Perodua has just launched the all-new D74A 2023 Perodua Axia in Malaysia. Bookings were opened on early-February and the company has since collected over 6,500 bookings for the new A-segment hatchback.

At launch, Perodua is offering 4 variants of the D74A Axia:

• Axia 1.0 G: RM 38,600
• Axia 1.0 X: RM 40,000
• Axia 1.0 SE: RM 44,000
• Axia 1.0 AV: RM 49,500

Perodua plans to sell roughly 5,700 units of the Axia per month, or 68,400 units for the year. The company also plans to deliver roughly 2,900 units to its customers soon.

Also Read: The all-new 2023 Perodua Axia D74A has over 3,500 bookings, targeting 5,700 units monthly

Exterior – Axia all grown up

The D74A Perodua Axia now rides on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) and is the smallest model to be developed on this modular platform.

It is now 115 mm longer, 45 mm wider, and 15 mm lower than the model it replaces, coming in at 3,760 mm long, 1,665 mm wide, and 1,495 mm tall.

The new A-segment hatchback’s wheelbase is also 60 mm longer than before, coming in at 2,525 mm. Crucially, despite the increase in dimensions, Perodua has maintained the Axia’s turning radius at 4.5 meters.

Despite the increase in overall size, the D74A Perodua Axia is still smaller than the Perodua Myvi.

Equipment-wise, all variants of the D74A Perodua Axia are fitted with the same 14-inch silver-finished alloy wheels. The LED tail lights of the previous generation model is also no more; all variants now get bulb-type tail lights.

Moving up the ladder adds equipment like automatic LED headlights with follow-me-home function, front parking sensors, front and side skirts, chrome front grille, and even LED daytime running lights (DRLs).

The D74A Perodua Axia will be offered with 5 colours, namely Coral Blue, Granite Grey, Lava Red, Glittering Silver, and Ivory White. The former is a new colour.

Also Read: Review: First impression of D74A 2023 Perodua Axia - New gold standard for entry-level cars in Malaysia

Interior – It's more like a scaled-down Myvi

Inside, Perodua has done a swell job lifting the cabin atmosphere of the D74A Axia. While the lower 1.0 X and 1.0 G variants of the D74A Axia get knob-type climate controls with analog dials in the instrument cluster, the upper variants are more like a scaled-down Perodua Ativa.

The top-spec 1.0 AV offers a floating-type 9-inch infotainment, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, as well as a fully-digital instrument cluster. The 1.0 AV and 1.0 SE variants also offer digital-type air-conditioning controls.

And for the first time ever, the D74A Perodua Axia now offers a steering column with tilt adjustment – a massive upgrade over the predecessor’s fixed column. This feature is offered on the 1.0 X and above.

Powertrain – 4.29-litre/100 km without hybrid

While the Axia’s Indonesian cousin, the Toyota Agya, gets a new naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre 3-cylinder WA-VE petrol engine, our D74A Axia soldiers on with the older engine.

Also Read: Perodua Axia Hybrid for 2024 not ruled out, P2 aiming to launch cheapest hybrid in Malaysia

Codenamed 1KR-VE, the D74A Axia’s engine is also a naturally-aspirated 3-cylinder unit, albeit smaller in capacity, coming in at 1.0 litres. The engine does 68 PS and 91 Nm.

What’s new in the powertrain department is the Dual-mode CVT, or D-CVT for short. It replaces the outgoing Axia’s 4-speed torque converter unit and promises to improve the already-stellar fuel economy even further.

Also Read: 2023 Toyota Agya debuts, Axia's Indonesian twin gets GR Sport variant

Thanks to the D-CVT, Perodua claims an 8 percent improvement over the 4-speed unit. Under the new Malaysian Driving Cycle (MDC), which is customized based on the UNECE R101 test cycle, Perodua claims that the D74A Axia can return up to 4.29-litre/100 km (23.3 km/litre).

Perodua also pointed out that they have given the D74A Axia a new air intake path, now with a labyrinth construction that prevents water from being sucked into the air intake when the car is driving through flood water.

Safety – 6 airbags in a sub-RM 50k car?

Safety has also been improved on the D74A 2023 Perodua Axia. Not only is stability control now standard on all variants of this new A-segment hatchback, but the top-spec variant offers 6 airbags.

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Moreover, the top-spec Axia 1.0 AV also offers the Perodua Smart Drive Assist (PSDA) ADAS suite, including Auto High Beam (AHB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), as well as Pre-Collision Warning (PCW), Pre-Collision Braking (PCB), Front Departure Alert (FDA), and Pedal Misoperation Control (PMC).

ASEAN NCAP has awarded the D74A 2023 Perodua Axia a 4-star rating under the latest 2021-2025 test protocol.

Also Read: Here's why the 2023 Perodua Axia gets 4-star ASEAN NCAP rating while Bezza gets 5 stars