I didn't know quite what to expect when Daihatsu's new Terios rolled up in the car park. One of the few reviews I had read in advance of its arrival was from a national newspaper colleague who hated it with a vengeance.

I don't mean he disliked it, I mean he detested it. Take it round the back of the building and beat-it-to-death-with-a-stick- type revulsion.

So it was a bit of a puzzle when a quick look around the Terios showed a compact, pretty stylish, tidy-looking addition to the small 4x4 sector.

Much bigger than its predecessor of the same name, with a four-door, five-seat body, there is little to instantly dislike about this useful vehicle.

A closer look at the car, which is priced from £12,995 on-the-road, showed it also looked reasonable value.

Settle behind the wheel and a combination of adjustable steering wheel and height-adjustable driver's seat means everything is comfortable enough there too.

Zip through the standard specification and that looks on the generous side, with air-conditioning, power-steering, anti-lock brakes, full-time four-wheel-drive with electronic centre differential-lock, driver, passenger and side airbags, radio/CD player, four electric windows and reverse parking sensors.

Fire up the 105 horsepower 1.5-litre engine and no obvious problems there either. Quiet, reasonably economical, with more than enough power, the Terios appears to successfully combine practicality with driving enjoyment, value for money and, important for some buyers, genuine, chunky, funky off-road character.

Designed to appeal to young families and older people seeking the traditional 4x4 attributes of better visibility, bad-weather traction and versatility, the Terios also offers small car running costs and manoeuvrability.

The turning circle of the SX model tested here, with its slightly larger tyres, is still a hatchback-like ten metres and the SX body length is between that of the new Renault Clio and larger Mgane.

Yes, storage space inside the cabin is limited and the black trim does make the interior rather dark, but it is nothing to get too worked up over.

To add to my bewilderment over my national newspaper colleague's dislike, came news that 4x4 magazine has just voted the Terios compact/affordable category winner of its 2007 awards, beating rivals such as the new Fiat Sedici, smaller Fiat Panda 4x4 and even larger and more expensive all-wheel-drive models such as the Volkswagen Golf 4Motion.

You pays your money . . .

Auto facts Daihatsu Terios 1.5 SX

  • Price: £14,295
  • Ins group: Eight
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 34.9mpg
  • Top speed: 99mph
  • Length: 407.5cm/160.4in
  • Width: 174.5cm/68.7in
  • Luggage capacity: 13.4 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 11 gallons/50 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 191g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage