Since being launched in May 2005, Perodua has sold 251,795 units of the Myvi and it remains the most popular car this year where it has been selling at a rate of about 8,800 units a month. This is quite an achievement really when you consider that Malaysia is more of a sedan market.

Though it is leading comfortably and a household name, competition is very so intense in the car market and new models are launched all the time (seven have been launched just this week alone!) and customers are easily distracted. For this reason, Perodua, like other carmakers, has refreshed its best-seller visually as well as enhanced convenience and comfort.

The new Myvi, launched in KL this afternoon, will be recognizable with is new front end which is more than just a new grille. The bonnet is an entirely new stamping which is smoother and the new logo has been repositioned in the middle of the grille instead of on the leading edge of the bonnet. The bumper also has a more ‘muscular’ look with a large airscoop in the middle (and a revised foglight design). In some ways, it looks a wee bit like the nose of the Suzuki Swift.

The old (left) and the new (right)
At the rear, the bumper is also new and sportier looking with the reflectors strips on either corner having a revised shape. As before, the rear light clusters installed vertically have LED bulbs which are bright and long-lasting. LEDs also light up faster than conventional bulbs, a valuable feature for brake lights.

Two new body colours have been added – Medallion Grey and Caribbean Blue (a light shade).

On the inside, the spacious cabin is laid out as before but there’s new fabric upholstery, new trim for the centre console panel on the dashboard and a new Optitron instrument panel which has a 3-meter layout and blue or amber accents.

New Optitron meter panel (blue for more expensive versions, amber for others). Pictures below show the comparison between the old (left) and new
The integrated audio system has been upgraded with new features. It can now play CDs with the MP3/WMA format and for the premium version, there’s a USB port so you can plug in your thumbdrive with your very own selection of music. There’s also Bluetooth capability which means your handphone calls can be routed through the audio system (a feature usually found in luxury sedans) and it can also do a wireless hook-up to devices that have Bluetooth.


For convenience, there’s now a teh tarik hook at the back of the front passenger’s backrest. Strangely, this inexpensive item is only offered in the Premium version, which also gets a seat height adjuster for the driver’s seat. The new Myvi 1.3 also has glass which is treated to prevent transmission of harmful ultraviolet rays (up to 91% cut) in sunshine, which will help in keeping the condition of interior parts in better shape over a longer period.

There are no mechanical changes to the new Myvi and the same 1.3-litre and 1.0-litre DOHC DVVT engines live under the bonnet. Click here to read our original article which describes the mechanical aspects of the Myvi in detail.

Customers get a 3-year/100,000 km (whichever comes first) factory warranty and the option of Extended Warranty coverage for another 3 years/75,000 kms. What will be greatly appreciated is that Perodua has now extended service intervals to 10,000 kms or every 6 months, saving customers money at a time when reducing motorist expenses is on everyone’s mind.

The prices are slightly higher than before though probably not reflecting the higher cost of materials which the auto industry faces. It’s a fact that steel prices have risen substantially this year and whatever cost-cutting efforts have been done before to avoid price increases, it is probably impossible for/r them to absorb 100% of rising costs so some of it has to be borne by customers. A summary of the Peninsular Malaysia on-the-road prices (inclusive of insurance and roadtax) for each version is shown below: