details that even some guys would be able to appreciate.

There are six cupholders dotted through the cabin, power external mirrors and windows, a detachable organiser to hang behind a front seat (think spare shoes, make-up bag, small towel, spanner set) and a collapsible storage crate in the boot. An in-dash Garmin satnav also plays DVD's, CD's and MP3's and takes your USB and iPod, while a built-in hard drive holds up to 60 songs, Daihatsu says. The infotainment system can be operated via the steering-wheel controls.

Other features include parking radar, a reversing camera and safety film on the windows.

Driver and passenger air bags, IsoFix child-seat anchors on the outer rear seats and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and emergency pressure assistance are standard.

TAKING IT EASY


For ladies uneasy about changing a wheels or scuffing their patent leather platform pumps while hauling out a jack, the Terios Diva comes with a tyre-repair kit for small punctures – just spray the tyre weld into the tyre valve and there you go. Bikers carry them, too.

Importantly, you can tell the Diva apart from regular Terioses (Teriosi?) by its bright orange Diva exterior decals, leather upholstery with contrasting orange stitching and special Diva carpets that protect your high heels. Seriously.

Although the Terios is built to specification in Japan, several divalicious details are retrofit in South Africa since the update only extends to the little SUV's cosmetic features.

Beneath the metal, the Diva is a standard front-wheel drive, short-wheelbase with a ride height of 205mm powered by Daihatsu’s 1.5-litre petrol engine that develops 77kW at 6000rpm and 140Nm at 4400rpm and turns a five-speed manual transmission.

The Daihatsu Terios Diva costs R245 995. A service is required every 15 00km (or annually) and the car is covered by a three-year or 100 000 km warranty.

Go, girls!
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