2023 Toyota Agya in Indonesia – Perodua Axia twin gets new 1.2L engine with CVT, MT; GR Sport, CarPlay!

Toyota has unveiled the 2023 Agya in Indonesia, where the sibling to the Perodua Axia goes to market on a new platform and revised suspension, succeeding the outgoing model that was first introduced to the Indonesian market a decade ago in 2012 as a 2013 model, a pioneering entry in Indonesia’s Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) programme at the time.

Two variants have been unveiled from the debut of the Agya – the G and the GR Sport. Like the Perodua Axia that is due to see its official debut very soon, the Agya is built on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) that aims to offer improved handling and comfort, while also offering larger dimensions and therefore a more spacious cabin.

According to executive chief engineer Toshihiro Nakaho, the Agya boasts of an overall length that is comparable to that of several B-segment cars, despite the Agya being an A-segment entry.

That said, technical specifications, and therefore the exact dimensions of the 2023 Agya have yet to be officially released. Dimensions for its Perodua sibling, the 2023 Axia, has also yet to be released by the Malaysian manufacturer.

As with their predecessors, the Toyota Agya and Perodua Axia will visually differentiated. Beginning with the regular Agya variant, this contrasts with the upcoming Axia in their LED layouts – where those on the Axia are located lower within the headlamp assembly, those for the Agya are placed above the main beam units.

Moving downwards, the Agya’s front bumper has been treated to recesses with vertically-oriented LED daytime running lights, which bear some resemblance to the shapes used by the current, facelifted third-generation Myvi.

Viewed in profile, the Agya appears to share its silhouette with the 2023 Axia. The standard variant shown at the premiere in Indonesia appears to wear single-tone, silver-finish alloy wheels which are possible 14 inches in diameter, while the GR Sport variant wears duo-tone, machined finish alloys which appear slightly larger, possibly at 15 inches.

In reference to the new car’s powertrain, Nakaho indicated that the Agya gets a new engine without mentioning specifics; this could be the WA-VE 1.2 litre three-cylinder engine that is used in lower-specifiation variants of the Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize in Indonesia; this produces 88 PS and 112 Nm of torque.

For comparison, the current Agya in Indonesia employs the 3NR-VE 1.2 litre, four-cylinder engine that makes 88 PS and 108 Nm of torque, paired to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.

Inside, the dashboard layout all but mirrors that of the 2023 Perodua Axia, with certain detail differences such as with the air-conditioning controls, and driver instrumentation appears to be a more basic, analog setup compared to the digital setup we will get in the Axia.

This could be the more basic kit in the regular variant, as opposed to the GR Sport variant as the tell-tale sportier aesthetic is notably absent. The GR Sport could then get the more sophisticated seven-inch TFT instrument panel, as seen in the highest trim level for the 2023 Axia, as well as for the Ativa SUV and Alza MPV.