Malaysia’s most affordable EV, the Neta V has just received an update in China as well as a completely new name. No longer will it be called the Neta V, say hello to the Neta AYA which stands for “Amazing, Young, and Active”.

While the exterior sees a few pronounced changes like a trapezoidal cutout on the lower section of the front bumper with dot-matrix patterns, the interior looks almost indistinguishable between the facelift and pre-facelift.

Perhaps the biggest update on the Neta AYA’s interior is there are 3 colours to choose from: Optical White, two-tone Fog Blue and White, as well as Classic Black.

Also read: The 2023 Neta V facelift is called the AYA, launching in China in August

Central to the interior is a 14.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment that is powered by a MediaTek MT8675 processor and supports AI as well as internet connectivity. Among the features accessible via the AYA’s in-car application is a karaoke function just in case you and your passengers want to belt out some tunes while stuck in a jam.

Powering the electric SUV is either a 54 PS/110 Nm electric motor that has a range of 318 km or a 95 PS/150 Nm electric motor that offers a range of 401 km. Both claimed ranges are based on NEDC cycle ratings.

Also read: Confused by EV terms? Here's everything you need to know

The AYA is equipped with DC fast charging (up to 45 kW) as standard with a claimed charging time of 30% to 80% taking half an hour.

With the rear seats up, the AYA has a boot volume of 335 L and can be expanded to up to 588 L with the seats folded down. The AYA also comes with a V2L function that powers up electrical equipment of up to 3.3 kW.

Also read: V2L demo: 34 units of BYD Atto 3 powered a 12-hour music festival in Thailand

The biggest upgrade to the AYA though is the inclusion of Level 2 ADAS which comprises:

• All-speed adaptive cruise control (ACC)
• Front collision warning (FCW)
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• High beam assist (HBA)
• Lane change assist (LCA)
• Lane-keeping assist (LKA)
• Traffic jam assist (TJA)
• Automatic parking assist (APA)

In China, the AYA comes in 4 variants which are priced between CNY 73,800 to CNY 88,800 (~RM 47k-56k). Meanwhile, the outgoing Neta V tops at CNY 103,800 (~RM 65k).

Close to home, the Neta V was launched in May as Malaysia’s most affordable EV with prices starting from RM 99,800. The price excludes insurance which would bump the price up to a little over RM 100k.

Also read: Malaysia doesn't allow import of battery EVs priced below RM 100k, how true is this?