Sipani D-1. 1987–94 (prod. 290 approx., according to one source). 5-door saloon. F/R, 848 cm³ petrol, 1466 cm³ diesel (I4 OHV). A tidying up of the Montana design, looking like the Daihatsu Charade (G11) in publicity photographs, but never living up to the promise. Proportions were closer to that of the Reliant Kitten and the Montana, and D-1 retained rear-wheel drive, with the addition of a 1·5 diesel developing 40 PS, complementing the 38 PS 0·8. In fibreglass, like Montana. Never that successful against Maruti 800, with the usual Sipani problems of lacking customer support and sales’ network, and wheels that were too small for the rough roads of India in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Manufacturing location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Marque: Sipani | Predecessor: Sipani Montana