Earlier this year, I upgraded my stock wheels to SSW alloys and new Falken tyres on my Sirion. These, along with an upgraded anti-roll bar at the rear and a thorough service, were all in preparation for a 6-day road trip in Sicily.
We started off with the ferry ride to Pozzallo, and then drove all the way up to the Nebrodi mountains. Eventually, we headed west to Madonie National Park and ended the trip back down near the south coast. It felt surreal driving my own Sirion in another country, especially accelerating to relatively high speeds on the highways and carving through the mountain roads. We do not have either back home in Malta…I never thought I’d ever see my Sirion covered in snow.
The Sirion’s 1.3 engine handled the highway surprisingly well, and shifting gears through the twisty mountain roads was a blast. It was more stable than I imagined in both scenarios and never felt underpowered, though 6th gear for lower rpm highway cruising would have been nice. Furthermore, it was the perfect car to drive through infamously narrow and steep roads in typical Sicilian mountain villages, similarly to the many Fiat Pandas wherever you look.
As expected, it gave me absolutely no problems throughout the trip. It exceeded my expectations in terms of fun-factor and capability. I would have pushed it harder had I not had precious cargo in the car with me - my girlfriend and our two dogs. This experience really made my Sirion that much more special, having kept us all safe whilst we drove across the island. I can’t wait until its next overseas trip.