The Perodua Kancil turned 25 last August,
and it arrived on the scene as Malaysia’s most affordable new car when it was
launched in 1994. It reached 500,000 units in its second generation, with the
milestone car being produced in April 2003. What would a present-day version
look like?
Rendering whiz Theophilus Chin has offered
his take on this. Given the Kancil’s Daihatsu Mira origins, Theo’s rendition
retains the kei car proportions albeit with more simplified shutlines and
creases compared to the current Daihatsu, particularly around the front end. In
a tip of the hat to the original, the present-day rendition also sports a
bee-sting antenna at the front of its roof.
At the back, the slight curvature of the
C-pillar is somewhat reminiscent of the first-generation Myvi/Daihatsu Sirion,
though here the digital rendition of the smaller car also depicts a simplified
set of tail lights which are set lower down and interface with the rear bumper.
Similarly, its design in profile is also simplfied, where the Kancil rendition
does away with the creases along the lower door sections.
The simplified bodywork is in keeping with
the Kancil’s budget-conscious roots, and its rolling stock is comprised of
steel wheels with plastic covers, says Theo. That said, the modern-day Kancil
has been imagined here to be slightly heavier at 900 kg when compared to the
original, as the artist imagines the new car to wear thicker sheet metal along
with added safety features such as airbags, ABS and stability control.
This figure would in fact make it heavier
than the Axia, despite measuring marginally smaller on most dimensions – the
new Kancil is rendered to be 3,540 mm long with a 2,420 mm wheelbase, 1,641 mm
wide and 1,489 mm tall; this compares to the Axia which is 3,640 mm long with a
2,455 mm wheelbase, 1,620 mm wide (the rendered Kancil is 21 mm wider on this
count) and 1,510 mm tall.
