2019 Perodua Axia - Details we know so far

In Malaysia, if you’re on the lookout for a small, affordable new car, chances are that the 2019 Perodua Axia is definitely on your list. The Perodua Axia had its foray into the Malaysian market for the first time back in 2014. The A-segment hatchback soon brought in tonnes of orders from excited customers, and Perodua knew that they had a massive success on their hands. Following a facelift in 2017, the marque had been working on another revision of the Axia -- which we now know is the new and updated 2019 model. Despite its modest price tag and petite size, there are quite a few things that we like about the Perodua Axia.

The Axia’s underpinnings can trace its roots back to the Toyota Agya, though Perodua engineers worked on the overall architecture to enable the Axia to perform well in crash tests. Recently, we stumbled upon a teaser video of the upcoming 2019 Axia which took place at the Big Stage 2019 Concert. However, for those waiting to see the brand-new car in the flesh, know this. The latest iteration of the Axia is not that far away from its official unveiling. But before that, here are some details about the 2019 Perodua Axia that we know so far -

Exterior

While Perodua is yet to take the wraps off the all-new 2019 Axia, leaked images of the new model seem to showcase the hatchback in its ‘Style’ variant. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what the company’s actually trying to do here.

The 2019 Perodua Axia’s (at least the Style variant) crossover-ish design has clearly been adopted to please a large section of the audience who want even their hatchbacks to look tough and not cute. The Axia is not alone in this -- with erstwhile competitors like the Hyundai i20 Active and Volkswagen CrossPolo, all of which followed a similar design principle.

 

The most distinct of these crossover cues on the upcoming 2019 Axia Style includes the large doses of black cladding that can be found all around the exterior - that means the front & rear bumpers, faux roof rails, side skirts, and wheel arches. Perodua has also gone to the extent of adding front & rear skid plate decor (which are just there for aesthetics).

Following the new design philosophy, it looks like the 2019 Perodua Axia features the brand’s latest front grille styling (similar to the one found in the new Myvi) but with some tweaks for the Style variant. The large headlamps seem unchanged, though they now look sportier with their all-black ‘smoked’ effect. Meanwhile, the new 15-inch alloy wheels too have a dual-tone paint job and are now wrapped in chunkier-looking tyres.

2019 Perodua Axia specs 

The 2019 Perodua Axia Style variant boasts a 260-litre boot capacity, and it also stands 15 mm taller than the regular variants in the line-up. This increase in height is courtesy of the larger (15-inch) rims and thicker rubber, plus from the addition of the pseudo roof rails. As for its overall exterior dimensions, the 2019 iteration (especially the Style variant) would likely be slightly longer and wider -- owing to its beefier ‘body kit’ -- though Perodua is yet to release the official figures. However, the outgoing avatar weighs in at 850 kilograms, while measuring in at 3,640 mm long, 1,620 mm wide, 1,510 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,455 mm.

 

2019 Perodua Axia Interior

Not a whole lot is known about the 2019 Perodua Axia’s interior, though going by the teasers, the new Style variant sure gets a couple of neat touches. Some of the Style-exclusive bits in the Axia include a unique denim fabric with ‘fish scale’ pattern that’s used as seating upholstery, and the seats themselves come with contrast stitching. More will be revealed once the car goes live.

2019 Perodua Axia engine and transmission 

The 2019 Perodua Axia will not be featuring a new powertrain. Instead, it will soldier on with the Toyota-borrowed 1.0-litre 1KR-VE three-cylinder petrol engine. This normally-aspirated motor turns up with a modest 67hp at 6000 rpm and 91Nm of torque at 4400 rpm -- mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.

The Perodua Axia’s motor may not be gutsy and certainly won’t pin you to your seats every time you pin the throttle. But it sure is a very frugal unit, capable of delivering a fuel economy of between 21.6 kmpl to 22.5 kmpl for the automatic and manual versions, respectively. As for the all-new 2019 Axia Style, its fuel economy is rated at a slightly lower (but still impressive) 20.8 kmpl. Meanwhile, the hatchback’s top speed hovers around the 155 kmph mark.

 

2019 Perodua Axia features and safety equipment

According to the carmaker, the 2019 Axia will be made available in a total of six variants (with GXtra and Style being the new entrants). The top trim still remains the Advance, which comes loaded with projector headlamps, front fog lamps, keyless entry with push-button engine start, front and rear parking sensors with a reversing camera, electrically-adjustable and power-retractable wing mirrors, seat-height adjustment for the driver, 4-speaker sound system, leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, and touchscreen infotainment head unit with ‘Smart Link’ support and navigation.

Along with two new variants, the 2019 Perodua Axia also gains two vital safety features. These new safety-related additions come in the form of Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0. The ASA suite brings with it some really modern active-safety gear such as Pre-Collision Warning (PCW) and Pre-Collision Braking (PCB) with pedestrian detection,

Front Departure Alert (FDA), and there’s also Pedal Misoperation Control (PMC) which prevents accidental accelerations by the driver. However, despite these welcome add-ons, the 2019 Perodua Axia’s airbag count of two doesn’t impress anyone, anymore.

In conclusion

With the official launch approaching fast, the 2019 Perodua Axia is surely making prospective buyers quite excited. Prices for the new model are expected to be between RM 24,090 and RM 43,190, with the newly-introduced GXtra variant pegged at RM 34,990 and the Style coming in at RM 38,890 -- both of which come with the automatic gearbox. Upon its launch, Perodua will offer customers of the 2019 Axia a 5-year/150,000 km warranty (whichever comes first).

The manufacturer also claims that it has made several key improvements on the new Axia, which entails lower cabin NVH levels, better quality of build and fit-and-finish, and of course, more safety tech. On top of all this, the 2019 Perodua Axia price much less than its immediate competitor, the Kia Picanto -- that’s priced at between RM 49,888 to RM 59,888.

Also Read:- 2019 Perodua Axia - First impression