Is RM 59k too expensive for the 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift?

In case you were living in another planet, the wraps came off from the 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift. The earth is round, Malaysia is a tropical country, the Myvi will continue to be exceedingly popular in showrooms. So far, it's business as usual on every front. 

16 years on, the Myvi remains on of the most enduring nameplates with the Malaysian car buying public. Why? Easy, the Myvi was a car that was easy to maintain, idiot-proof to drive, nippy around town, and best of all, had an affordable sticker price. The price gave the Myvi huge appeal, from students buying their first car, to housewives looking for a pasar car.

However, in that intervening 16 years, prices of the Myvi has inched upwards, generation by generation. Upon launch in 2005, the range-topping, first-generation Myvi was priced at RM 51,300. In contrast, the 1.5 AV flagship variant of the 2022 Myvi facelift asks for RM 58,800.

That's a RM 7,500 difference, which may not sound a lot, but for a price-sensitive audience such as the Myvi's buyers, that's a substantial amount of money, enough to pay for downpayment in fact. Inflation aside, what could be the driving forces of such an uptrend in prices?

Also read: Evolution of the Perodua Myvi in 3 generations – Malaysia’s most loved hatchback?

Powertrain improvements

If you haven't noticed this already, with every generation of a Perodua Myvi, comes an improvement in powertrain. Moving from the first- to second-gen, buyers got a bump engine capacity, from 1.0- and 1.3-litre powertrains to 1.3- and 1.5-litre ones. 

In reality, no one ever complained that the engines from the first-gen lacked any poke, given that Myvis were already terrorising Malaysian roads from the onset. Plonking a 1.5-litre engine in the second-gen Myvi only served to reinforce the 'King of Malaysia roads' nickname.

Then, in a first of sorts for the model, Perodua decided to replace the 4AT with a CVT-type transmission in the third-gen, 2022 Myvi facelift. It's unprecedented as previous Myvi facelifts were mechanically unchanged, but Perodua figured that this move will benefit buyers and did it anyway.

Also read: 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift's D-CVT - How much better is it than the 4AT?

It's worth mentioning that offering better powertrains isn't something that's done for free. Obviously, Perodua has had to invest in research and development (R&D), plus the associated production costs to bring these new powertrains to the market. Viewed this way, a small price increase doesn't seem excessive now, does it?

Better features with every generation

Never mind Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, the first-generation Perodua Myvi facelift was one of the first few models to feature bluetooth connectivity, in a sub-RM 60k car, in 2008. Mind you, even the W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and VW Golf GTI Mk6 didn't have such a feature in the same time period.

Continuing in that theme, the second-gen Myvi came standard with Electric Power Steering (EPS). This resulted in lesser maintenance costs (no need to change power steering fluid) and improved fuel economy across the board. 

In the third-gen Myvi, Perodua even added a neat, integrated Touch n Go reader that does away with the need for drivers to hold up their Smart Tags when entering toll lanes. Further proof that, with each succeeding generation, the Myvi just comes up with even better features and value for buyers.

Obviously, adding such nifty features would then up the sticker price of the Myvi, with each passing generation or facelift. But actually, the price hike seems perfectly justified. 

Also read: S and B mode in the new 2022 Perodua Myvi's CVT shifter. What's S and B for?

Extra tech and safety

The Myvi has come a long way in the safety stakes. In the first-gen, RM 51k bought you a car with no traction/stability controls. Airbags were optional in the first-gen, then made standard in every variant of the second-gen. When the Myvi started life, it wasn't going to score high in the safety stakes. 

With improvements and investment came a third-gen Myvi that had a complete armada of airbags and electronic safety nets. Not only that, ADAS was also introduced, featuring Pre-Collision Warning (PCW), Pre-Collision Braking (PCB), Front Departure Alert (FDA) and Pedal Misoperation Control (PMC). Cars costing three times the price didn't have this!

The technology packed into the 2022 Myvi facelift (1.5 AV variant) goes up another notch, with the ADAS suite now adding Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keep Control (LKC), and Blind Spot Monitor (BSM).

Realistically speaking, Perodua can't possibly not charge more money with the addition of so many more features. It is after all, a business not a charity. But all the mentioned features in a car asking for less than RM 60k? Can anyone complain about a price hike?

Also read: Evolution of the Perodua Myvi in 3 generations – Malaysia’s most loved hatchback?

Conclusion

Still, for the amount of goodies and features you get, especially in the flagship 1.5 AV variant, can you really argue that the 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift is expensive? Not with a straight face you can't. Sure, there are better-looking, more advanced B-segment hatchbacks out there. Still, not many can rival the Perodua Myvi as a pure value-for-money proposition. Long may its reign continue.