The Perodua Axia is Malaysia’s most affordable new car, and for hundreds of thousands of buyers it’s the obvious first step into car ownership. This is a complete, up-to-date guide to the Axia: how much it costs, every variant explained, the full specs, what it’s like to own and run, and how the model has evolved – so you have everything in one place before you walk into a showroom.
The current Axia is the second-generation D74A model, launched in February 2023 on Daihatsu’s DNGA platform – a bigger, safer, more grown-up car than the original. Alongside it, Perodua still sells the old-shape Axia E at RM22,000, which keeps the title of the cheapest new car you can buy in Malaysia.
How much is the Perodua Axia? Price and variants
There are really two Axias on sale. The modern D74A range (G, X, SE, AV) is the car most buyers want, priced from RM38,600 to RM49,500. Below it sits the budget Axia E at RM22,000 – mechanically and visually the previous-generation car, kept alive as Malaysia’s cheapest new model. All prices are on-the-road without insurance.
| Variant | Price (OTR, no insurance) | Gearbox | In a nutshell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axia E | RM22,000 | 5-speed manual | The cheapest new car in Malaysia – basic, old-shape “driving school” spec |
| Axia G | RM38,600 | D-CVT auto | Entry to the modern D74A range; halogen lamps, the essentials done well |
| Axia X | RM40,000 | D-CVT auto | The value sweet spot – LED headlamps, keyless entry and push start |
| Axia SE | RM44,000 | D-CVT auto | Style upgrade – LED DRLs, body kit, semi-bucket seats, digital aircon |
| Axia AV | RM49,500 | D-CVT auto | The flagship – 6 airbags, ASA 3.0, digital cluster, 9-inch touchscreen |
A quick decode of the variant names, since they’re heavily searched. E is the bargain-basement manual; G is the base automatic; X adds the convenience kit most people want; SE is the sporty-looking one; and AV (Advance) is the loaded range-topper. You may also see references to an Axia Style – that was an SUV-look variant of the older 2019 model and a popular rendering exercise for the new car, but there is no Style variant in the current D74A line-up.
The RM22k Axia E – the “Rahmah” Axia people search for
If you’ve searched for an “Axia Rahmah”, what you’re almost certainly after is the Axia E at RM22,000 – the most affordable new car on sale in Malaysia. There’s no variant actually badged “Rahmah”; the name has simply become shorthand for the cheapest, most accessible Axia.
The Axia E is deliberately basic. It uses the previous-generation Axia body (with the 2017 front bumper), the same 1.0 litre three-cylinder engine as the rest of the range, but paired with a five-speed manual gearbox – the only way to get a manual Axia. Equipment is pared back to the essentials: halogen headlamps, steel wheels, fabric seats, power windows, two airbags and ISOFIX, but no touchscreen, no central locking and no stability control. At RM22,000 it costs the same to finance as a new motorcycle – Perodua quotes around RM300 a month – which is exactly its appeal to first-time owners, driving schools and fleets. It carries a four-star ASEAN NCAP rating and the standard five-year warranty.
If your budget stretches further, the modern D74A range starting with the G at RM38,600 is a vastly more capable and safer car – but for sheer affordability, the E is unbeaten.
Perodua Axia specifications
Every Axia uses the same 1.0 litre (1KR-VE) naturally-aspirated three-cylinder petrol engine, producing 67 hp and 91 Nm. In the D74A range it drives the front wheels through a D-CVT (Dual-Mode CVT) automatic; in the Axia E it’s a five-speed manual.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.0L 1KR-VE 3-cylinder petrol, naturally aspirated |
| Power / torque | 67 hp / 91 Nm |
| Transmission | D-CVT automatic (5-speed manual on the Axia E) |
| Platform | Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) |
| Length / width / height | 3,760 / 1,665 / 1,495 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,525 mm |
| Boot space | 265 litres |
| Fuel tank | 36 litres |
| Wheels / tyres | 14-inch, 175/65 R14 |
| Fuel economy | 25.3 km/l (G, X); 27.4 km/l (SE, AV with Eco Idle) |
| Safety rating | 4-star ASEAN NCAP |
The D74A is noticeably bigger than the original Axia – 115 mm longer and 45 mm wider – with most of the extra length going into the wheelbase for a roomier cabin and a slightly larger 265-litre boot. Fuel economy is a headline strength: Perodua quotes up to 27.4 km/l for the SE and AV, which get an Eco Idle auto start-stop system. On safety, every D74A comes with stability control (VSC), ABS and two airbags as standard, while the flagship AV jumps to six airbags plus the full ASA 3.0 suite with autonomous emergency braking – genuinely rare kit at this price.
Axia running costs – road tax, insurance and servicing
The Axia is as cheap to keep as it is to buy. Because every version uses a sub-1.0-litre engine, road tax is just RM20 a year in Peninsular Malaysia – the lowest band there is.
Insurance is the bigger variable, since it’s based on your car’s value, your no-claim discount (NCD) and where you live. As a rough guide, a comprehensive first-year premium lands somewhere around RM600 to RM1,200 depending on the variant – the RM22k Axia E is the cheapest to insure, the RM49.5k AV the dearest – and it falls substantially as you build up NCD. You can renew your Axia insurance and road tax online with 10% off using promo code PAULTAN.
Servicing is famously low: the D-CVT Axia is among the cheapest cars in the country to maintain, at roughly RM3,000 over five years/100,000 km. For the full price of every scheduled service by mileage, plus a deeper look at road tax and insurance, see our dedicated Perodua Axia service cost guide.
A short history of the Perodua Axia
The Axia traces a direct line back to the Kancil, Perodua’s very first car – Kancil to Viva to Axia. The first-generation Axia arrived in September 2014 and went on to sell more than 582,000 units, with facelifts in January 2017 and September 2019 – the latter adding VSC, ASA and the SUV-styled Style variant.
The all-new second-generation D74A then arrived in February 2023, moving the Axia onto the modern DNGA platform with the D-CVT gearbox, a bigger body and, for the first time, six airbags and AEB on the range-topper. It shares its underpinnings with the Toyota Agya sold in Indonesia. The result is a car that has quietly grown up while holding on to the one thing that always defined it – affordability.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is the Perodua Axia? From RM22,000 for the basic manual Axia E, or RM38,600 to RM49,500 for the modern D74A range (G, X, SE, AV), on-the-road without insurance.
- What is the Axia Rahmah? There’s no variant officially called “Rahmah” – it’s the term buyers use for the cheapest Axia, which is the RM22,000 Axia E.
- What’s the difference between the variants? E is the bargain manual; G is the base auto; X adds LED lights and keyless entry; SE adds sporty styling and equipment; AV is the loaded flagship with six airbags and ASA 3.0.
- How economical is the Axia? Perodua quotes 25.3 km/l for the G and X, and up to 27.4 km/l for the SE and AV with Eco Idle – among the most frugal petrol cars on sale.
- How much is Axia road tax and insurance? Road tax is just RM20 a year. Insurance is roughly RM600-1,200 in year one depending on variant and NCD – see our Axia service cost guide for the full ownership picture.
- How big is the Axia boot? 265 litres in the current D74A, up 5 litres on the original.
The bottom line
The Perodua Axia covers an enormous spread of the market with one nameplate: from the RM22,000 Axia E – still the cheapest new car in Malaysia – to a genuinely well-equipped RM49,500 AV with six airbags and autonomous emergency braking.
Whichever you choose, you get rock-bottom running costs, strong fuel economy and Perodua’s renowned reliability, which is exactly why the Axia remains the default answer for affordable, no-fuss motoring in Malaysia.
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