The Perodua Kancil turns 25 – tracking the evolution, and stubborn base price, of Malaysia’s cheapest car

Perodua_Kancil_ 001

Tomorrow is the 25th birthday of the Perodua Kancil. The first Malaysian car that didn’t wear a moon and star crest, the first Perodua was unveiled by prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on August 29, 1994. Priced from under RM25k, the Kancil became Malaysia’s most affordable new car, and an instant success.

At Perodua’s corporate headquarters in Sg Choh, north of Rawang, two clean examples of the Kancil sit in the lobby. Nothing serves better as a reminder of “how far you’ve come” (or alternatively, “never forget your roots”) than your first ever product, right?

Based on the L200 Daihatsu Mira, the Kancil introduced the kei-car to Malaysia; it – and subsequent models like the Kembara, Kelisa and Kenari – got us accustomed to the tiny footprint of these Japanese specials. The Kancil also got many of us accustomed to the act of driving itself, as it replaced the Nissan Sunny at driving schools nationwide – remember the time?

The little car travelled far too, as far as the UK, where it was called the Perodua Nippa. Launched in 1997 and priced at £5,000, it was the cheapest new car on sale there (Ford’s Fiesta was the default small car, priced from £7,475 to £13,165). For scale, a UK punter could have a (then fresh) first-generation 986 Porsche Boxster or seven Nippas to last him 200 years.

The red Kancil you see here is the first ever car to roll off the company’s assembly line. Never mind things like airbags or even rear seat belts, this 660 cc box didn’t even come with power windows, power steering, central locking, a tachometer, a radio or even a clock. Thankfully, air con wasn’t an option. It was as basic as cars come, but the Kancil served a purpose – to provide mobility to Malaysians at the lowest possible cost.

Perodua’s core model went through two minor facelifts in 1997 and 2000 – the latter giving it a two-part chrome grille and two-tone bodywork. But it wasn’t until 2002 that the model received an extensive makeover that resulted in the blue car you see here, the 500,000th Kancil made – D.O.B. April 11, 2003.

The “new Kancil” had round headlamps, redesigned front and rear ends (rear number plate moved from bumper to tailgate) and reshaped tail lamps. The dashboard was completely new, now with a centre-mounted instrument cluster. Of course, various creature comforts made its way into the Kancil over the years.

In 2007, Perodua introduced the Viva as the Kancil’s successor, although the bug-eyed fellow continued to be sold as a cheaper, more basic option. This coexistence lasted until July 20, 2009, when the last Kancil – unit number 722,223 – rolled off the line.

Based on the newer L250 Daihatsu Mira, the Perodua Viva introduced 1.0 litre engines (the Kancil topped out at 850 cc) and safety kit such as dual airbags and front seat belt pretensioners to the series (the Myvi was by now racking up serious sales, but that’s a separate story). On the kosong end of the scale, the Viva 660 BX, introduced in July 2009 as a replacement for the base Kancil, was priced at RM25k. The “driving school spec” Viva had its price cut to RM22k in 2014 to create room for the Axia.

The Viva you see above is a 2013 1.0 litre S in Ozzy Orange (such a funky name for Perodua), which retailed at RM35,200 (reduced to RM29,900 in June 2014). It had a four-speed automatic transmission, power steering, a driver’s side seat height adjuster and an MP3 head unit, among other things.

A new chapter started in September 2014 with the launch of the Perodua Axia. Much bigger and much more modern than the Viva, the Axia came solely with a 1.0 litre engine. The range started from RM24,600 for the base 1.0 E with a manual gearbox.

This time around, Malaysia’s cheapest car no longer had black bumpers and door handles as tell-tale signs, only the steel wheels. Like the Myvi of its time, the Axia was launched with two faces – a regular look worn as by the Lemongrass Green Standard G below, and a sportier one for the SE and Advance trim levels.

In early 2017, Malaysia’s best selling car received a facelift that also included VVT-i variable valve timing for the 1.0L three-cylinder 1KR engine. No big jump in output (just 1 hp and 1 Nm more) but claimed fuel economy figures improved to 22.5 km/l with the manual, up from 21.6 km/l.

Today’s top-trim Axia comes with equipment that Kancil buyers 25 years ago never dreamt of, only because it never existed then. The Advance includes goodies such as keyless entry and push start (there’s a RM330k Mercedes-Benz currently on sale without this feature), front parking sensors, leather seats and smartphone-linked navigation, among other things. On the safety front, it’s ABS, two airbags and four stars from ASEAN NCAP.

The Axia is set for another update, and the 2019 Perodua Axia will be launched next month. The order books opened last week, and along with that came news that the model will get a big safety boost – Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and the Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0 driver assistance tech pack will make their debut in the Axia.

Also, there will be an all-new variant that hasn’t been done before on any of Perodua’s model lines. The new Axia Style gets SUV-inspired looks, much like the Volkswagen CrossPolo, Hyundai i20 Active and Honda WR-V in global markets. There’s a slightly altered front end, black body cladding around the car’s lower edges (with “skid plates” of course), faux roof rails and bigger wheels. Full story on the 2019 Axia here.

The 2019 Axia’s estimated price range is from RM24,090 for the Standard E to RM43,190 for the Advance. That base price means that while much has changed in a quarter of a century, some things stay the same – Mahathir is still the PM today, and the most affordable car in Malaysia is still priced at a touch below RM25k. Imagine going back in time to 1994 and telling someone this!

First Perodua Kancil

500,000th Perodua Kancil

Perodua Viva S-Series

Pre-facelift Perodua Axia Standard G

2017 Perodua Axia SE facelift

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.

Certified Pre-Owned - 1 Year Warranty

10% discount when you renew your car insurance

Compare prices between different insurer providers and use the promo code 'PAULTAN10' when you make your payment to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services.

Car Insurance

Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Kancil Hybrid on Aug 28, 2019 at 6:58 pm

    the ultimate true Game changer, Happy 25th buddy!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 26 Thumb down 8
    • kancil on Aug 28, 2019 at 9:38 pm

      Thank you PT for this exciting article and also happy 25th birthday to game changing Perodua Kancil! Let this be a motivation for Proton to create a true game changing budget car instead of a game over car like Saga

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 13
      • Roti jala Sdn Bhd on Aug 29, 2019 at 12:09 pm

        Hahaha you’re right! This is the prove that Proton is a game over company as Proton keep asking for bantuan and bailouts but today Proton become a Geely Rebadger only. What a shame…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 12
        • YAB Tun Kinte on Aug 29, 2019 at 12:23 pm

          Why Perodua sales is always 4X that of Proton?

          It is because we Malaysians want to support a successful company that has contributed in building our nation.

          Help those who help themselves.

          We support hard work and success. I scratch your back, you scratch my back.

          Most Malaysians do not support a company that is a failure and a leech

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 15
          • Spot on. Which is why given the choice, they wouldn’t have bought Perodua cars.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
        • Replying to yourself again? What a weird hobby of yours. BTW, how did you know how much tax Perodua contributed since the company never publicly show its accounts book? Oh, it’s another hobby of yours: Making things up aka BSing again.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
          • He is the typical creepy lonely kid that nobody wants to play with at the playground. So he creates his own group of ‘friends’ and interacts with them as if talking to himself/ghosts. That increase his creepiness and many sane kids chose to stay away from him and the playground itself. In other words, he became a troll of the taman.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • redpilled on Aug 29, 2019 at 7:58 am

      yes, quarter century of game changing rebadging. well done.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 6
    • Donno on Aug 29, 2019 at 10:02 am

      Happy 25th birthday kancil.

      The price of the axia, if you take inflation into account, it is amazing they can sell a car that is way better than the kancil at just RM24k!

      Imagine if you could buy a terrace house now, bigger than wjat you can get in 1994 but at 1994 prices!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
      • Engineer on Aug 29, 2019 at 12:27 pm

        Way better in what sense? 2019 Axia 24k is just as kosong as Kancil of 1994. There is virtually no improvement at all!!!!!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 3
      • If you think about it, that actually mean the Kancil was overpriced at its time. With stiffer competition nowadays, Perodua have to price the Axia accordingly.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
  • heybadigol (Member) on Aug 28, 2019 at 7:19 pm

    Wow, happy birthday. Never got a chance to drive the Kancil, as my learner driver’s car was a Proton Saga Iswara. I think for the JPJ test itself was also an Iswara.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • Ghani on Aug 28, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      2019 Axia is same priced 1994 Kancil back then.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
    • Calvin on Aug 29, 2019 at 1:42 am

      It was a shitty car to drive. My first and last time driving a Kancil and its descendants was thankfully limited to my driving school range. For the tests, I brought my own car.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 12
  • Li Peng on Aug 28, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    Moon and star crest? I always thought it’s a slice of watermelon…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 5
  • Dylan Ch'ng on Aug 28, 2019 at 7:38 pm

    For this post, perhaps they should have returned to the headquarters and took even more pictures and maybe even request for access to the inside.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
    • Willson on Aug 28, 2019 at 9:08 pm

      betuii brade..kalau korang nak tau..
      kancil ni lah dia kereta pertama aku…!!
      mak aku panggil die tomey…tapi nama sebenarnya dia TOMOT..
      kancil 860cc..
      kereta yang aku bawak pertama kali [selepas kereta kat driving school]
      kereta ni lah yang bawak aku meronda hampir satu Semenanjung..
      besar sangat jasa kereta ni tau… ke Kelantan-Kedah-Johor
      utara timur selatan kereta ni pernah sampai..
      naik genting pon pernah.. hikhik..
      kereta ni lah yang bawak aku gi interview lepas habes belajar..
      kereta ni lah yang bawak aku pergi balik kerje masa awal2 dulu..

      kereta ni banyak sangat kenangan nya..sangat2..
      by the way… apa kereta pertama korang..?? masih ada tak..??

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 3
      • Awgali on Aug 29, 2019 at 9:55 am

        Betul, keta pertama aku jugak. Kancil Merah bumper hitam. Dlu ambik 660 spec basic ada radio, skg basic spec mcm tin kosong. Terbaek kacil 1st model

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
  • If Perodua was a lady, she stayed faithful to her husband Daihatsu all these years and they have had decent kids.

    That other one though, like a typical ***** slept around with various Japanese, affair with a French, flirted with a German and latest hookup with a Chinaman, had various types of kids from so-so to downright unspeakable.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 14
    • She must be quite stupid to stay loyal for so long because the husband was treating her badly like a maid, giving her scraps to survive on, don’t allow her travel to nice countries like UK & EU anymore, don’t give her any freedom to be creative, abused her like a cheap chicken, and now two-timing her. I should take pity on her but I don’t, I really don’t.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 2
      • Perodua fanboys have Stockholm Syndrome. They actually liked being treated unequally and being ripped off.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
        • P2 fanbois have fetish for S&M. Liking so much to be laff at, constantly being corrected, and intelligence being compared to a rock. Oooh, hit me baby 1 more time!!!

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • vVivi Zurianti on Aug 28, 2019 at 9:33 pm

    My 1st impression of driving a Kancil was always being bullied by other big cars on the road. Without fail.

    However, finding a parking spot was super easy for kancil, even in tight spots…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • The same if you are driving an Axia nowadays, being the smallest car on sale. I guess some things never change.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • klguy on Aug 28, 2019 at 9:40 pm

    Perodua should bring back the Kancil nametag…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Sempoi on Aug 29, 2019 at 4:09 am

    Why Perodua Kelisa did not mention here…?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • IkanBakarSgUdang on Aug 29, 2019 at 5:40 am

    Actually thanks to Perodua’s small cars, Malaysia doesn’t need to import China made cars to fill up this category price point. In other countries throughout South East Asia, this category is taken up by cheap Chinese imports.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • Brandon C. on Aug 29, 2019 at 6:50 am

    I have never rode in a Kancil… and i’m grateful to not have and hopefully will never

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 17
  • Amran on Aug 29, 2019 at 8:12 am

    The best compact car ever.. Hidup kancil!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Mr Hakim on Aug 29, 2019 at 9:46 am

    The most shitty car to drive but definitely the most versatile. It can fly too

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
  • 25 years of rebadging daihatsu cars and still doing it at higher price than if daihatsu were to sell themselves..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
  • Ruslan Bahari on Aug 29, 2019 at 10:13 am

    Amazing achievement! Congratulations for 25 years of rebadging…

    Still, it is a decent carmaker. The donor brand is not a kucirat so it helps.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
    • Amran on Aug 29, 2019 at 11:09 am

      Yup.. Proton too.. X70, inspira, wira, saga orion, juara, perdana mitsu, perdana honda,

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 4
      • Ruslan Bahari on Aug 29, 2019 at 1:55 pm

        Yes, agreed but they had the Gen2, Savvy, Persona, Iriz, Persona 2.0, Exora. OK so quality WAS iffy (now LESS so), but they are not merely a Japanese rebadger.

        Rebadging is not a sin:
        Daewoo – Chevy Optra – Baojun 630
        Citroen Berlingo – Toyota ProAce City
        Mitsubishi Outlander – Peugeot 4007
        Renault Kangoo – MBenz Citan
        Toyota iQ – Aston Martin Cygnet
        Honda Accord – Isuzu Aska / JJ

        It is just that when you only rebadge and want to call yourself a carmaker….

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
        • Sick & Tired on Aug 29, 2019 at 3:50 pm

          Sharing some models is part and parcel of automaking but to continue rebadging their cars since 25 years ago? What is Perodua doing? Sleeping? Tido? Lepak? Goyang kaki continue expect rakyat to be poor so they have no choice to buy their basement level cars?

          A richer Malaysia doesn’t bode well for Perodua. They better pray hard PH continue to missmanage our country and continue to sink our economy.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • Celup King on Aug 29, 2019 at 3:14 pm

        I see someone was hibernating like a bear when Proton launches their own cars and only comes out when they launch a collaborative model. Meanwhile on the other side, Perodua have an unbroken string of rebadging since 25 years ago. 25 years of rebadging, tak malu ke?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Mahmood Razak on Aug 29, 2019 at 10:16 am

    Owned a first generation Kancil. White EZi BEL 7422. Nippy and reliable and sipped petrol. Loved the build quality then.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • thomas on Aug 29, 2019 at 10:25 am

    In Indonesia, perodua kancil has changed its name to a Daihatsu Ceria

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Keywarr on Aug 29, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    keyword: based on

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • (there’s a RM330k Mercedes-Benz currently on sale without this feature).. omg what is that model danny?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • DVD TAN on Aug 29, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    For 25 years. This cars always tipu us for available parking space.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
  • PlaySafeDriveSafe on Aug 30, 2019 at 12:01 pm

    Happy 25th birthday, old buddy. One particular Perodua Kancil EX660 of the year 2000 will be etched on my memory forever (2000-2014).

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Ollie on Aug 30, 2019 at 6:52 pm

    Good article. Most interesting point is that a Porsche = 7 Nippas. Today, 1 Vios is equal to 4 Kancil or Alphard =25 Kancils.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Nabil Dev on Sep 03, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    I can see my professional people here commenting about Proton as well saying Saga is game over car .. hahaha from this I can see cleary those who are claiming that Saga is game over car is just subnormal intelligence people.

    The car that they claimed to be game over won the Sepang international Race

    Still cheaper than Perodua Bezza as well Axia

    Still getting a best driving pleasure compare to all Perodua cars , Fact is everyone knows how teribblw is perodua`s Ride & handling.

    Saga has higher NVH level compared with all perodua cars.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

Add a comment

required

required