PETALING JAYA: Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) has reintroduced a manual transmission model into the Axia line-up.
The E variant is priced at RM22,000 without insurance, effectively making it the automakers' de facto entry level model.
This makes it the most affordable Perodua model, surpassing even that of the original Kancil model launched in 1994 which was priced around RM24,000.
The new Axia variant is also the most affordable car in the market.
The price applies to Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
Physically, the E variant is based on the 2017 Axia and is certified with a 4-star Asean NCAP rating by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).
It comes with two airbags, seatbelt reminder for the driver and a 5-year warranty.
It is available in three colour options: Ivory White, Glittering Silver and the new Granite Grey.
Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the company is aiming to sell up to 1,500 units a month, which include individual owners and fleet sales.
He said the company believes the variant would serve its current role of giving motorcycle owners an opportunity to own a new car.
"Based on our 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," said Zainal Abidin.
"The Perodua Axia E is part of our original objective of providing affordable and quality mobility for all Malaysians.
"While we do not dictate who our customers are, we believe that having this model would be a welcome option by majority of Malaysians," he added.
Perodua reportedly registered 606,756 units of the Axia model as of May 31, since the launch of the first model in 2014.