Test Drive: New Perodua Myvi

   Perodua has just launched the new Perodua Myvi, in what they term is an evolution of style and functionality derived from its best selling model, the original Perodua Myvi.

“The new Perodua Myvi is a refined compact car that bears the Myvi’s main concept of convenience and style but with marked improvements both in looks and functionality,” Perodua managing director Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said at the media test drive at Cyberjaya on 26 May.

Introduced in May 2005, the Myvi is the country’s number 1 seling model for 5 years running with some 484,000 units sold in total. The New Perodua Myvi takes over the reign, but is more than just mere aesthetics.

Fuel consumption is improved as a product of better aerodynamics thanks to new slopes and curves, with the automatic transmission version clocking 14.6km/l as compared to the previous model’s 13.5km/l.

The new car has enhanced safety features and comes standard with dual airbags and antilock braking system.

Internally, the New Myvi is more spacious. In the automatic transmission variant, the gearlever is mounted on the instrument panel, which frees up space on the floor console and is more accessible.

The gauges and instrument cluster are a funky new design, and now features a digital readout for fuel consumption and range.

The New Myvi really is an evolution of the old model, as Perodua claim. The impression from the short test-drive behind the wheels is a Myvi that is quieter and smoother in ride, mostly in part due to additional soundproofing materials in the engine bay and within the passenger cabin. The suspension has seen some work, and there’s no more soft clunks over harsh bumps that you might experience with the previous model, instead replaced with a seriously quality feel, with impressive bump isolation and reduced harshness.

The 1.3 litre engine is now slighter more powerful and a wider, meatier torque curve that eases the burden of town driving, as the car zips happily from traffic light to traffic light.

The greatest bit of all this is that the price has hardly changed: The Standard 1.3 MT variant can be had for as little as RM 43,900, which is fantastic value for money.

Three variants are available: Standard, Premium, and Elegance in both manual and automatic transmissions. Colour choices are the new Mystical Purple, as well as Ebony Black, Metallic Grey, Glittering Silver, Pearl White, and Ivory White.

Variant	1.3 STANDARD		1.3 PREMIUM		1.3 ELEGANCE
Colour	SX (MT)	EZ (AT)	SXi (MT)	EZi (AT)	SXE (MT)	EZE (AT)
Solid	RM 43,900	RM 46,900	RM 46,900	RM 49,900	RM 53,900	RM 56,900
Metallic	RM 44,400	RM 47,400	RM 47,400	RM 50,400	RM 54,400	RM 57,400
Special Metallic	RM 44,800	RM 47,800	RM 47,800	RM 50,800	RM 54,800	RM 57,800