Perodua Axia

Perodua Axia
Overview
Manufacturer	Perodua
Production	2014–present
Assembly	Rawang, Malaysia
Body and chassis
Class	City car (A)
Body style	5-door hatchback
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Related	Daihatsu Ayla/Toyota Agya/Wigo Perodua Bezza
Powertrain
Engine	1.0 L 1KR-DE2 l3
Transmission	5-speed manual 4-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,450 mm (96.5 in)
Length	3,640 mm (143.3 in)
Width	1,620 mm (63.8 in)
Height	1,510 mm (59.4 in)
Kerb weight	820–850 kg (1,810–1,870 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Perodua Viva

2014 Axia SE

The Perodua Axia is a five-door hatchback produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Perodua. It was launched in September 2014 as the successor to the Viva. The car takes over the title of being the most affordable car in Malaysia from the Viva.^[1] The Axia is the first model to début from Perodua's all-new second factory in Rawang, Selangor.

The name ‘Axia’, which is pronounced ‘a-zee-a’ or ‘A-xia’, is derived from the word Asia. The letter ‘x’ in ‘Axia’ also represents the number ten, as the Axia is Perodua's tenth model.^[2]

History

Pre-launch

The Axia was developed as the successor to the Viva. Perodua chose to license the Daihatsu Ayla/Toyota Agya platform for their Viva Replacement Model (VRM).^[3] The Ayla and Agya duo have been on sale in neighbouring Indonesia and Philippines since 2013, but not in Malaysia. Although the Viva replacement model will be based on the Ayla/Agya platform, Perodua has iterated that the upper body and external elements will be indigenously designed, and the car will not be just a rebadged model.

On 26 August 2013, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak announced that the replacement model to the Viva will launch in 2014 as the cheapest new car on the market.^[4] The new model will be built at Perodua's all-new RM1.3 billion, 65,000 sq ft second manufacturing plant, located adjacent to the company's original factory in Rawang, Selangor.^[5] Perodua's new factory will mirror Daihatsu Kyushu's factory in terms of work ethics, technology and efficiency.^[6] Perodua has since announced the construction of a new engine manufacturing factory in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan at cost of RM600 million.^[7]

Perodua showcased the Global Model A Segment Space (GMA) concept at the 2013 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show in November.^[8] The GMA previewed the interior design of the Viva Replacement Model (VRM). Perodua also showcased a new engine, the 1.0 litre Daihatsu 1KR-DE as a possible candidate for the VRM.^[9]

On 11 June 2014, the first spyshots of an undisguised Perodua Axia were leaked online.^[10] Further photos of various pre-launch Perodua Axia units have since been leaked online, but on 6 August 2014, additional photos revealed the final product name was indeed ‘Perodua Axia’, after months of media speculation.^[11]

On 11 August 2014, Perodua teased a photo of the Axia on their official Facebook page.^[3] Three days later, Perodua announced that bookings for the Axia will open on 15 August, with prices starting from RM24,900 along with a five-year warranty, a first for a Perodua model.^[2] The following day, the first official photo from Perodua confirmed the product name ‘Axia’ along with the tagline ‘Your Smart Move’.^[12] Later that same day, even more extensive official details on the Axia were unveiled.^[13] Perodua released a teaser of the front end of the Axia Standard E and G variants on 19 August 2014.^[14] The more expensive Axia SE and Advance variants sport a more aggressive and sporty exterior, whereas the cheaper Standard E and G trim lines offer a more modest and basic package.

The tentative pricing and equipment list for the Perodua Axia was leaked online on 14 August 2014.^[15]

In the morning of 19 August 2014, Perodua announced that around 3,500 bookings have been made for the Axia in just the five days since 15 August, when bookings were officially opened.^[16] Around 60-70% of the total bookings were made for the mid-range Axia Standard G model, whereas around 13% accounted for the base model, the Axia Standard E, and the remaining 17-27% made up the more expensive Axia SE and range-topping Axia Advance models.^[16] Additionally, Perodua maintained that production of the now seven-year-old Viva will continue for as long as the demand persists. However, production of the no-frills Viva 660 and high-end Viva 1.0 and Elite is expected to cease nonetheless, with just the mid-range Viva 850 remaining in production.^[16] Perodua also claimed that the all-new Axia will have 95% locally sourced content, with the remainder being imported from Indonesia and Japan. Despite having the vast majority of parts and components locally sourced, Perodua will still have to pay royalties to Toyota and Daihatsu for the licensing of their platform, engine and other key elements which were not indigenously designed by Perodua in Malaysia. Perodua also announced during the media briefing on 19 August that the tentative launch of the Perodua Axia would be in September 2014.^[16] The company aims to sell 10,000 Axia units per month.

The Axia, which is an city car/A-segment car was not originally launched to compete with the similar but more upmarket subcompact/B-segment Proton Iriz, which also launched in the second half of 2014.^[17]

Equipment

Exterior^[18]

Equipment	Standard E	Standard G	SE	Advance
Wheels	14-inch steel wheels	Alloy	Alloy	Alloy
Immobiliser	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bumpers	Body Coloured	Body Coloured	Body Coloured	Body Coloured
Door Handles	Body Coloured	Body Coloured	Body Coloured	Body Coloured

Interior^[19]

The interior dimensions are similar to those of the Myvi, with rear legroom being particularly generous for a car with such a modest footprint. The cabin is light and airy, with good visibility all round. Interior quality does not stand out in its class, but is a marked improvement over its predecessor the Viva. Instruments are well laid out too and the cabin storage is well thought out.

Equipment	Standard E	Standard G	SE	Advance
Vanity Mirror for Passenger	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Seats	Fabric	Fabric	Fabric (Bucket)	Leather (Bucket)
Power Windows	yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
EPS (Electric Power Steering)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ECO Drive indicator (fuel efficiency coach)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Safety

Safety features[13][N 1]
Trim Variant	Standard E	Standard G	SE	Advance
Market
ABS with EBD and BA	✘		✔
ESC and TCS	✘
Airbags	2 (Driver & Passenger)

• - ASEAN NCAP -

The Perodua Axia has been crash tested by the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia (ASEAN NCAP), and has claimed a 4-Star rating, thus becoming the second Perodua model to score a 4-Star rating after the Alza.^[13][20] The Axia is also safer than the 3-Star rated Myvi, despite being a smaller car.^[21]

The Perodua Axia Standard G, SE and Advance variants are equipped with an Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and Brake assist (BA).^[13] The cheaper, no-frills Axia Standard E variant is not equipped with the aforementioned features. The Axia is equipped with 2 airbags for all variants.

The ASEAN NCAP has yet to announce the official scores for the Perodua Axia, but it is assumed that the 4-Star rating is only applicable for the Axia Standard G, SE and Advance variants.^[22]

Powertrains

Specifications[13]
Engine	1KR-DE2
Format	I3 DOHC 12V
Total displacement (cc)	998
Bore x Stroke (mm x mm)	71 x 84
Maximum Output [hp(kW)/rpm]	66 (49) / 6,000
Maximum Torque (Nm/rpm)	90 / 3,600
Top Speed (km/h)	155[23]
Acceleration 0–100 km/h (sec)	>15[23]
Fuel tank capacity (litres)	33

The Perodua Axia will only be offered with one petrol engine, the 998cc 12-valve DOHC 1KR-DE2 l3, sourced from Toyota and Daihatsu but is redesigned by Perodua.^[13] The new 1.0 litre engine offers 66 hp (49 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 90 Nm (66 lb ft) of torque at 3,600 rpm. It is Perodua's first engine to be made with aluminium parts, which are lighter than their cast iron equivalents. As a result, the new 1KR-DE2 engine weighs 69 kg, or 10 kg less than the old 989cc EJ-VE engine in the Perodua Viva.^[7] Unlike the 1KR-FE engine, The 1KR-DE in the Axia is not equipped with Toyota's Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) technology. The new engine is also Euro IV compliant.^[7]

The sole 1.0L engine in the Axia is paired to a choice of two transmissions, a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic respectively. Perodua claims that the Axia is capable of achieving up to 21.6 km/L with the manual, and 20.1 km/L with the automatic while in ‘ECO Mode’.^[13] All Axias will come equipped with an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system for greater ease of steering, in addition to improved fuel-efficiency.^[22]

The Perodua Axia became the first car to qualify under Malaysia's 2014 National Automotive Policy (NAP) Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) fuel-efficiency standards on its late 2014 launch.^[24]

See also

• Daihatsu Ayla / Toyota Agya, the models that the Perodua Axia is based on.
• Perodua Bezza, a sedan car based on Axia platform.

References

1. "Paultan". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
2. Paul Tan (14 August 2014). "Perodua Axia open for booking, priced from RM24,900". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
3. Hafriz Shah (11 August 2014). "Perodua Axia – official photo of the next Viva released!". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
4. Anthony Lim (26 August 2013). "Perodua Viva replacement to debut next year". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
5. Danny Tan (27 December 2012). "Perodua to build new RM790m plant in Rawang, adding 100,000 units to annual production capacity". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
6. Danny Tan (1 December 2013). "Perodua Global Manufacturing plant to mirror Daihatsu Kyushu's best practices, tech and low defect rate". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
7. Anthony Lim (29 May 2014). "Perodua to build new engine manufacturing plant". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
8. Anthony Lim (15 November 2013). "Perodua GMA Space previews new Viva interior". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
9. Anthony Lim (15 November 2013). "Perodua 1KR-DE 1.0 litre engine shown at KLIMS13". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
10. (Malay) Mohd Izarul / campromania (11 June 2014). "PANAS : Adakah ini Perodua AXIA?". funtasticko.net. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
11. (Malay) Mohd Izarul / campromania (6 August 2014). "AXIA sah nama rasmi model kompak baharu Perodua!". funtasticko.net. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
12. Hafriz Shah (15 August 2014). "Perodua Axia 1.0 G – first official photo released". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
13. Anthony Lim (15 August 2014). "Perodua Axia – SE face revealed, yet more details". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
14. Jonathan James Tan (19 August 2014). "Perodua Axia – first official pic of Standard face". paultan.org. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
15. Anthony Lim (14 August 2014). "2014 Perodua Axia – first details on specifications and prices of the 1.0 litre E, G, SE and Advance variants". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
16. Jonathan James Tan (19 August 2014). "Perodua Axia – 3,500 bookings recorded to date". paultan.org. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
17. Paul Tan (11 June 2014). "Perodua 'Axia' Global EEV leaked onto the internet – here's what we know about the new hatchback". paultan.org. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
18. http://www.perodua.com.my/ourcars/axia/overview/exterior
19. http://www.perodua.com.my/ourcars/axia/overview/interior
20. "ASEAN NCAP - Perodua Alza". aseancap.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
21. "ASEAN NCAP - Perodua Myvi". aseancap.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
22. Chris Aaron (18 August 2014). "2014 Perodua Axia Unveiled On Website: Here's What You Get From RM25k Onwards". livelifedrive.com. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
23. Malaysia Car Magazine. "Perodua Axia test drive and review".
24. Danny Tan (2 April 2014). "Perodua's new model will meet EEV fuel-efficiency standards, incentive wishlist submitted to Govt". paultan.org. Retrieved 17 August 2014.

1. Legend
   Blue : Standard across all trim levels.
   Green : Available on selected trim level(s) only, full package.
   Yellow : Available on selected trim level(s) only, but is not the full package.
   Red : Not available on selected trim level(s), or is the no-frills package.

External links

• Perodua Axia official website