The current-generation Perodua Axia E will continue to be produced and sold in order to meet the needs of the national carmaker’s customer base who are diverse in their requirements and income levels, the company announced in a presentation during the preview of the 2023 Axia.

As such, the national carmaker will continue to produce the E variant of the Axia to serve as the base offering for the range, thus continuing in its role and the most affordable car in the Malaysian market, says Perodua.

At the launch of the model’s 2019 update, the Axia E was priced at RM24,090, which continued to be the same as of the range-wide adjustment in July 2022, post-SST. Last month, the company revealed that the base variant is planned for release after Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year.

The ‘driving school spec’ entry-level variant, so-called for its affordability and thus adoption by driving schools, could turn out to be even more affordable. “I think the driving schools will like it – same car, good spec, maybe cheaper,” said Perodua president and CEO Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad at the company’s 2023 outlook briefing at the end of last month.

The Axia E will carry on in a sole offering of manual transmission, says Perodua; in its current guise, this is paired with the 1KR-VE 1.0 litre VVT-i engine that makes 67 hp and 91 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. In the 2019 update for the Axia, this has been the only variant to come with the do-it-yourself gearbox, whereas all other variants have been automatic-only.

Launched today, the 2023 Axia brings the nameplate into its second generation, nearly a decade on since the model arrived in September 2014 to succeed the Viva.

The post Perodua Axia E manual to live on – first-gen MT still cheapest car in Malaysia; updated specs, price soon appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.

* This article was originally published here
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