Perodua recently began order taking for the new 2019
Axia, which will include a new Style variant that gets crossover-inspired
styling in the same light as the Volkswagen CrossPolo, Hyundai i20 Active and
Honda WR-V. While the national carmaker has yet to provide official photos, we
now have a very good idea of just what the variant will look like, thanks to
these photos from The Ajerul.
The Style will feature
black plastic cladding all around the lower edges of its body, including on the
wheel arches to give it a crossover-esque look. This look is further emphasised
by the front and rear “skid plates,” a 15 mm taller ride height as well as
black rails on the vehicle’s roof.
The variant also comes with 15-inch five-spoke
wheels, and while there are no interior shots here, we do know the variant will
get unique “denim” fabric for the seats. Beyond these cues, we also spot
styling revisions that will be applied to the rest of the Axia range, with the
front receiving the most changes. The new grille is reminiscent of that found
on the second-generation Myvi facelift, with a black bar running across its
entire width – the Style gets a unique dotted insert.
The projector headlamps appear to be carried over
from before, albeit smoked, although it isn’t known if these are
specific to the Style. Some of the cues mentioned were also seen in a video ad
promoting the Big Stage 2019 concert on Astro Gempak over the weekend.
At launch, the Axia line-up will include the E, G,
GXtra (new), Style (new) SE and Advance, all powered by a 1KR-VE VVT-i engine
with 67 hp and 91 Nm of torque. Only the base E variant gets a five-speed
manual transmission, while the rest are fitted with a four-speed automatic
instead.
By far the biggest update here is the addition of
the Advanced Safety Assist 2.0 suite of system on the range-topping Advance,
along with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) from the GXtra onwards. The model’s
airbag count remains at two as before. Estimated pricing for he new Axia
is from RM24,090 to RM43,190, with the Style being around RM38,890.
