Last week, the government announced that it would make electronic stability control (ESC) a compulsory fitment on all new vehicles in Malaysia by June 2018. Perodua has now revealed how its vehicles will be affected by the news.
“We (Perodua) have already introduced the system (ESC) in the Bezza, which was designed for it. For our other current models (Myvi, Alza and Axia), they are not designed to be equipped with it. We can’t merely install (the system) in a model that is not designed for it,” said company president and CEO Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh.
However, Aminar said Perodua welcomed any move to improve safety, and at the same time, will have to look into the development and costs of equipping their vehicles with the safety net.
“At this time, allow us to first discuss the matter with the government because it is currently in the early stages. There are many things that have not been discussed in this regard. Only then can we plan our next steps,” he said.
As current Perodua models (except for the Bezza) are not fitted with ESC, could Perodua be planning to introduce all-new models before the planned implementation of the legislation?
When asked if the carmaker had such plans or any new model launches scheduled for next year, Aminar apologised and said he could not reveal any details. However, he said the company has plans to refresh its (current) models to hit its sales targets, although details on potential all-new models were not given.
