perodua viva s

The ongoing E-Mobilia World conference in KL, attended by automotive and energy leaders to discuss and exchange views on the energy efficient vehicle (EEV) market, has yieled some interesting news so far. Learning that the first speaker for today is Perodua MD Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh, we braved the morning rush hour to Hilton KL to see if there was anything newsworthy.

The P2 boss gave the delegates, many of whom were foreigners, a brief history lesson on Perodua, before talking about the current state of the Malaysian auto market and the impact of EEVs. By the way, the description isn’t just for hybrids and electric vehicles, but also includes small and light “normal” cars with good fuel economy and low emissions.

Aminar said that Perodua’s EEV approach will be focused on improving the basic internal combustion engine (ICE), so don’t expect hybrids from the Daihatsu-linked company anytime soon. “We will still be focusing on the ICE. This is our forte, and there’s still a lot that can be done [in terms of eco tech],” he said.

He further pointed out that only around 20% of energy created by combustion is used to move the car, once one factors in mechanical, cooling and driveline losses, among other leaks. Perodua will work towards cutting losses, making better use of available energy, while reducing weight and rolling resistance.

perodua-new-viva

This led to the most interesting slide, future products. Aminar revealed that an entry-level A-segment family car is currently in development. It will be a low cost vehicle to serve low income households, taking Perodua back to its 90s Kancil roots. “This has been our objective since the establishment of the company,” he said.

The five-door hatchback will have top level fuel consumption and will be able to fit a family of five. It will sit below Perodua’s popular Myvi, and would be a successor to the Perodua Viva, which debut in 2007 as a Kancil/Kelisa replacement. That was six years ago, so it’s the right time for a new model according to the conventional car life cycle.

The Viva replacement model will roll out from a brand new SSC (simple, slim and compact) factory. In December 2012, Perodua announced that it will invest RM790 million to set up a new plant adjacent to its existing factory in Sungai Choh, north of Rawang.

The new plant, which had its first foundation stone laid by Deputy PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin earlier this month, is set to add 100,000 units to Perodua’s annual production capacity. 100k is a big number, and it hints at the volumes P2 is targeting for its new model.

No launch date was given today, but we know that the new plant is expected to be operational by mid-2014, so that could be when the Viva replacement model will debut.