The all-new 2023 Perodua Axia was just launched earlier this year, but it seemed like a manual variant was completely left out. However, Perodua hasn’t actually forgotten about what Malaysians call the ‘Kosong Spec’ Axia E manual and has now introduced the return of the Perodua Axia E with an even cheaper price tag of RM22,000 (without insurance), making it once again the ‘most affordable car’ in the market.
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Perodua says the price reduction is made possible by the support given by its vendors, suppliers, and the government, as well as some cost-saving measures. The 2023 Perodua Axia E, unlike its higher-spec siblings, isn’t wearing the new DNGA ‘costume’, but is still mostly similar to before, both outside and in.
The only difference the 2023 Axia E gains on its exterior is the addition of the Granite Grey colour option. Colour options already available with the previous iteration of the Axia E like the Ivory White and Glittering Silver colours have been retained.
The rest of the car is pretty much the same as before. The side mirrors are still left unpainted, the turn signal indicators are still positioned on the fender instead of the side mirrors, and the car still sports 14-inch steel wheels like before. And, like the higher-spec DNGA-based Axias, the Axia E doesn’t come with rear defoggers, nor a rear windscreen wiper. But one good news is that the projector headlamps are still here.
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Perodua says this latest iteration of the Axia E is based on the 2017 facelift, which means design-wise, the 2023 Axia E pretty much looks the same as before.
Powering the 2023 Perodua Axia E is the same 1KR-VE 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated (NA) 3-cylinder VVT-i engine like the previous gen Axia, and is paired with the good old 5-speed manual transmission. Power is, as expected, sent to the front wheels only, giving the Axia E a total of 68 hp and 91 Nm.
Inside the new Axia E, it’s about the same story as before. In order to keep the prices down, parts like the dashboard centre console, and door trims are all left unpainted.
The fabric seats are here to stay and features that many might have taken for granted, such as the tachometer, vanity mirror on the driver’s side, head unit, and speakers are still omitted, leaving owners the freedom to install their desired head units and speakers. However, the good news is that the powered windows are still here, and there is also a spare tire at the back too, which is certainly a convenient feature to have. There are also ISOFIX points in the rear seats.
For those who have been disappointed with the absence of safety features like ABS, EBD, and ESC in the previous Axia E, sorry folks, as it continues to be absent here with the new Axia E. Central locking is also still missing from this latest Axia E.
The rest of the safety kits list remains the same though. This means two airbags and a seatbelt reminder for the driver are still fitted as standard to this latest iteration of the Axia E.
The local carmaker has also ensured that the 2023 Axia E is certified with a 4-star ASEAN ANCAP rating by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS). And just like any new car, the Perodua Axia E comes with a 5-year/150,000 km manufacturer warranty, whichever comes first.
Perodua is aiming to sell up to 1,500 units of the Axia E per month. This will include both individual owners and fleet sales. Bookings for the 2023 Perodua Axia E starts today.
Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said, “The Perodua Axia E has been market tested and proven over the years and we believe that this variant would serve its current role of giving motorcycle owners an opportunity to own a new car.”
He added, “Based on a discussion with local financial institutions, we found that it only takes RM300 per month to pay the hire purchase cost of owning the Axia E. This is the same cost that would take for someone to buy a brand new motorcycle on hire purchase.”
What do you think of the 2023 Perodua Axia E? Liking Perodua’s decision for keeping the manual Axia alive? We believe the driving school instructors and manual purists certainly do. Anyhow, leave your thoughts down below!
ALSO WATCH: 2023 Perodua Axia review – Still the no-brainer budget car?
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