Ynt: Feroza'cılar Serbest Muhabbet Köşesi
okulun veritabanında daihatsu feroza'nın test sürüşü izlenimlerini buldum
elimden geldiğince çevirmeye çalışıp en kısa zamanda paylaşacağım, yine de orjinalini koyayım şimdiden
Engine: 1589cc ohc 16-valve four fed by multipoint fuel injection to develop 70kW at 5700rpm, and 128Nm of torque at 4800rpm.
Transmission: Five-speed manual gearbox, rear wheel drive with part-time 4WD system, Hi-low transfer case, and manual locking front hubs.
Suspension: Front: Torsion bar double wishbones with stabiliser bar, Rear: Leaf sprung live axle with stabiliser bar.
Steering: Power-assisted rack and pinion with 3.2 turns from lock to lock.
Turning Circle: 10.9m.
Brakes: Power-assisted front discs and rear drums.
Tyres: 225/70R15 on alloy wheels.
Length: 3785mm.
Wheelbase: 2175mm.
Kerb Weight: 1258kg.
Towing Capacity: 750kg (unbraked), 1500kg (braked).
Fuel Capacity: 60 litres.
Warranty: Three years/100,000km.
Price: $30,990.
Smart Parts: Combines good off-road performance with affordable price, lift-off roof sections add sun appeal.
Not So Smart: Rear drum brakes, cramped rear seat.
Points out of 10: Engine-8, Transmission-8, Steering-7, Braking-7, Ride/roadholding-7, Styling-8, Interior-7, Ergonomics-7, Build-8, Value-10.
DAIHATSU's Feroza has new specs in more ways than one. The new composite plastic/steel bullbar wraps around the headlights like Dame Edna's spectacles.
However the Dessert Ox (sic) bull-bar isn't the end of a comprehensive specification and price revision for the evergreen 1.6 litre 4WD, merely the start. It is probably meant to be called the Desert Ox bullbar to conjure up images of Paris-Dakar desert racing rather than some beefy dessert, but that's the way Daihatsu spells it.
If you can get past the name, you'll find some substantial value for money underneath it. That plastic bullbar might look a little scratchable and disposable, but its strong mounting points and steel tube backbone should stand the test of time. As for the rest of the Feroza, it has been a thorn in the side of the Suzuki Vitara three-door for some time, and this latest price revision prompted Suzuki New Zealand to sell the Vitara three-door at less than the introductory 1988 price.
Yet the Vitara still costs a little more than the base $26,990 Feroza SEi, which gets electronic fuel injection in place of the old two-barrelled carburettor this year, along with more equipment such as a clock and a left footrest, and new trim. The $30,990 Feroza EFi "Style" is the subject of this test, and comes with the colour-coordinated bull-bar, alloy wheels, spare wheel cover, power windows/mirrors, and lots of graphics and stripes. It is the $29,990 Feroza EFi "Special", however, that would be my pick, as it swaps the bullbar and graphics of the "Style" for airconditioning, leaving $1000 over for a New Zealand-made stainless steel bullbar to improve its looks.
All three Ferozas share the same 1.6 litre four driving through a slick-shifting five-speed manual gearbox. The change to fuel injection has put quite a few extra brake horses into the Feroza's corral, and power jumps from 63kW to 70, while there are two extra Newton-metres of torque. It's a fairly easy-going motor in the lower two-thirds of the rev range, but gets a bit vocal and harsh approaching the redline in much the same way as the Vitara's. Indeed acceleration between these two fierce competitors is line-ball, the Feroza Style taking 14.1 seconds to reach 100km/h from a standing start, where the last 1.6 litre Vitara tested took 13.9. The difference is likely due to the Daihatsu's extra 150kg of mass over the Suzuki. Fuel consumption in the Feroza averaged 10.9 litres every 100km, not bad in a week of perpetually strong headwinds for a 4WD with the aerodynamics of a garden shed.
Like the Suzuki, the Feroza has an easy shifting five-speed gearbox, with slightly longer throws than a passenger car; and a Hi-Low ratio transfer case for its part-time 4WD system. Unlike the Suzuki, the Daihatsu has manual locking front hubs.
"They're good for yuppies who have just entered a wet paddock to pick up the horse float, but little else," was one famous 4WD instructor's verdict on automatic hubs to me once.
So you have to stop to put the Feroza into 4WD, but on the road this hardly matters. Riding on independent double front wishbones, and a leaf-sprung rigid rear axle, the Feroza flicks lightly into corners, although getting on the power hard on the way out spins the inside rear wheel, and on wet roads the Feroza hops rather than slides into slight oversteer.
The Feroza has a firmish ride on all surfaces, but really comes into its own off-road. Here a superior approach angle and better ground clearance than the Vitara help keep the bodywork away from terra firma, while an agile turning circle and stubby body add manoeuvrability on tight trails. The drum rear brakes do need a bit of drying out after a river crossing, but the off-road limits of the Feroza are comparable to a Land Rover.
The Feroza body combines the open air of a soft-top with the security of a hardtop through its removable roof sections that strip away after 10 minutes of tinkering. Two sturdy roll-cages maintain roll-over protection, and probably account for much of the extra mass the Feroza carries over the Vitara. There is a rear seat, but children only need apply.
Possibly the biggest drawback of Daihatsu's respected range of off-roaders is that you have to pay more than $50,000 for the Rocky Wagon before you get five doors and a decent