News regarding the new Perodua Myvi have been coming
in thick and fast this week. The national carmaker has provided a launch date,
slated for November 16, that’s tomorrow.
Already open for booking, the car will be priced
starting from RM 44,300 for the 1.3 Standard G manual and RM 46,300 for the
automatic, rising up to RM 48,300 for the 1.3 Premium X and RM 51,800 for the 1.5
High. The range-topping 1.5 Advance retails at RM 55,300. Prices are on-the-road
without insurance, inclusive of a five-year/150,000 km warranty.
The new Myvi is the
first car designed without the assistance of parent company Daihatsu, so
externally it bears no resemblance to the Boon/Toyota Passo on which it’s
based. The new D20N is longer and wider but lower than before, and Perodua
claims a 973 mm tandem distance (distance between the front and rear
passengers) and an ‘8+1 flexible seating arrangement’ (layouts, not seats).
Power comes from new 1.3 and 1.5 litre engines from
the Toyota NR family with DOHC and Dual VVT-i. The smaller 1NR-VE is the same
engine found on the Bezza, and it makes 94 hp at 6,000 rpm and 121 Nm of torque
at 4,000 rpm on the sedan. The larger 2NR-VE, on the other hand, has been
lifted from the Toyota Vios, and there it produces 106 hp at 6,000 rpm and 140
Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm.
Eco Idle automatic engine start/stop is fitted on
the 1.3 Premium X and up, and transmission options include a five-speed manual
(1.3 Standard G only) and a four-speed electronically-controlled automatic
(E-AT). With the aerodynamic improvements introduced on the new car, the Myvi
is now capable of fuel consumption as low as 20.1 km per litre on the 1.5L
auto, significantly lower than the outgoing model’s 15.4 km per litre.
Kit count is impressive for such an affordable car,
with all models getting LED headlights (with halogen positioning lamps,
auto-off and follow-me-home lighting), keyless entry, push-button start, 60:40
split-folding rear seats and reverse sensors. Alloy wheels measuring 14 inches
come as standard, with the 1.5 litre models gaining 15-inch items, along with a
dual-tone bodykit, a rear spoiler and an integrated SmartTAG reader.
But it’s the safety kit that takes the cake –
standard items include four airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist and Vehicle
Stability Control (VSC); the 1.5 litre models gain curtain airbags to bring the
total airbag count to six. Perodua is targeting a five-star ASEAN NCAP safety
rating across the range.
The 1.5 Advance goes one better with the
introduction of Advance Safety Assist (ASA) suite of driver assists, including
Pre-Collision Warning and Braking, Front Departure Alert (warns when the car in
front has moved ahead at a traffic light or jam) and Pedal Misoperation
Control.
Six colours are available, and they are Lava Red,
Mystical Purple, Glittering Silver, Ivory White, Granite Grey (1.5 only) and
Peppermint Green (1.3 only). The latter two are new colours.