The Applause was Daihatsu's initial venture to producing independently-styled cars as a way to promote themselves as Toyota’s compact car producer. The Applause succeeded the Charmant, which was a derivative of the successful Toyota Corolla.
The Daihatsu Applause is a 5-door hatchback, albeit not quite evident at first glance since it looks more like a 4-door sedan. The whole trunk lid and rear windscreen open up, providing larger cargo access. The rear seats are foldable to enlarge baggage capacity. It has a seating capacity of five including the driver and features an anti-locking brake system (ABS), disc brakes in all four corners, and a fully-independent suspension system.
The Applause has a length of 4,260 mm with the later models increasing a bit to 4,315 mm. The width of the vehicle remained unchanged at 1,660 mm throughout its production. Boot space is at 412 liters due to its notchback design.
1989, Initial Release
During its initial release in July 1989, there were four variations offered in either manual gearboxes or automatic transmissions. The 16L and 16X models came with a 1589cc Daihatsu HD carburetted engine coupled with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed auto transmission rated at 71 kW @6300rpm / 130.4 N⋅m @3600rpm for the Japanese domestic market and rated at 67 kW @6300rpm / 130.4 N⋅m for the export version.
The 16Ri models came with the 1589cc fuel-injected engines with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic transmission rated at 89 kW @6300rpm / 140.2 N⋅m @4800rpm for the Japanese domestic market and rated at 77 kW @6300rpm / 134 N⋅m @4800rpm for the export version.
The 16Zi models came with the 1589cc fuel-injected engines with a 5-speed manual gearbox rated at 89 kW @6300rpm / 140.2 N⋅m @4800rpm for the Japanese domestic market and rated at 77 kW @6300rpm / 134 N⋅m @ 4800rpm for the export version. The 16L, 16X and 16Ri had a front-engine front-wheel-drive configuration, but the 16Zi was a front-engine with an all-wheel-drive layout.
These cars have an advertised maximum speed of 175 km/hr and acceleration time for 0-100 km/hr of 10.2 seconds with the automatic transmission. City driving fuel consumption is at 10.8 litres/100km with an automatic.
1990-1997, Modifications & Minor Facelifts
Following the initial release of the Applause, Daihatsu corrected a defect in its fuel system. For 1990-1992, these modified models were marketed as the Applause Theta to highlight the update but reverted to the original Applause after 1992. A limited-edition model, QR-90, came out in 1990 and carried on until 1994. Also, during this year, the fuel injection engines replaced the carburetted version.
A minor facelift was incorporated in 1992 with a mild redesign of the front and rear exterior which produced a slight increase in length. The all-wheel-drive version was discontinued starting in 1994.
1997-2000, Major Facelifts
The Applause received a major facelift in 1997 to boost sales. The basic car layout remained the same, with modifications applied only on the exterior front and rear to it give a more modern and elegant look. Model variants changed to SL, SX, and SX Limited, but retained the engine and transmission options. From the 1998 model year, Daihatsu phased out the SX Limited from their lineup until the end of production.
The facelift was not as effective in increasing sales as hoped for, so Daihatsu removed it from production in May 2000. Numerous Daihatsu Applause models continue to exist in Australia and all over the world, even finding their way to countries where they weren't directly sold. This model was eventually replaced by the Daihatsu Altis, which was the rebranded Toyota Camry, but was not in the same class as this was a bigger sedan.
These cars are popular for their easy maintenance and durability. Parts and even whole vehicles are still available. Contact Carpart.com.au if you need used parts for one of these or any of the models. If you own one and wish to sell it for parts or as a whole, we're the online site to visit for buyers and sellers of car parts and accessories, not only for the Applause but for most other car brands.
-Jarad