If the Cuore were a person, you'd have to feel sorry for it. This is the homeliest-looking little car imaginable, with not the slightest hint of style about it, and a reputation for nothing more than good economy and low emissions. Bargain-priced and "Environmental Car of the Millennium" it may be, yet all that stuff seems coded language for worthy but oh, so-o-o dull.Somewhere along the line, though, Daihatsu has completely lost the plot. Take the Cuore (with its daft Italian name meaning "heart" and supposed to be pronounced, in defiance of the UK-market spelling, as Cor-ray) out onto winding country roads, put your foot down, and the ugly sister isn't off to the ball, but off to the races.The main reason is that the familiar 0.9-litre three-cylinder engine is another Daihatsu power unit to benefit from Toyota-style DVVT or dynamic variable valve timing, Toyota of course being the controlling shareholder in the smaller Japanese company.One result is far livelier performance - for a one-litre, that is - with something like 2.4 seconds trimmed off the previous non-DVVT model's 0-62mph time, as well as a combination of economy and CO2 emissions figures unbeaten by any other four-seater petrol car. The three-cylinder "beat" is still there, though.While it would be swinging the lead to say this is a fast main road or motorway car, it's not just the crisper acceleration that makes the Cuore skip along country roads so well. It has an uncommonly long wheelbase for its bumper-to-bumper length, and that's an important element in its unexpectedly well balanced handling, as well as its quite supple ride. It's an easy rider in town, too.The Cuore doesn't look like a chuck-about car, but it certainly is on minor roads with plenty of bends, brows and dips. It sits four-square on corners, yet has responsive steering and can be twitched around easily when required. Somebody over there really knows about chassis set-up.A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, and unless the very idea of changing gears personally brings you out in a cold sweat, that's the one to go for. The £895 special-order option of automatic transmission comes with only three gears, reduces the acceleration to sack-race level, ruins the fuel consumption and sky-highs the CO2 emissions.Daihatsu regards the Cuore as a city car, and in some ways that's just about right. It's roomy enough up front, but rear legroom is very restricted, although the body shape does provide generous headroom. Boot space is modest too.There's absolutely nothing fancy about the interior trim and layout, but everything is conveniently placed and works well enough. Available only with the five-door bodywork, the SL comes with features like central locking, electrically operated windows and door mirrors, a split-fold rear seat, digital clock, interior light delay, and cabin release controls for the boot lid and fuel filler. Air-conditioning and ABS with brake assist are both £595 special-order options.The SL specification is available only in the five-door hatchback. At just under £7000, this is the most expensive of the catalogued models. The entry-level three-door E costs £5995 and the three-door EL is in the catalogue at £6495.But there's a lot more to the financial element in Cuore ownership than just the original price. The economy is remarkably good, as long as you go for the manual transmission, and any new Cuore bought before the end of this year will qualify for the same warranty package as the Sirion, Terios and YRV.The first owner gets free maintenance cover for three years or 36,000 miles, and the three-year unlimited mileage warranty plus roadside assistance can be transferred to the next owner. Bodywork has three-year paintwork cover and a six-year anti-perforation warranty. There's also a very low insurance rating.Modest price, good performance for its size, unexpectedly sporty handling, low running costs, economy and CO2 emissions almost at diesel levels - it's easy not to be too fussed about the Cuore's style marks: two out of ten.Second opinion: Well, I tell you, I didn't expect to be nearly as impressed by this car as I actually was. The outstanding features in my view were the ride, the performance (who would have thought that this would be such a good motorway cruiser?), the headroom and the solid feel suggesting excellent build quality. I didn't mind the looks too much; the shape - by no means as daft as those of some rivals - suggests a slightly behind-the-times Japanese city car, which is pretty much what the Cuore is. In other words, it does exactly what it says on the tin. And it does it exceptionally well. David Finlay. Engine 989cc, 3cylinders Power 54bhp @5200rpm Torque 65.1ib/ft @3600rpm Transmission 5 speed manual Fuel/CO2 55.4mpg / 124g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 12.8sec Top speed 87mph Price From £6871.00 approx Release date 01/02/2002
