One of the most highly anticipated cars to be launched in Malaysia is Perodua’s next SUV model. Rumoured to be called the Perodua Nexis, the upcoming SUV will slot above the Perodua Ativa in the highly competitive B-segment market.

Codenamed D66B, it might seem that the wait is nearly over as cited by an analyst for Kenanga Research. The analyst told Berita Harian that Perodua is expecting to launch the DNGA-based SUV next month.

This is to explain Perodua’s sales forecast for 2024 further. The analyst told the Malay daily that Perodua will be operating at full capacity to fulfil the 120,000 backlog orders, less than half of Perodua’s sales target of 340,000 units.

“Therefore, based on our estimates, Perodua would increase its market share to 48% this year compared to 41% last year,” Berita Harian quoted the analyst.

Still, we speculate that the Nexis' launch won't be next month as our internal checks showed that production has not even begun. Pre-production typically starts 3 months before a model's market launch but we anticipate its launch to be soon within this year.

The Perodua Nexis name isn’t officially confirmed by Perodua but it was among the names registered by P2 at the Malaysian trademark office. It would be based on the D03B Toyota Yaris Cross which made its world debut in Indonesia in May 2023.

Also read: DNGA Toyota Yaris Cross trademarks filed in Malaysia; Perodua D66B's (Nexis?) cousin coming soon?

Unlike the TNGA-based Yaris Cross which is sold in mature markets like Europe, Australia, Japan, and Singapore, the DNGA-based Yaris Cross is marketed for developing markets across Southeast Asia and Latin America.

In some markets, the D03B Yaris Cross is available with two engine choices – a hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.5-litre 2NR-VEX unit (92 PS/121 Nm) with an electric motor (80 PS/141 Nm) and a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre 2NR-VE engine (107 PS/138 Nm).

Also read: Despite being hybrid-only, Toyota Yaris Cross nets 5,000 bookings in Thailand within 1 week

Power is sent to the front wheels via a D-CVT automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox. It might be unlikely for the latter to make its way to Malaysia.

Based on the powerplants offered, the D66B Nexis could be the first mass-market Perodua hybrid model. The Perodua Ativa Hybrid, on the other hand, doesn’t count as it is only available for leasing.

Both the D66B Nexis and D03B Yaris Cross are expected to be built at Perodua’s Rawang plant in a similar arrangement to the Perodua Alza and Toyota Veloz.

Expect the D66B Nexis to start from around RM 80,000 while the D03B Yaris Cross could be priced above RM 100,000.

Also read: Priced at circa RM 100k, Malaysia's D03B Toyota Yaris Cross to enter production this year alongside D66B Perodua Nexis