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  • What’s your Perodua story? Perodua wants to know

    In Cars, Local News, Perodua / By / / 55 comments

    Own a Perodua? Have a memorable tale to tell about it? Well, Perodua wants to hear from you about your Perodua experiences, and with over two million Peroduas on the road, there surely has to be a great many stories waiting to be told.

    The company has kicked off an initiative called What’s your Perodua story?, essentially a means to connect with its drivers and hear from them. In a nutshell, Perodua is looking to understand what matters to owners, and is hoping to find out what their needs and wants are.

    So, it could well be a story about your car and the journey you’ve had together, or maybe a suggestion on how the company can further improve its cars or services. The point is, the company wants to hear what you, the Perodua owner, has to say.

    The company is hoping to put the stories from the campaign to good use; bouquets will undoubtedly be appreciated and savoured, while suggestions will provide an avenue for change and improvement.

    Perodua’s MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh will be closely involved with the campaign, and says that he’s keenly anticipating what owners have to say – as he puts it, who else better is there to learn from than the people who drive the cars?

    You can share your Perodua story by clicking here.

     

  • BNM guidelines hurting Perodua, first quarter sales down

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 113 comments

    Perodua released a statement yesterday announcing sales figures for the first quarter of the year. Unusually for the market leader, it wasn’t another record breaking quarter, but a drop in sales.

    Sales fell 11% in March to 16,000 vehicles sold, compared with 18,000 vehicles sold in the same month last year. In a quarter-to-quarter comparison, Perodua’s sales eased 2.2% to 44,700 vehicles for the first three months of this year, from 45,700 units recorded in Q1 2011.

    The company attributes this drop in sales to the new guidelines on responsible financing introduced by Bank Negara Malaysia in January, which tightened the criteria for hire purchase loans.

    “Based on the data we have compiled, the Viva is the worst hit with a 19% drop in sales in the first quarter of this year to 13,000 units from 16,000 units registered in the first three months of 2011,” Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said, adding that the current loan approval rate by banks were significantly lower than usual. He also said that BNM’s move is delaying loan approvals, while some loans were approved at a much reduced amount.

    “Due to this delay it takes an average of 20 days to know the outcome of a loan application instead of three days previously, and this is having a huge impact to not just the manufacturers but also to the entire automotive eco-system,” Aminar added.

    Combined, all these have resulted in high inventory levels at Perodua’s stockyards, which in turn has increased cost for the independent dealers, it was revealed. “We are currently compiling the data on the effects of the new guidelines to share with the relevant stakeholders and are still hopeful that a solution could be found and that the loan application process could be brought back to normal soon,” the Perodua boss said.

    Another vocal opponent of BNM’s new guidelines is the Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia (PEDA). Read their list of grouses here. Media reports have quoted the Malaysian Automotive Association as saying that the total industry volume (TIV) for Q1 2012 shrank 12.6% to 138,544 vehicles year-on-year.

     

  • Perodua and Petronas sign RM225m engine oil supply deal

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 11 comments

    Perodua and Petronas Dagangan Berhad (PDB) have signed a RM225 million deal to supply the carmaker with lubricant oil over the next five years. Dubbed the Perodua Genuine Oil agreement, the contract will see Perodua using Petronas SL/SM grade engine oil at all its service outlets nationwide worth RM45 million per annum.

    “This deal is indeed very special for us as it strengthens the already good relationship that we are enjoying with Petronas Dagangan Berhad and I believe that this agreement will usher in a new chapter of cooperation between both parties,” said Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh, who signed the agreement with PDB’s MD/CEO Amir Hamzah Azizan.

    “Over the past 30 years, PDB has successfully grown to become Malaysia’s second largest lubricant company in a very competitive market. We aim to be the number one in Malaysia by 2015 through effective marketing initiatives, backed by our technological expertise and strong support from our strategic global partnerships. Today’s signing ceremony between PDB and Perodua is certainly a step forward to reinforce PDB’s position as the Brand of First Choice,” Amir said.

    PDB is the principal domestic marketing arm of Petronas for downstream products. The national oil company has seven modern blending facilities worldwide including Italy and two research and development centres. Perodua and PDB have a business partnership since 2003.

     

  • Perodua Eco Challenge is back for 2012, 13 teams to battle in the most challenging edition so far

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 4 comments

    The Perodua Eco Challenge (PEC) is back for 2012, and things are about to get more interesting. This is the fourth edition of the annual event that’s part of Perodua’s CSR efforts, and it will be once again held at the Melaka International Motorsport Circuit (next to the Ayer Keroh Melaka toll) on July 15.

    All 13 institutions of higher learning that participated in PEC 2011 will be back this year. Last year’s winners Politeknik Ungku Omar (longest distance), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (engineering category) and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (design and participation category) will be defending their position against Universiti Sains Malaysia (two time winners), Universiti Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia Spanish Institute, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Universiti Industri Selangor (UNISEL) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

    Also taking part are Politeknik Port Dickson, Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka. The latter competed last year as a guest team, but is now a full fledged entry.

    The big news this year is that there will be no car or engine given – the teams will have to modify and improve on their 2011 machine using RM10,000 given by Perodua at a ceremony today.

    Another big new challenge is that the machines will be tested dynamically as well, as opposed to the sole criteria of longest distance from previous years. This will be done via a new category called Time Attack. Here, cars will be tested on acceleration, cornering, braking and a slalom test. The scope is now much bigger, with the addition of performance into the mix.

    There’s more! Perodua has opened a new category for Business, Commerce or Management faculties of the participating IPTs, where “Marketing Teams” have to submit their marketing, promotion and business plans for their team vehicle. RM5,000 was given to each team. The judging panel for this category will be industry professionals.

    With the newly introduced categories, there will now be an Overall Champion. The total prize money for this year’s PEC has been increased to RM103,000 from RM77,000 to cater to the new categories. The overall champ will leave Melaka with RM25,000, while longest distance and engineering category winners take home RM10,000 each. The new Time Attack category offers RM7,000 for the most dynamic car.

    Click here and here for our 2010 and 2011 Perodua Eco Challenge reports. Go to last year’s report to see the 2011 cars that this year’s teams have to work with.

     

  • BNM new guideline: Perodua seeks staged implementation

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 95 comments

    Bank Negara Malaysia’s new guideline on responsible financing, which tightened the criteria for auto financing, has impacted the automotive industry, especially budget car players. Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia (PEDA) has been among the most vocal opponents, claiming that only 30% of loan applications were approved in January.

    Industry players met BNM last week and Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said the meeting was beneficial as it addressed serious issues.

    “We are committed to support the government’s initiatives, in particular to address the rising household debt, but we would also appreciate it if the government and its regulatory bodies would consult the players to better understand the impact to the industry prior to the implementation of any new initiatives or measures,” he said.

    Aminar added that partly due to the implementation of BNM’s financing guideline, the inventory of vehicles has risen and if left unchecked may need a downward revision to production planning. He added that the automotive ecosystem has also been hit as approval time for loans has lengthened, affecting sales of dealers.

    He urged that the new guidelines be implemented in stages to allow a soft landing for both the players and consumers. Aminar said financing institutions should also take into consideration of the government’s desire to see growth in the industry by increasing competitiveness as well as a better business environment for all, in line with its comments on the soon-to-be announced revised National Automotive Policy.

    Click here and here for PEDA’s views on the matter. To air your views, hit the comments section.

     

  • Perodua donates RM300k to School in Hospital project

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 4 comments

    Perodua has donated RM300,000 to Nurul Yaqeen Foundation in support of the foundation’s Caring Heart Project: School in Hospital. The amount is for two years. Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh presented the mock cheque to the Deputy Prime Minister’s wife Puan Sri Datin Noorainee Abdul Rahman, who is patron of Nurul Yaqeen Foundation today.

    “We empathise with all children who require long term treatment at hospitals and as a result have to miss their school lessons and examinations. This project will ensure that the children undergoing treatment at the hospital will not miss out on their school lessons and their preparations for the public examinations. This is in line with Perodua’s slogan Because You Matter Most,” Aminar said.

    The pilot project was launched last year at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, and it will later be extended to other major public hospitals. The foundation, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education has agreed to train 100 facilitators to ensure the children obtain continuous guidance and optimise their time during the school holidays. Aminar said Perodua will also send volunteers to help with the project.

     

  • Perodua, Daihatsu and Akashi-Kikai to establish automatic transmission manufacturing plant in Seremban

    In Cars, Perodua / By / / 34 comments

    Sometime last year Perodua revealed plans to manufacture E-AT automatic transmissions in Malaysia. Now Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd has released more details on the timeline and structure of the new company that will undertake the E-AT automatic transmission manufacturing in Malaysia.

    The new company Akashi-Kikai Malaysia Sdn Bhd will operate it’s 13,000 square metre plant on a 113,000 square metre plot of land in the Sendayan Industrial Park in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

    The plant is expected to be ready in November 2013 and will have a production capacity of 150,000 units a year. The stakeholders will put in RM100 million as capital, and the new company is expected to employ approximately 120 people.

    Perodua will own approximately 10% of Akashi-Kikai Malaysia, while Daihatsu Motor Co will hold 39% and Akashi-Kikai Industry Co Ltd of Japan holds a 51% majority. Akashi-Kikai Industry Co Ltd is a subsidiary of Daihatsu and currently makes automatic and CVT transmissions for Daihatsu.

     

  • Perodua to go the sedan and above 1.5L capacity route?

    In Cars, Local News, Perodua / By / / 170 comments

    According to a report, Perodua is expected to obtain permission soon from the government to build cars with an engine capacity larger than 1.5 litres, which it has up to now been unable to do under the limitations tabled in the original arrangement between the government and the company when it was set up in 1993.

    The ongoing arrangement dictates that Perodua is only allowed to produce compact cars with an engine capacity of under 1.5 litres. The NST report quotes an unnamed source, who said that the existing arrangement was being reviewed as part of the revision of the National Automotive Policy (NAP).


    Toyota Etios with Perodua badging by Theophilus Chin

    The source said that if the revised agreement yields positive results, Perodua will be able to begin assembling and producing cars with engine capacities ranging from 1.6 litres to 1.8 litres, effectively marking the beginning of the company’s venture in the sedan segment, the report adds.

    The source also hinted that the new models with larger engine capacity would probably be prototyped along the lines of the Bezza concept, which made its debut at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show in 2010 as a show car.

    He added that the introduction of new cars in the segment can be seen as a logical step and consistent with the increased demand for sedan choices among first-time car buyers in the country, but added that the company would not be reducing its focus on the production of compact cars.

     

  • New Perodua Alza SR – entry level variant from RM53k

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 258 comments

    Perodua has introduced a new variant of its MPV called Alza SR. SR stands for “Smart Ride” and this is an entry level variant positioned below the Standard and Advanced spec. It is available for viewing and booking at all 178 Perodua showrooms nationwide now.

    Selling for between RM53,013.50 and RM56,513.50 on-the-road with insurance in Peninsular Malaysia, the new variant, available in BX Manual and BZ Auto spec, is Myvi SE priced. Previously, the cheapest Alza was the Alza GX Manual at 55,503.50, so this new one lowers the entry price by about RM2,500.

    “The introduction of the Alza SR variant will make it even more affordable for Malaysian consumers looking to upgrade to a more spacious vehicle. Our customers like the versatility and functionality that Alza offers and do not mind having less features available compared with the standard and other variants. However, it does not mean we have compromised on the safety and the aesthetics of the Alza SR,” Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said.

    Under the hood, nothing has changed, but what’s the difference is spec? The Alza SR makes do with “UV protected glass” on the windscreen only, as opposed to on all glass panels, and there’s no rear wiper. The wing mirrors are manually operated. Fog lamps, airbags, ABS, EBD and BA are unavailable, but that’s the case for the 1.5 SX and EZ as well, so it’s expected.

    Note that in the Alza SR automatic, the parking brake has been moved to between the front seats (it’s foot operated in other auto Alzas), and the front seats are separated, not bench style. For the manual variant, there’s no change in layout.

    The Alza SR comes in three colours: Glittering Silver, Ivory White and a new hue, Mystical Purple. Perodua targets to sell about 400 units of the Alza SR monthly, which will take up around 13% of Alza’s monthly sales.

    Alza 1.5 BX Manual (Solid) – RM53,013.50
    Alza 1.5 BX Manual (Metallic) – RM53,513.50
    Alza 1.5 BZ Auto (Solid) – RM56,013.50
    Alza 1.5 BZ Auto (Metallic) – RM56,513.50

    ALZA SR 1
    ALZA SR 2
    ALZA SR 3
    ALZA SR 4


     

  • Perodua sold 180k cars in 2011, takes 30% market share

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Perodua / By / / 65 comments

    Perodua had a media briefing in KL this morning, revealing its 2011 performance and targets for this year. In a difficult year for the auto industry, the brand once again became the top selling marque in Malaysia, shifting about 180,000 vehicles in 2011. Retaining this title means that Perodua has been top of the tree for six consecutive years now.

    The 180k figure is slightly down from the record breaking 188,600 vehicles sold in 2010, but then the total industry volume (TIV) also fell from from 605,156 to just below 600k units. Perodua’s market share also saw a slight decline from 2010′s 31.2% to 30%.

    Exports grew from 4,000 units in 2010 to 8,000 units last year. Perodua revealed that Sri Lanka is its top export market now, taking over from UK. Bosses say that once overall cost is further lowered, exports will be ramped up, with a target of 20,000 units by 2015, or about 10% of total output. For 2012, they plan to export 10,000 cars.

    Of the 180k local total, Perodua sold 81,904 units of the Myvi, which retains its title as Malaysia’s best selling car, 60,675 units of the smaller Viva, and 37,402 units of the Alza, which is the biggest car it sells.


    Click to enlarge chart

    2011 saw the introduction of the new Myvi in June, before Perodua wheeled out the “Lagi Power” 1.5-litre Myvi SE and Extreme in September. The Myvi is also exported CBU to Indonesia as a Daihatsu Sirion, launched at IIMS in July.

    It wasn’t an easy year to launch such a big model, with the launch coming so soon after the triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear) that hit Japan, but the company pulled through (Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh singled out partner Daihatsu for their efforts) and reclaimed lost ground with the popular new Myvi.

    Among other obstacles they faced were the amended hire purchase act that came into effect mid 2011, the weak global economy, a strengthening Japanese yen and the recent Thai floods, although effects from the latter was minor compared to the Japanese disaster.

    Looking ahead, Perodua sees 2012 as cautiously positive. Datuk Aminar revealed the target of a 4% sales increase to 188,000 units on the back of network growth and “aggressive promotions” throughout the year. Besides new competitors, Perodua sees inflationary pressures, slower growth and Bank Negara’s credit tightening measures (Malaysia’s household debt levels are very high) as challenges.

    At the event, Perodua also announced a new flagship 3S Centre to be located in Section 19, Petaling Jaya. This RM30 to 40 million facility will be the model for future sales and service centres in Malaysia and abroad. It will also be the central region’s hub in the company’s new “decentralization” approach. Construction will start in March or April and it’s expected to start operations in 2013.

     
 
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