KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — Early this year, Perodua introduced its all-new Axia 2023 and it came with a higher starting price of RM38,600. If you’re looking for a basic no-frills car to get from point A to B, Perodua has just announced its new Axia E which is priced at only RM22,000. Unlike the new Axia based on the new DNGA platform, the "new” Axia E is basically a refresh of the previous entry-level Axia which drives with a stick shifter.

The Perodua Axia E 2023 is RM2,090 cheaper than before

The new Axia E for 2023 is priced at RM22,000 without insurance and it is about RM2,090 cheaper than the previous Axia E 2019 (RM24,090) and RM16,600 cheaper than the cheapest variant of the all-new Axia 2023 model (RM38,600). Targeted primarily at the lower-income group, the Axia E is said to be part of Perodua’s original objective of providing affordable and quality mobility for all Malaysians.

Perodua President and CEO Datuk Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the Perodua Axia E has been market tested and proven over the years and they believe that this entry-level variant would serve its current role of giving motorcycle owners a chance to own a new car. He added that based on discussions with local financial institutions, they found that it takes only RM300 per month for the hire purchase cost to own the Axia E, which is about the same cost for someone to buy a brand-new motorcycle on hire purchase.

Perodua aims to sell up to 1,500 units of this compact 5-door hatchback monthly which includes both individual owners and fleet sales. It comes in three colour options – Ivory White, Glittering Silver and new Granite Grey.

It’s a 2019 Axia with 2017 bumpers

In terms of design, it looks pretty much the same as the 2019 Perodua Axia E except that it carries an older bumper design from the 2017 model year. Under the hood, it still runs on the same 1.0-litre 3-cylinder 1KR-VE DOHC 12V VVT-i engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine produces 50kW (67hp) of power and 91Nm of torque. The Axia E with a 33-litre fuel tank and 825kg kerb weight, boasts a rated fuel efficiency of 22.5 km per litre.

The sole remaining Perodua with a manual transmission

After going fully D-CVT as standard for the new Myvi 2022 and all-new Axia 2023, the "new” Axia E is currently the sole manual transmission option from Perodua right now. Besides being the cheapest car in Malaysia, the Axia E is also seen as the perfect vehicle for driving schools.

4-star Asean NCAP despite not having ABS, EBD or stability control

As you would expect from a no-frills vehicle, the Axia E loses out a lot on safety features which come as standard on the Perodua Axia 1.0 G. All you get is two airbags, ISOFIX for child seats and... that’s pretty much it. There’s no Antilock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) or Traction Control (TC).

Despite the lack of ABS, the Axia E still manages to get a 4-star Asean NCAP rating from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS).

So basic, it lacks central locking and carpet mat

Being a no-frills car, the Axia E also loses out on several creature comfort features such as central locking, remote door lock and alarm and even a rev meter on the instrument cluster. You don’t even get a basic radio or speakers in this car and it doesn’t even come with carpet mats. At least, it still has air conditioning, electric power steering and power windows. As you would expect for a car in this price range, it uses 14″ steel rims. — SoyaCincau