The Perodua Axia is entering its second generation, and it looks like it’s going to be a whole different animal. We’ve already given you the five things you need to know about the national carmaker’s new entry-level model, but the company has released new photos that show the front and rear ends in their entirety.
New Ativa-lite styling inside and out
As you can see, the new car sports a large hexagonal grille and sleeker trapezoidal headlights, now available with LED technology. You also get a heavily-contoured bumper that forms an X shape in concert with the lower air intake and the fake side inlets—which, by the way, now house LED daytime running lights on the top AV variant.
Moving to the rear, you’ll find narrower one-piece taillights compared to the two-piece units on virtually every other new Perodua, presumably done on the basis of cost. They flank a conventional tailgate with a neat little handle underneath the Perodua logo, with a hexagonal black number plate recess sitting low down on the bumper. The AV badge denotes this particular unit’s range-topping status.
Added to these images are some photos from paultan.org from a media preview session, which show a similar—if slightly lower-riding—side profile to the Ativa SUV, with a sloping rear windscreen, an upswept window line and far thicker pillars than its predecessor. Of course, both cars will now share the same modular Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA), which also underpins the Alza.
The automotive portal’s photos also give us a good look at the car’s interior, which again sports very similar styling to the Ativa. It’s far more modern than the old model, with a layered dashboard, a floating nine-inch infotainment touchscreen (same interface as the Ativa, so don’t expect the Alza’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity) and a seven-inch digital instrument display. Also visible are the digital air-conditioning controls that have become a staple of newer Peroduas, replete with memory buttons.
1.0L engine paired to new D-CVT
Perodua has only provided provisional specifications for now, but we do know the new Axia will be powered by a 1.0 litre engine. It will likely be a version of the existing 1KR-VE naturally-aspirated three-cylinder—which currently produces 67hp and 91Nm of torque—rather than the turbocharged 1KR-VET unit found in the Ativa. After all, the Axia is meant to function as budget transportation, and a turbo mill will not only be thirstier but also more expensive to maintain.
It will, however, get a new transmission—Daihatsu’s Dual-Mode CVT that switches to gear drive at higher speeds for greater efficiency and performance. Perodua is claiming a fuel efficiency figure of 25.3km per litre, or 27.4km per litre with automatic engine start/stop turned on. All this is standard across the range, so there won’t be a driving school-oriented base model with a manual gearbox, at least not yet.
Perodua Axia 2023 pricing and specs
Instead, there will be a total of four variants, with estimated pricing as follows:
- Perodua Axia 1.0 G – RM38,600
- Perodua Axia 1.0 X – RM40,000
- Perodua Axia 1.0 SE – RM44,000
- Perodua Axia 1.0 AV – RM49,500
The good news is that all models will be offered with stability control, and all but the G will come with LED headlights. The Axia will also be available with up to six airbags and the Perodua Smart Drive Assist (PSDA), the company’s suite of active safety systems.
It appears, however, that not all models will get the full list of safety kit. In a crash test report published by the ASEAN New Car Assessment Programme (ASEAN NCAP)—in which the Axia scored four out of five stars—the agency revealed that the SE units it tested had just two airbags, meaning that only the top-spec AV will come with the full complement of ‘bags.
The SE will at least come with PSDA, with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring noted as being fitted to the test cars. We do know that the even the AV won’t be offered with more advanced driver assists like adaptive cruise control and lane centring assist—the aforementioned photos show a steering wheel without any buttons for cruise control or lane keeping. You will at least get automatic high beam, which is something.
Launch on 14 February
According to paultan.org, the new Axia will be officially launched on 14 February. Five colours will be offered, including Lava Red, Ivory White, Granite Grey, Glittering Silver and a new Coral Blue.
The new car will be an interesting proposition based on its specs and its similarities with the Ativa. But it will also be more expensive than before—for context, the 2022 Axia 1.0 GXtra (the cheapest model with stability control) was priced at RM34,990, meaning that the equivalent 2023 variant will be nearly RM4,000 more expensive. At the other end, the AV model will be more than RM6,000 dearer, although it will of course be offered with far greater levels of kit and safety equipment.
Sliding in at under the RM50,000 mark, that car will be deep in Myvi territory—shell out a bit more money and you’ll find yourself in a Myvi 1.5 X, which comes with a much bigger (and almost certainly more powerful) four-cylinder engine, a larger body and the same amount of active safety features, although you do lose the curtain airbags. To our eyes, it looks prettier as well, which is never a bad thing.
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