Perodua Axia

Overview

Introduced in the year 2014 as a successor to Perodua Viva, the Perodua Axia has went on to become a raging success by becoming one of the top-selling cars in Malaysia. The little hatchback from Perodua is built on the platform of Toyota Agya, and is the tenth vehicle to have ever rolled from Perodua. The Axia has recently received a mild makeover making it look fresher and better equipped than before. The 2019 Perodua Axia comes with one single engine option, but it does get both manual and automatic gearbox options. The variants in which the Axia is being offered are E MT, G MT, G AT, SE MT, SE AT, and Advance AT. Paint schemes available for this little hatchback are Lava Red Metallic, Sunflower Yellow Solid, Midnight Blue Metallic, Ebony Black Metallic, Glittering Silver Metallic, and Ivory White Solid.

Interior & Features

On the inside too, the Perodua Axia feels as if it has been designed keeping cost-conscious buyers in its mind, which it actually is. The overall cabin has a very functional design, which might not appeal to you at first, but it gradually grows on you.

The three-spoke steering wheel has a very basic design, however, the silver finish for top-spokes and steering mounted audio controls (in the top-end variant only) add some newness to its design. The instrument console has been nicely styled with dedicated housings for various information while on the go. The long and vertical trapezoidal center console has a simple design, but the presence of silver finish and touchscreen infotainment system on the top-end variant make it look a bit trendy.

For an entry-level car, the Perodua Axia is fairly equipped with features like touchscreen music system with navigation and four speakers, leather upholstery, push-button start with keyless entry, reverse parking sensors, front cornering sensors and steering mounted audio controls, apart from the usual ones.

What is further more impressive is the amount of space and flexible seating configurations on offer. The Perodua Axia offers you a total of five seating configurations to get an elaborated usage of its seats and space, depending upon the number of passengers and luggage it ferries. Also, there are a number of small storage spaces and bottle holders inside the cabin, thus further enhancing its practicality. The 260-litre boot space too is pretty capacious for a car of this size.

Exterior

Given its prime focus on the entry-level segment, the Perodua Axia has a very simple and staid design, which might not appeal to those who are out for a hatchback making a style statement. It has a clear focus on function over form, however, there are some features which do prevent the Axia to feel from dated.

Starting from the front, the Perodua Axia has got a wide hexagonal grille, which gets premium looking chrome slats, giving it a face which can be easily recognized. The big-sized trapezoidal headlamp units are just adjacent to this grille and come fitted with projector unit for main headlamps. The pentagonally shaped housings for fog lamps come with chrome accents to lend it a slight premium touch.

From the sides, the Perodua Axia has a boxy stance which looks a bit uninspiring, as the absence of any sharp character lines on the side doors make it feel bland in isolation. However, there are a couple of premium touches like chrome door handles and alloy wheels, which add some zing to the otherwise boring side profile.

At the rear too, the Perodua Axia has got a very staid looking hatch design. However, the clear lens pattern for the tail lamps in upper models as well as new door handle design try to lift up the appeal of the car when viewed from backwards. The roof spoiler (exclusive to top-spec variant) adds some sportiness to the otherwise plain rear design.

Ride & Handling

Built on a conventional monocoque chassis derived from that of the Daihatsu Ayla, the Perodua Axia gets simple Macpherson struts with coil springs at the front and a torsion beam with coil springs at the rear. Given its compact dimensions and focused city driving, the suspension has been setup on a softer side and the steering on the lighter side. The highlight of Axia’s convenient city driving is its turning radius, which at 4.5m is very appreciable.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

For the Axia, Perodua has employed its smallest engine in its lineup. Derived from Daihatsu, the 1.0-litre gasoline powered engine produces a maximum power output of 67 bhp and a peak torque output of 91 Nm. Getting the options of both 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic gearbox, the Axia feels like a breeze to drive, thanks to its linear power delivery. The trump card of this engine surely is its fuel economy figures – while the manual variants deliver 22.5 kmpl, the automatic variants offer 21.4 kmpl, thus making the Perodua Axia one of the most fuel efficient cars to be sold in Malaysia.

Braking & Safety

The Perodua Axia is targeted at entry-level car buyers, which is quite evident from its clear focus on comfort and convenience features over safety features. However, with the presence of dual front airbags, reverse parking sensors and ABS with EBD, the Perodua Axia has its basics covered which are decent enough for a car of this size and price.

Verdict

The Perodua Axia feels tailor made for the mass market audience of Malaysia, given its value for money appeal on a higher side. While the overall exterior design might be a bit uninspiring and boring to look at, it is the more practical aspects where the Axia shines through. Whether it comes to comfort and convenience features, fuel efficiency, storage spaces, or overall cabin space, the Axia feels like maximum bang for the bucks it is asking for. Also, the engine performance and ride quality are decent enough for an entry-level car. Overall, the Perodua Axia is a perfect value-for-money entry-level car one could ask for.