The Perodua Axia is a city car produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Perodua. It was launched on 15 September 2014 as the successor to the Viva.[1] The car takes over the title of being the most affordable car in Malaysia from the Viva, and the best-selling car in Malaysia for three consecutive years, between 2015 until 2017.[2] The Axia is the first model to debut from Perodua's all-new second factory in Rawang, Selangor. As of mid-2023, the Axia reached 600,000 units sold since the launch of its first generation in 2014.[3]
The name "Axia", which is pronounced a-zee-a or A-xia, is derived from the Greek word ΑΞΙΑ (axia) which means value. The word Axia also resembles the word Asia but with the letter 's' having been replaced by 'x' which represents the number ten, as the Axia is Perodua's tenth model.[4]
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).[7] The Ayla and Agya duo have been on sale in neighbouring Indonesia and Philippines since 2013. 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 would not be just a rebadged model.
On 26 August 2013, the former 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.[8] 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.[9] Perodua's new factory will mirror Daihatsu Kyushu's factory in terms of work ethics, technology and efficiency.[10] Perodua has since announced the construction of a new engine manufacturing factory in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan at cost of RM600 million.[11]
Perodua showcased the Global Model A Segment Space (GMA) concept at the 2013 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show in November.[12] The GMA previewed the interior design of the Viva Replacement Model (VRM). Perodua also showcased a new engine, the 1.0-litre Daihatsu1KR-DE as a possible candidate for the VRM.[13]
On 11 August 2014, Perodua teased a photo of the Axia on their official Facebook page.[7] 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.
Perodua claimed that the all-new Axia will have 95% locally sourced content, with the remainder being imported from Indonesia and Japan.[15] The company aims to sell 10,000 Axia units per month.[16]
The pre-facelift Axia is briefly sold in Brunei by the previous Perodua's distributor, Econ Motors Sdn Bhd with the 1.0G variant (4-speed automatic) in August 2015, where the Toyota-branded twin model, the Wigo was also sold in the country before the Axia will be replaced by the identical Wigo in 2017.
Rear view (E, pre-facelift)
Rear view (SE, pre-facelift)
Interior
Facelift
The Axia received first facelift update on 20 January 2017 with the new 1.0-litre VVT-i engine. The same four variants remained on sale. The facelift brought along revised front grill and bumpers, an external boot release and revised equipment list.[17]
On 20 September 2019, the second-facelifted Axia was launched with six variants: E, G, GXtra, crossover-inspired Style, SE and AV. Only E variant has manual transmission while the rest have automatic transmissions with ABS and EBD. The 1KR-VE engine also retained. At this facelift, both SE and AV variants share similar appearance with E, G and GXtra variants with few trim differences. New safety features are fitted such as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) for GXtra variant and upwards, and Advanced Safety Assist 2.0 (ASA 2.0) was available only on range-topping AV variant. Other features such as retractable side mirrors, reverse sensors, driver seat height adjuster and anti-snatch hook are fitted for GXtra variant and upwards also.[18]
The crossover-inspired Style variant differs from other variants with SUV-style bumpers, decorative roof rails, different grille and clear tail lamps. The Style, together with SE and AV variants have keyless entry, push start button and white-illuminated meter panel as additional standard features.[19]
With the second-generation Axia was launched on 14 February 2023, the previous-generation Axia E equipped with manual transmission will continue to be built as an entry-level option.[20] The updated Axia E manual was reintroduced on 15 June 2023 as Malaysia's cheapest car priced at RM22,000 (about $4,770). It uses the 2017 facelift grille on the front while the 2019 facelift styling retained on the rear portion of the bumper.[21]
2017 first facelift styling
Front (G)
Front (Advance)
Rear (Advance)
2019 second facelift styling
Front (E)
Rear (GXtra)
Front (SE)
Rear (G)
Axia Style
Front
Side
Rear
Safety
In a 2014 testing under 2012–2016 ASEAN NCAP standards, the first-generation Axia received a 4-star rating.[22]
For 2016, the Standard G variant gained ABS with EBD and BA.[23]
In September 2019, all models of the refreshed Axia except the Standard E and Standard G variant now gets vehicle stability control. Airbag count remains at 2 across the board. The range-topping Advance variant now features the Advanced Safety Assist 2.0 (ASA 2.0) which debuted in the Perodua Aruz, which includes Forward Collision Warning with pedestrian detection, Automatic Emergency Braking (operative from speeds of 4–80km/h), Pedal Misoperation Control and Front Departure Alert, which alerts the driver of the vehicle in front has proceeded ahead, e.g. from a traffic light.
Powertrains
The pre-facelift Perodua Axia was offered with one petrol engine, the 998cc 12-valve DOHC 1KR-DE2l3, sourced from Toyota and Daihatsu but redesigned by Perodua.[24] The new 1.0 litre engine offers 66hp (49kW) at 6,000 rpm and 90 Nm (66lb 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 and it is the first to use drive by wire technology. As a result, the new 1KR-DE2 engine weighs 69kg, or 10kg less than the old 989cc EJ-VE engine in the Perodua Viva.[11] Unlike the 1KR-FE engine, The 1KR-DE2 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.[11]
The 1KR-DE2 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 21.6km/L with the manual, and 20.1km/L with the automatic while in ‘ECO Mode’.[24] All Axias will come equipped with an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system for greater ease of steering, in addition to improved fuel-efficiency.[25]
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.[26]
The second generation Axia was launched on 14 February 2023.[28] Vehicles with camouflage stickers are shown to the media on 8 February 2023, while in the same day Perodua released teaser images.[29][30]
The second generation Axia is based on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA).[31] It is powered by a carryover 1.0-litre VVT-i engine, now equipped with Eco Idle auto start-stop technology. The previous 4-speed automatic transmission has been replaced by a brand new Dual-Mode CVT (D-CVT) developed by Daihatsu. The new Axia no longer has a 5-speed manual transmission as an option like before, with all models being automatic only. 4 grade levels are available on offer at launch – G, X, SE and AV.[32]Advanced driver-assistance systems branded as Perodua Smart Drive Assist (PSDA) is also available, albeit only limited to the range-topping AV variant.[33]
The development of the vehicle commenced in October 2019 with a total cost of RM546 million and 300,000 man-hours invested into the project. Daihatsu provided support throughout the process.[34] Before its launch, Perodua targeted sales of 5,700 units per month.[35][36]
The second generation Axia has been launched in Brunei on 3 May 2024 and the car were offered in G and AV variants.[37]
2023 Perodua Axia AV (front)
2023 Perodua Axia AV (rear)
Safety
In a testing conducted in January 2023, the second generation Axia received four stars in ASEAN NCAP crash testing.[38]
On 28 April 2023, Daihatsu confirmed that the company had committed "wrongdoings" in approval application for side collision tests under UN-R95 requirements[40] for four vehicles, including the A300 series Perodua Axia which was developed by the company. According to Daihatsu, the inside lining of the front seat door was improperly modified with a "notch" to prevent the part from breaking into pieces with sharp edges that could injure occupants during a side airbag deployment. These modifications are not present in production vehicles. 11,834 units of the model that has been delivered in Malaysia are affected. In response, Perodua suspended deliveries until the vehicles are re-tested.[41][42]
Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sendirian Berhad, usually abbreviated to Perodua, is Malaysia's largest car manufacturer, followed by Proton Holdings.
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↑ "Affordable and High-Quality". Daihatsu Global Wesbsite. Retrieved 2021-06-23. The Indonesian compact car "Ayla" and the Malaysian car "Axia" are built upon the Global A Segment Platform,
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.
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