REWRITING THE RULES,
FOR THE PEOPLE

words by KON

For long, there was consensus that Malaysia is a sedan-centric market. Then, in 20‍‍‍05, the Perodua Myvi turned up and turned the whole dynamic upside down.

The diminutive hatchback immediately shot to the top of the national sales charts and propelled Perodua to become the country’s best-selling car brand – a position that the company has never relinquished. In short, the Myvi is the catalyst of Perodua’s long-running success from which the company is showing no signs of turning back.

A third-generation Myvi is upon us, impressing with sportier styling and much-improved kit, but continuing to rely on proven technology and competing keenly on affordability.

2018 PERODUA MYVI

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The tried and trusted platform of the first two generations continue its service in the latest model, albeit suitably tweaked and enhanced to bring it up to date with the latest market demands.

As before, a choice of 1.3- and 1.5-litre powerplants are offered, but the engines themselves are all-new, members of Toyota’s latest-generation NR family and equipped with Dual VVT-i technology. Auto start/stop is provided the highest grade 1.3-litre model and both 1.5-litre versions.

The base 1.3 G trim comes with the option of 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions, but above it, the 1.3 X, 1.5 H, and 1.5 Advance are all auto as standard.

SPECS & FEATURES

The first-generation Myvi was effectively a reskinned Toyota Passo, with plenty of interchangeable body panels. Perodua was granted more autonomy to re-style the second-generation to Malaysian tastes, and now the third-generation’s exterior is styled entirely on Perodua’s own effort.

The result is a sleeker and far more dynamic-looking vehicle than its bulbous boxy forebears. Dimensionally, the new Myvi has grown in length and width over its predecessor, but does not stand as tall. Comparisons have been made with the Honda Jazz, and there is no question that this is the best-looking Myvi of three generations.

It may not be as practical, however. Despite occupying a bigger footprint, there is a sense that the predecessor was more spacious inside and more efficiently packaged. Rear passengers of the new car enjoy great legroom, but that appears to have come as a result of the front seats being made thinner.

That being said, Perodua has certainly made very good use of the front seats – there is the anti-snatch hook first introduced in the Axia, alo‍‍‍ng with two shopping hooks, and a USB charging port for the convenience of rear passengers. They even thoughtfully provided a pocket just under it to slip your phone through.

Compartmentalization of the centre console does not appear well thought through. There is a chronic lack of space to deposit your keys, small change, and wallet. If yo‍‍‍u have lots of things to carry, have some bags handy. Plenty of places to hook them, but not a lot of cubby holes to drop them in.

DESIGN

The Myvi has never sold on dynamics, though due credit must still be‍‍‍ given to Perodua for exerting noteworthy improvements in this area. It’s still second best to the Proton Iriz in the subjective quality of driver engagement, but there is undoubted competence in the tuning of the chassis. The nose goes where you point the steering at and high-speed stability is adequate.

Whether you pick the 1.3 or 1.5, straight line performance is adequate, but far from exciting. The 1.3 is good enough for town use‍‍‍ and dynamically feels better-balanced than the 1.5 – there is more crispness to the steering and more composure of the suspension when traversing poor surfa‍‍‍ces. The 1.5’s performance advantage is not significant in most conditions but comes in handy if you regularly take to the highways.

‍‍‍DRIVI‍‍‍NG EXPERIENCE

Over the years, Perodua has developed a good instinct of feeling what Malaysians want and expect of a car. The new Myvi continues that good form in offering itself as a stylish, affordable, and practical hatchback packed with a surprisingly competitive kit count. It is an impressively complete package.

It has improved much on driver appeal too, although you’ll still need to look elsewhere to satisfy your enthusiastic tendencies. Perhaps the most important strength of the Myvi is that it has become a car that transcends class for all Malaysians. Whether you are a bachelor, a young family, or an affluent buyer looking for auxiliary car, a Myvi is never out of place.

VERDICT

‍‍‍Suitable for G‍‍‍rabcar?

Ulu Yammable?

Balik Kampu‍‍‍ng?

Qualify for EvoEnduro?

REAL WORLD USAGE‍‍‍

‍‍‍THE COMPE‍‍‍TITION

VIDEOS:

Despite continuing an existing platform, improvements to the new car are a‍‍‍plenty, with biggest gains made in the area of safety – ESC is standard and a minimum of four airbags are given across the board.

Autonomous emergency braking is the headline news here; it may be a rudimentary system compared to others in the market, but having such a feature at all at this price point was previously an unthinkable development. Complete with a 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating, Perodua has seized the narrative of safety for the people.

There is a generous list of amenities too; keyless entry and LED headlights are standard for all, with reverse camera, additional USB ports, and even a built-in Smart Tag coming in at higher variants.