Perodua Launches The Cheapest Car In Malaysia – Axia E For Only RM22,000

Axia E 1.0 MT is a manual car will be sold at a Rahmah price of RM22,000 OTR without insurance.

(Credit: Cari Carz)

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Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) has recently launched a Rahmah option for their cars, the all-new Perodua Axia 1.0 MT that will be sold at only RM22,000 OTR without insurance.

This is actually the same model as the 2019 Axia but with the 2017 Axia bumper. So it’s not that brand new, it’s just relaunched at a much cheaper price (RM2,090 cheaper), than the previous 2019 Axia E which was sold at RM24,090. This variant is even cheaper than Perodua’s first legendary mini car, Kancil, which was sold for around RM24k back in 1994.

With this price that even applies to both Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak, the monthly cost of owning the car is only RM300, suitable for the lower-income groups looking forward to buying their first car.

This makes this new Axia E, the most affordable car in the Malaysian market currently. It’s also the best car for driving schools to use.

According to Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, “While we do not dictate who our customers are, we believe that having this model would be a welcome option by the majority of Malaysians.

“The Perodua Axia E has been market tested and proven over years and we believe that this variant would serve its current role of giving motorcycle owners an opportunity to own a new car as the cost would approximately be the same.”

He further stated that they are aiming to sell up to 1,500 units a month, including individual owners and fleet sales.

The Perodua Axia E is part of our original objective of providing affordable and quality mobility for all Malaysians.
Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer

So what are the specs?

Here are some of the specs of the “new” Axia E 1.0L 5MT:

Available in three colours – Ivory White, Glittering Silver and Granite Grey
Comes with two airbags, a seatbelt reminder for the driver, ISOFIX for child seats, folding rear bench seats and a 5-year warranty
Runs on a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder 1KR-VE DOHC 12V VVT-i engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission
Has a 33-litre fuel tank and 825kg kerb weight, boasts a rated fuel efficiency of 22.5 km per litre
Has halogen projector headlamps, manual black side mirrors, 14-inch steel wheels, fabric seats, a polyurethane steering wheel, power steering and power windows
Certified with a 4-star Asean NCAP rating by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros)
Doesn’t have Antilock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) or Traction Control (TC)
Lacks central locking, remote door lock and alarm and even a rev meter on the instrument cluster
No audio & speakers on the instrument panel and no rear windscreen defogger and wiper

Despite having the most basic features, Axia E is undeniably the cheapest among the rest. It’s even RM16,600 cheaper than the cheapest variant of the all-new Axia 2023 model which costs RM38,600 (Axia 1.0L G).

Most people would compromise on the lacking accessories and top them up themselves at other workshops in the long run, so that wouldn’t be a problem.

However, the lack of high-tech safety features may leave some potential buyers on the fence.

Another downside for the car is perhaps the transmission type. Even though manual licences in Malaysia are undeniably cheaper (RM1150 – RM1300) than automatic licences (RM1250 – RM1500), many opt for the automatic ones.

In fact, according to a Carsome statistic, out of 43 people, only 34.9% of people drive manual cars. And not everyone drives them daily. Aside from personal hobbies and preferences, many choose to drive an automatic car.

Mainly because it’s easier to drive in city areas and not many car brands offer manual cars at a decent value. It’s either too cheap with low specs or too pricey with high-performance car brands.

So, for those wanting to own this new Axia E, better brush up on your stick shift skills.

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