A Perodua Sedan in 2016…maybe

Perodua president and CEO, Datuk Aminar Rashid, revealed during a media briefing last Thursday that the Malaysian automaker has a sedan approved and in the prototype stage, in which the upcoming model’s engine, platform and transmission is being evaluated. According to Aminar, the sedan will be launched sometime next year or the year after, but not as late as 2019 or 2020. This will be the first sedan model ever for the automaker, which current product range only has A- and B-segment cars and a compact MPV.

There is no confirmation on which platform the new sedan will use, but it would most probably be on an existing Toyota or Daihatsu platform. Daihatsu - which has been Perodua’s technical partner since the Malaysian automaker’s inception - does not have a sedan, so it is presumed that Perodua will take the lead in this project and will have a bigger hand in the design; for instance, the upper body will be completely designed in-house.

Back in the 2013 Kuala Lumpur International Show, Perodua showcased its concept sedan, the Buddyz, and we’re expecting the production sedan to reflect some of the concept car’s design elements, which featured angular lines inside and out:

The Buddyz

Hmm, rather unusual aesthetically and too boxy for our liking, but at least it’s something different. The Buddyz was designed for millennials, so the new sedan would probably also be just as “young, stylish, high-tech and hassle-free.” Perodua is aiming for a 5-star NCAP rating for its production sedan, so we can expect some excellent safety features.

Perodua has kept its product range to a minimal, but one of it models is the best selling car in the country. As of end-April, Perodua has sold 850,000 MyVi’s and is aiming to sell its one millionth MyVi by end of 2017. "We are cautiously optimistic that with the activities and promotions lined up until 2017, the target of selling one million Myvi's is achievable," Aminar said.

“Cautiously optimistic” is the right approach for automakers in regards to vehicles sales in Malaysia now, as sales plunged 23% year-on-year in the month of April due to the introduction of a new consumption tax. The implementation of the goods and service tax (GST), more stringent loans and less than favourable economic forecast are expected to mute demand for the remainder of 2015.