The facelifted 2019 Perodua Axia has just been introduced, equipped with a revised look and a handful of significant new features. Of course, not all models get all of these features, which is why choosing the right spec is more important than ever before.
This is especially true at the lower end of the range. Barring the kosong, fit-only-for-driving-schools E, the real range that actual customers will consider starts with the G, which is priced at RM33,490. Pretty affordable, I think you’ll agree, but this year Perodua has complicated your options a little bit.
You see, for just RM1,500 more, you can get the new RM34,990 GXtra variant, which is being offered as the value-for-money alternative. Right off the bat, it makes a compelling case for itself, as it comes with one of the biggest new features for the Axia – Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). The addition of this vital safety net makes this the cheapest car in Malaysia to offer it (although the next closest, the RM36,700 Proton Iriz Standard MT, isn’t too far off), and it’s worth the price premium alone.
It’s amazing, the rate of progress on display here. The G variant did not even come with ABS when the Axia was introduced way back in 2014, and it wasn’t until nearly two years later that it received this basic feature. Now you can get stability control for a slight increase in price. Remember that time Perodua said it couldn’t simply install the system in older models like the Axia? Those days are long gone now.
It only gets better from there. Perodua has actually removed quite a lot of features from the G, to the extent that you don’t even get reverse sensors. The GXtra adds that and the anti-snatch hook (one of the Axia’s original USPs), along with a driver’s seat height adjuster that’s crucial if you want a driving position that’s even remotely comfortable. You also get nicer fabric upholstery and some silver interior trim.
You may be wondering, then, what’s the point of having the G if the GXtra adds so much for so little extra outlay? Well, we actually put the question to Perodua itself, and the answer was surprisingly simple. See, almost everyone buys their cars through hire purchase loans, and the difference in monthly instalments between the two variants ranges from RM15 to RM30, depending on the loan tenure.
Don’t laugh – that amount might seem inconsequential, but Perodua says it could make the difference between getting your loan approved or rejected. Of course, if you’re running such fine margins you really should be asking yourself if you actually need the car in the first place, but the fact of the matter is, that’s the reality of many Malaysians these days.
So yes, you should buy whatever you can afford, but if you have the means, you really should go for the GXtra instead of the G. And if you don’t need a new car right away, you can always wait a few months to save up, and put the extra money into the downpayment – that way, you’ll be paying the same monthly instalment as you would the G. The extras really are worth it.
And please, please, please don’t buy the G variant and then spend a huge amount of money on GearUp accessories – stuff that you just don’t need. You can do better than that.
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Sokong the last paragraph.
Perodua, you are targeting young buyers and we are budget conscious people, please put Android or Apple play or Bluetooth or at the most AUX on your cars!
Ironically, to me, the only Axia that is worth buying is the Base E at 25k.
at that price there isn’t any other alternatives. Its your basic 4 wheel motoring and there is nothing wrong with that. Even Perodua got it wrong when the Axia was launched, they underestimated the demand of the Base E.
Moving up to the mid 30Ks, I think the Saga and Iriz 1.3 seems to look like the better car.
The manual only Axia E is mainly targeted for driving schools fleet… since now there is 2 type of driving licences (manual & auto) some driving school got alternative to choose the g spec for the auto learners… so basically the G spec is also Axia driving school…
Can we have Axia E “driving school spec” Auto?
Saga need to bring back SV badge and create a driving school spec auto to challenge Perodua
Proton have now ditched the bottom barrel segment unlike Perodua, why force them go back down playing in the gutters again. No point giving cheaper price but specs like shiet, safety features like shiet. Proton is moving upmarket. Its high time Perodua follows the same.
I agree with Carolyn, not many can drive manual and afford an automatic car. By pricing one below RM30k would be good. Remember the original Kancil EZ?
It’s better they launch Saga SV rm26k Malaysia day version. Sales will be even better than chinese Proton X70.
Just like Exora Turbo AT. Already dropped price to rm59k. Duno why Saga still expensive with old engine copy pasted mod from Campro cps to iafm then vvt. Paired from 4AT to cvt then back to 4AT.
“Paired from 4AT to cvt then back to 4AT.”
Where did you get such nonsense?
This is just P2 wanting you to go for the higher spec. To be honest the G spec should have been around 30k.
To be honest the G spec should be eliminated altogether because it creates a confusion among buyers..I mean it’s priced so close to the Gextra.What’s the point.
It is not the G Extra cheap, but the G spec is expensive. The price gap between the E and G is not justifiable…
“Remember that time Perodua said it couldn’t simply install the system in older models like the Axia? Those days are long gone now”
I’m not surprised as anything can happen in the automotive world, where the engineers can keep secrets away from the automotive writers. I remember certain people on this very PT site say that certain facelifted Mercs won’t come with MBUX because of “different architecture”, when when the GLC facelifted was introduced they were proven wrong.
G spec manual below 30k made more sense
“And please, please, please don’t buy the G variant and then spend a huge amount of money on GearUp accessories – stuff that you just don’t need. You can do better than that.”
totally agreed, that should be the right way doing things right.
I strongly support that statement… based on my observation of 2019 Axias since its launch, Axia X (GXtra) are majorly selected and purchased by customers. Salute to Axia X, SE and AV customers!