We’ve seen leaked shots of the 2022 Toyota Avanza and Veloz, and here’s the last piece of the jigsaw, the new Daihatsu Xenia. The Xenia has always been the Daihatsu twin of the Avanza in Indonesia, where both D and T brands sell similar cars with different faces and names – Ayla-Agya, Sigra-Calya, Terios-Rush and Rocky-Raize are examples.
The new Xenia’s face is closer in layout to the regular Avanza’s fascia (instead of the sportier Veloz), but there are differences. While the Avanza gets a super slim grille to bridge the sharp LED headlamps, the Xenia’s upper grille is deeper, comfortably housing the D badge.
There’s a red strip on the top of the grille that extends into the headlamps. This accent is red no matter what the body colour is. Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM) seems to really like this upper grille red strip – it’s also seen on the Indonesian-market Rocky, although there’s no red in the SUV’s headlamps.
The round foglamps are in the same location as the Avanza, but the housing is in a different shape. The lower grille is large and the chin is also prominent, but the Xenia’s mouth is nowhere as gaping as its Toyota-badged twin’s, and there’s a sizeable gap between the two tiers. Both upper and lower grilles have mesh inserts. The two-tone wheels here are in a different design from the Avanza’s.
The Xenia’s dashboard should be similar to what we’ve seen from the Veloz. The Toyota’s clean sheet dashboard has a big “floating” touchscreen head unit, a new design steering wheel with two spokes of buttons, push start and what looks like ambient lighting strips around the gear lever.
Perhaps some of those, and the electronic parking brake, will be reserved for the Toyota Veloz or the range topping Xenia. The layout and sharp angles remind me of the Ativa/Rocky/Raize dashboard, but slightly less funky, flatter and rendered in two-tone.
The passenger section has a huge roof-mounted screen, a single pop-out cupholder, USB charging ports and sliding seats. Interestingly, the front seat backs have organising slots above the usual lower pocket. There’s one wide slot (probably good enough for a tablet) and a smaller one that looks perfect for a phone.
If the Avanza/Xenia exterior is a radical departure from what we know, we’re expecting a major change under the skin too, specifically a switch to the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) that also underpins the Rocky/Raize. If so, the MPV will be moving from ladder frame to monocoque construction and rear-wheel drive to FWD.
Will the twins carry on with 1.5L NA power – like the new BR-V and soon to be facelifted Mitsubishi Xpander – or will it share the 1.0L three-cylinder turbo and 1.2L three-pot NA options from the Indonesian-market Rocky/Raize?
Also uncertain is whether the Xenia will get the Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) suite of driver assist systems, as we can’t really see the windscreen-top stereo cameras here. ADM is behind Perodua when it comes to safety, perhaps due to the lack of demand from the local market, so ASA is still very much a luxury there.
A case in point is the Indonesian Rocky – it has two airbags and ASA is optional, versus six airbags and ASA standard across the Ativa range, never mind Level 2 autonomous features. However, at least some of the new Avanza variants will get ASA, branded as Toyota Safety Sense.
We’ve already explained why this latest Avanza/Xenia will be a sister car to the next generation D27A Perodua Alza, which will replace a 12-year old JDM-based MPV that’s very long in the tooth. According to a Perodua vendor, the D27A is expected to surface by the end of this year, but that might be the initial timeline and the target given by P2 to suppliers, and things might have been delayed due to Covid-19 and lockdowns. Coming soon, in any case.
The 2022 Daihatsu Xenia is set to make its Indonesian debut on November 11, a day after the Toyota Avanza. What do you think of these new faces?
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The daihatsu Xenia in green like a beasty nice car.
The one in red reminds me of nostalgic sporty Toyota Caldina.
This DNGA if comes 1.3L, 1.5L, the market gonna mod and make it real wild.
Affordable Sporty for Tuning.
(Like) Perodua Alza celup nicely from Daihatsu Xenia
(Dislike) Geely Jiaji total lazy celup as new Proton Exora
Ahh so now we know that idiotic imbecilic troller than loves to put these inane (like) (dislike) comparisons is none other than our resident troll.
John Gagal is not kunta. and last time, the one doing this thing was used Mario, the infamous Honda hater
Seriously bro..alza celup xenia…xenia just launch last week ,nov 11. Let me know if u need any material to do research before do any wildly commmet.
Becuz of color arrogance and severe low intelligence we could get cheap daihatsu cars and dumped perodua, what could be the amazing new suv without P2.. Sigh
Yup exactly same reason also Geely Philippines using own brand there but not Proton despite their earlier plan to market Proton name for entire Asean region.
Wrong! The plan was to market Proton in Asean RHD countries. If you’d never been to PHY, it is a LHD country much like China.
What’s wrong if just change Geely logo with Proton logo on the LHD version cbu from China? Tanya jer.
Proton abams are honest & hardworking people, they won’t be happy just to put their badge on a car they have no hand in it. That is the true mark of an honest carmaker.
This one reminds me of the ugly stepsister of an equally ugly sister. The only choice is really not to make a choice and go with the feet… out the door.
Maybe…
Follow Toyota Raize Japan 2022 this week updated
Toyota Veloz 1.2L, 1.0 Turbo, BEV 1.2L.
It’s expected to feed Japanese market for the BEV 1.2L too.
DNGA paired with D-CVT, magically lighter but more solid and powerful.
Engine figure already meaningless.
Just like how the Japanese designed Kelisa/Mira L700, better built, yet always fun and responsive. Kelisa spirit living in DNGA D-CVT combo.
Just want to buy this and cruising around with it comfortable space.
With CVT it’s gonna be fuel saving.
Retired do Airasia Ride.
Avanza was not using ladder frame even from the first generation. Author should update the content
Yep, first and second gen use unibody chassis
The 3rd gen is strengthened with Ladder Frame, better but also with unibody chasis.
It’s the same how they are providing for the TNGA Ninja King 2022.
The Avanza was never using ladder frame since the first generation.
Both Avanza and Xenia (add the Rush-Terios-Aruz trio for that matter) was never a body-on-frame car, unlike its bigger brother the Innova. It always used a semi-monocoque setup (Toyota refers it as unibody) since day 1.
Design quite nice and fresh. Maybe these are new generation designers in TMC Japan.
They need a more powerful engine to haul this around.
Lively as 1.5L BR-V and xpander 4AT is reasonable for sub RM100k Market.
With D-CVT it’s gonna be even better.
But yea, with its looks and size, 1.8L Hybrid for it would be perfect, below RM 140k.
Why is that the Daihatsu versions almost always look better?
Xenia nicer than avanza
Both are nicer
Very good
Good
The Xenia was designed by Perodua staff currently working for Daihatsu at Japan. NICE