Daihatsu Applause Reviews

• August 2008 Reviews
• March 2007 Reviews
• October 2006 Reviews

Daihatsu Applause review covering 1990 - 1996

Friday 20 October 2006

The Japanese have long been clever lateral thinkers. Adept at taking an undeveloped concept and spotting the potential for leveraging a big profit they seemed onto a winner with the Daihatsu Applause. Market research had shown that hatchbacks sold cars due to their versatility, but many buyers wanted the security of a boot. Daihatsu came up with an ingenious solution. The Applause looks like a saloon, but pop the rear ‘bootlid’ and you’ll find it stretches up to the roofline, making the car something of a stealth hatchback! Others have since realised that this was a neat trick, take today’s Skoda Octavia for instance.The Applause never received much of an ovation with UK buyers and you may have more luck discovering the Ark of the Covenant, the Chinguetti meteorite and Lord Lucan’s car keys before you find an example in your preferred colour, condition and trim level. Nevertheless, as a used buy, it’s certainly not run of the mill.