When
Perodua was established, its mission was to provide Malaysians with affordable
cars. And this is what it has been doing since 1994, contributing to the
motorisation of Malaysian society in the same way the Toyotas and Datsuns
helped motorise Japan in the 1960s. Though having Daihatsu Motor as a technical
partner, Perodua has not been just an ‘assembler’ of cars but has been
developing its capabilities to firstly build cars with consistent and high
quality and then learn how to design them. The ‘journey’ is not a short one and
with guidance and support from Daihatsu Motor, Perodua has gained the knowledge
and expertise in a progressive manner.
Although
the earlier models like the Kancil and Kenari had the involvement of Malaysian
engineers and designers, the ‘Malaysianisation’ of those models was not
significant, largely cosmetic. The Myvi was probably the first model which saw
greater involvement (together with training) of Malaysians who lived in Japan
for 3 years working on the project. The basic design of the Myvi was shared by
Daihatsu, Toyota, Subaru and Perodua, which meant that Perodua had an
opportunity to participate in a joint project and learn many aspects of product
development.
This
was followed by Viva and Alza, both of which saw increasing levels of
responsibility being given to Malaysian teams. At the same time, localisation
of many components was increased (and some of them are even exported to
Daihatsu’s factories in other countries), a key target in the government’s
management of the automotive industry.
The
extent to which Perodua has been able to develop its own products (albeit with
assistance from Daihatsu Motor) and the substantial localisation led
then-Deputy MITI Minister Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir to declare that Perodua models
are ‘as Malaysian as it gets’ because they have a very high percentage of parts
which are purchased locally and the cars are definitely manufactured locally.
He disagreed with the perception and criticism by certain quarters that Perodua
is little more than a ‘rebadge company’ (ie it only puts its badge on a model
that is from another company) and therefore should not enjoy privileges
accorded to ‘national’ corporations.
Which
brings us to the latest model launched tonight – the Axia. An extensive teaser
campaign has already revealed quite a lot about this new model, the tenth since
the Kancil. What has not been revealed has been the pricelist and tonight we
finally have the official one which is shown below:
But
the Axia is not just another new model that joins the modest Perodua line-up.
It marks a milestone in various ways because it is the first model where the
upper body has been designed and customised for Perodua by Malaysians. While
this may seem like little more than just requiring good stylists, it actually
encompasses a far greater scope of work, including engineering features
specific to the Axia.
One
example is the structure which must be able to meet the tougher crash safety
requirements set by the Malaysian government which came into effect in July
2012. For those who have been suggesting that the Axia is a merely ‘clone’ of a
similar Daihatsu model sold in Indonesia, if the Indonesia model is subjected
to crash tests as per Malaysian requirements, it will fail. The Axia will not
because additional engineering has been done in order for it to be able to pass
the tests.
Beyond
that, with the high level of local components being used and the relatively
high volumes, it is possible for Perodua to further customise many design
features to suit Malaysian tastes or requirements. Thus the Axia, while having
some shared hardware with a Daihatsu model, is pretty much a Malaysian model in
more than just the label.
To
make the new model, Perodua even set up a brand new factory
which has more advanced manufacturing processes, efficiency and productivity
than the original one which began operations in 1994. There’s greater
automation and the quality levels are said to be close to those of Daihatsu’s
factories in Japan. The result is a car of far higher quality than ever before.
In
tandem with the new plant, Perodua also went joined a joint-venture with some
Japanese companies to set up a factory in Negeri Sembilan to make
electronic automatic transmissions which are installed in
the Axia. Work has also started on constructing a joint-venture factory to make engines.
Incidentally,
with the Axia, Perodua is offering a generous 5-year (or 150,000 kms) warranty
which must show their confidence in the quality of their manufacturing
processes.
The Axia’s exterior design shows a bolder
approach to styling with more chiselled surfaces that give an impression of
solidity. This is probably a useful visual perception to have given that it is
a small car. You’ll probably look twice when you see different front ends and
indeed, there are two frontal designs for the Axia. The lower-priced E and G
versions have a more conventional look while the SE and Advanced versions have
a bolder ‘face’ with the area below the grille extending outwards and
downwards. The SE and Advanced versions also have a sportier appearance with a
rear spoiler fitted as standard. Having different ‘faces’ is not new but for
the Axia, the differences are more pronounced and bolder.
It’s
a bigger car than the Viva with a length of 3640 mm and a width of 1620 mm (the
Viva is 3575 mm long and 1475 mm wide) and its wheelbase of 2455 mm is also 65
mm longer. But the increase size does also mean extra weight as the kerb weight
of the Axia ranges from 820 – 850 kgs compared to the Viva which has a kerb
weight range of 755 – 765 kgs.
But
Perodua’s engineers are confident that no one is going to complain about the
car being ‘overweight and underpowered’ because a new locally-assembled 1KR-DE2
engine powers the Axia. This is an all-aluminium 3-cylinder engine, which means
it’s lighter, with a 12-valve cylinder head, twin camshafts and EFI. It
produces 66.6 bhp/90 Nm from a displacement of 998 cc, all of which goes to the
front wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed
electronically-managed automatic transmission.
The
big news is, however, the fact that with this engine, the Axia qualifies as an
Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) under the Malaysian National Automotive Policy
conditions. In fact, it is the first vehicle to be certified as an EEV as it
meets the weight-fuel consumption criteria (emission levels are not included at
this time due to the poor fuel quality). The consumption of the Axia, depending
on the version, ranges from 20.1 to 21.6 kms/litre (5.0 to 4.6 lits/100 kms),
certainly an extremely low figure that any motorist will welcome. This also
means that the fuel tank capacity can be 3 litres less than that for the Viva,
saving weight.
Though
the engine’s design and low-friction operation is largely the reason for the
high fuel efficiency, there are also other things which contribute to using
less fuel to travel each kilometre. The low-drag shape of the body is one
contributor while the factory-recommended use of full-synthetic engine oil
(0W/20 viscosity) allows the engine to run much more efficiently. The use of an
electric motor for assistance in the steering and LED lights at the rear also
reduces energy drain and Perodua has specified low rolling resistance tyres for
the Axia.
Service
intervals are at 10,000 kms (or a maximum of 6 months) which will be welcome
not only because maintenance costs will be lower but also the hassle of having
to send the car for servicing. With a 10,000 km interval, many owners may need
to visit the service centre just twice a year.
The
chassis and suspension are quite straightforward, typical of cars in this
class, with struts in front and a torsion beam behind. The latter is a low cost
approach which also provides benefits in terms of space in the boot.
Moving
to safety, this is an area which Perodua is proud of as the Axia is launched
with a confirmed 4-star rating in the ASEAN NCAP test. They must have rushed
their earliest production unit for testing to get the results in time for the
launch as production units and not prototypes would be representative of what
customers actually get. Regardless of its performance in the crash tests, the
Axia would not have been given 5 stars since a requirement is that the car must
have an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system and if it does not, it will
not get the maximum rating.
But while there is no ESC (maybe in future if
the costs come down enough… or new regulations make it mandatory on all cars),
the Axia does come with ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution for the SE
and Advance versions. Front airbags are also standard for all versions along
with 3-point seatbelts for all three rear occupants. An ISOFIX point is also
provided for easy and secure installation of a compatible childseat in the
rear.
The Axia is a compact car but the interior is
certainly not ‘compact’. This is where the collaborative effort with Daihatsu
Motor is valuable as the Japanese carmaker is a ‘specialist’ when it comes to
compact cars. Space utilisation has been maximised within the 2-metre long
cabin and there are various seating configurations to suit different needs. If
someone has to carry long items or lots of items, the front passenger’s seat
can be folded flat and there’s a huge amount of space available with the rear
backrests folded down as well.
When
it comes to equipment and features, Perodua has always faced the challenge
which other carmakers do not have. In other markets, an entry-level model like
the Axia, with a low price, would be fairly basic. Customers buying such a
model would understand that they cannot expect, much since they are not paying
a lot. But Malaysian buyers expect a lot, even from the cheapest models, and so
Perodua has had to find ways to meet those expectations.
But
between the 4 variants, there are varying equipment levels that reflect the
extra amount of money paid. The base version – the Axia E – has the simplest of
course while the Axia Advance has everything from a multimedia system with GPS
navigation to a leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather upholstery as well
and even door mirrors that retract at the touch of a button.
There
are also some clever features that add convenience. Teh tarik hooks are finally
provided for all versions (one behind each seat) and there are lots of slots
for drink bottles and cups as well as compartments to store odds and ends.
There’s even a special tissue-holder behind the front passenger’s seat neatly
integrated into the seatback.
A
‘world first’ feature found in the G, SE and Advance versions is the
anti-snatch hook bolted to the side of the front passenger’s seat. This is a
locking hook which can secure a handbag strap so that it can’t be snatched by
thieves who break the window glass – something which we read about often. This
is the first time we’ve come across such as feature and while it is thoughtful
of the Perodua interior designers to come up with it, it’s also a sad
reflection of the situation in Malaysia that cars must have this. Additionally,
the SE and Advance versions also come with standard security film which make
the glass hard to shatter.
Looking
at the price range and the equipment levels differ, the SE and Advance versions
would appear to be the best value for money. True, it’s quite a big gap between
the base version and the Advance but in terms of the number of extra items you
get – especially where active safety is concerned – the top two versions would
be the ones to consider (if your budget permits, of course).
For
most carmakers, a cheap entry-level model is full of compromises because they
have to make it cheap. With the Axia, Perodua has once again shown that it is
possible to offer a car at a low price without compromising on features and
more importantly, quality and safety.
Read more at:
To see Axia spec : http://www.perodua.com.my/ourcars/axia/specifications
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