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Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better

Arif Β· Jan 30, 2021 10:38 AM

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 01

Launched in 2014 and having undergone two facelifts, the Perodua Axia is easily one of the most popular cars in Malaysia. Due to its low price, the Perodua Axia is an obvious choice for first time car buyers and those looking for a second car.

But does its low price make for a good purchase? Let's find out by putting it through our WapCar Rating system.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 02

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV: Driving Performance - 26.5/50 pts, good enough for city driving

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 03

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2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Facts and Figures
Engine 1.0-litre 3-cylinder DOHC 
Transmission 4-speed Automatic
Power 68 PS @ 6,000 rpm
Torque 91 Nm @ 4,400 rpm
Weight 860 kg
0-100 km/h 17.2 seconds
100-0 km/h 39.7 metres

The 1.0-litre engine lacks power, even for a car that weighs 860 kg.

With a century sprint time of 17.2 seconds, overtaking is a tall order for the Perodua Axia (Even the larger Aruz clocked 15.7 seconds).

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 01

Driving uphill is not great in the automatic Axia, even with the gear override. Unfortunately, the manual transmission is only available in the Axia E since the 2019 facelift.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 02

Power aside, the Axia is excellent for city driving due to its small size and small turning radius. For casual drivers looking for a budget A-to-B car, there's not much to complain about.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 03

The steering feels a bit vague and the damping could be improved, but they are not big issues for normal city driving. 

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Driving Performances Breakdown
Engine Acceleration 1 / 5
In-gear Acceleration 2 / 5
Throttle Response 3 / 5
Transmission Shift Logic 2 / 3
Smoothness 2.5 / 5
Sport/Manual Mode 0 / 3
Steering Accuracy 1.5 / 3
Response 1.5 / 3
Weight & Feel 1.5 / 3
Braking Distance 2 / 3
Feel 2 / 3
Handling Chassis Balance 1.5 / 3
Grip 1 / 3
Load Reaction 1 / 3
Total   22.5 / 50 pts

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV: Ride Comfort - 26.5/50 pts, Loud at high speeds

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 04

The fabric seats in the Axia AV don't offer any side support. However, they are adequately soft and comfortable.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 05

There is only one recline angle for the back seats, but the Axia compensates with adjustable headrests.

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Noise Level
60 km/h 66 dB
90 km/h 71 dB
110 km/h 72 dB

Unfortunately, the cabin gets rather loud at high speeds.

Engine refinement is one of the causes, but the main culprit here is road noise.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 06

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Ride Comfort Breakdown
Sound Proofing 5 / 10
Suspension 6 / 10
Passenger Comfort 6 / 10
Seat Support 2.5 / 5
Ergonomics 3 / 5
Engine Refinement 4 / 10
Total points 26.5 / 50 pts

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV: Quality and Features - 23.5/50 pts, Good build

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 07

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Panel Gaps (mm)
Location Driver Side Passenger Side Difference
Bonnet 2.5 3 0.5
Front Fender 4 4 0
Front to Rear Door 3.5 4 0.5
Rear Door to quarter panel 4.5 4.5 0
Tailgate 4.5 4.5 0

For a car of its price, the Perodua Axia's build is well done. Things are very consistent in terms of panel gaps and paint thickness.

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Paint thickness (µm)
Location Driver Side Passenger Side
Front Bonnet 90
Front Fender 83 81
Front Door 94 89
Rear Door 90 92
Rear Quarter Panel 94 98
Tailgate 99
Roof 75
Average paint thickness: 90 µm ±7

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 08

The exterior materials used are reflective of the Perodua Axia's price range.

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Exterior Material Use
Bonnet Soundproofing Material Thick
Struts Manual
Front Fenders Soundproofing Material Yes
Doors Front Windows Single Glazed
Rear Windows Single Glazed
Construction One Piece
Tailgate/Boot Opening Manual

The quality of the hard plastics used is decent and has a good finish. The build quality is good considering the car's price, and no obvious creaks and rattles were detected during our test drive.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 09

The only touch point with some "premium" feel is the leather-wrapped steering wheel with media controls.

Speaking of that, the infotainment unit could use some improvements. Having modern phone connectivity (Android Auto/Apple CarPlay) would make things a lot more convenient. Sound quality could be better too.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 10

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Cabin Material Use
Seat Seat Cover Fabric
Armrest Armrest Cover N/A
Dashboard Upper Section Hard Plastic
  Lower Section Hard Plastic
Front Doors Upper Section Hard Plastic
  Middle Section Hard Plastic
  Lower Section Hard Plastic

There's nothing we can really classify as a luxury feature in the Axia. What it boasts is the Perodua A.S.A. 2.0 which helps you stop the car in emergency situations.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 11

We did give this a try, and the A.S.A 2.0 acts as a supplementary system. The braking force is not that strong (unlike cars that lock the EPB) and requires you to press the brakes. Still a good feature for an entry-level car.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 12

Added conveniences in the Perodua Axia 1.0 AV are the reverse camera and keyless entry.

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Quality & Feature Breakdown
Exterior Paint Finish 4 / 4
Panel Gaps 4 / 4
Assembly Quality 1 / 2
Interior Build Quality 3.5 / 5
Materials Used 3 / 5
Features Safety 5 / 10
ADAS 0.5 / 5
Luxury 0 / 5
Convenience 2 / 5
Infotainment 0.5 / 5
Total   23.5 / 50 pts

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV: Space and Practicality - 29.5/50 pts, Very spacious for a small car

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 13

Space in the front row of the Axia is actually generous. Even a 185 cm tall adult can sit comfortably in both driver and passenger seat (Only the driver seat has height adjustment).

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 14

Second-row space with a 175 cm tall adult

Second row space is impressive too with generous legroom and adequate headroom.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 15

Boot space is 260 litres, close to cars like Suzuki Swift (265 litres) the Mazda 2 Hatchback (280 litres).

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Interior Space Breakdown
Front Row 8 / 10
Middle/Back Row 7 / 10
Third Row 0 / 5
Boot Space 2.5 / 5
Practicality 3 / 5
Storage Space 3 / 5
Visibility 4 / 5
Storage Flexibility 2 / 5
Total 29.5 / 50 pts

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV: Fuel Consumption – 15/20 pts, Efficient but not impressive

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 16

As expected from the Axia's small displacement engine, fuel consumption is low. After driving for 113.3 km and refuelling 7.323 L, a calculated fuel consumption of 6.5 l/100km was obtained.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 17

The car reported a fuel consumption of 6.2 l/100km, very close to the tested figure.

However, the Perodua Axia's fuel consumption is not very impressive since bigger cars like the new Honda City and Nissan Almera are capable of lower figures.

Perhaps with an improved powertrain, less fuel could be used in the Axia.

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Fuel Consumption Test Breakdown
Fuel Consumption 12 / 15
Eco Mode 0 / 2
Indicator Accuracy 3 / 3
Total points 15 / 20 pts

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV: Purchase and Cost – 23.5/30, Easily the most affordable car

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 18

The main appeal of the Perodua Axia is its price, but it's not the same case for all of its variants.

With the SST exemption in place, the Perodua Axia AV starts at RM 41,427, which is more expensive than the RM 39,300 Proton Saga Premium.

If you want to get your money's worth, check out the GXtra variant that starts at RM 33,940 with the SST exemption.

Perodua Axia spec sheet compare

*Price is inclusive of SST

For maintenance cost, free labour is only given for the first service at 10,000 km.

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Service Costs
Month Mileage (km) Cost (RM)
1 1,000 -
6 10,000 142.90
12 20,000 240.63
18 30,000 211.62
24 40,000 521.45
30 50,000 185.94
36 60,000 264.83
42 70,000 185.94
48 80,000 521.45
54 90,000 211.62
60 100,000 240.63
Total 2,727.01

The warranty given for the Perodua Axia is of 5 years/150,000 km, which is a bit more than the usual 100,000 km of other cars.

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 20

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Purchase & Cost
Purchase Car Price 12 / 15
Warranty 4.5 / 5
Cost Maintenance 3 / 5
Fuel Cost 4 / 5
Total   23.5 / 30 pts

2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV: Conclusion - 140.5/250 pts overall

Ratings: 2019 Perodua Axia 1.0 AV - Saves on fuel, but it could be better 21

In everything but fuel consumption and costs, the Perodua Axia 1.0 AV is rather average.

In fact, its driving performance could use improvements to enable safer overtaking manoeuvres. Besides that, better sound insulation near the wheel well area would improve cabin comfort.

The price of the Perodua Axia is attractive, but not for all of its variants. We'd suggest you get the GXtra since it at least gets ABS and ESC.

With it reasonably low fuel consumption and small size, the Axia is a decent choice for a city runabout.

Let us know what you think about the Perodua Axia.

Arif

Writer

Previously an engineer in an automotive manufacturing company and a highway concessionaire. A part-time research student on biofuels and diesel engines. Obsessed with vehicle electrification and the future of transportation.

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