PETALING JAYA: Perodua launched its new Myvi model, replacing the current Myvi  line-up, here today packed with better features and at greater value for its customers.

The new Myvi’s improvements include enhanced safety features, better styling and at a better price positioning.

Among the new features are new grille styling for 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre variants, headlamps with daytime running light strip, dashboard cup holder, anti-snatch hook, reverse camera and front parking sensors to name a few.

Launched by Perodua chairman, Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin, the price range for the latest Myvi is between RM41,500 and RM58,900 in Peninsular Malaysia.

The company also introduced a new 1.3-litre Premium X trim-line.



The new Myvi safety features are now improved with a 4-star rating by the Asean NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asia) as the front vehicle structure has been enhanced to better withstand impact in line with global standards.

“The Myvi has been well accepted by the market and has so far generated a total sales volume of over 800,000 units, making it the most popular Perodua model to-date,” Perodua president and CEO, Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said.

“These improvements were made after an extensive study on how we can bring greater value to our customers and from this study we were able to increase the value proposition by RM4,500 – through both added features and price down,” he said.

Aminar added that these improvements was part of the compact carmaker’s as well as its vendors’ continuous effort to further reduce cost and transfer some of the savings to the customers.

The Myvi will have two new metallic colours of Electric Blue (SE and Advance variants) and Cosmic Gold (Standard G and Premium X variants) alongside favourite colours of Ozzy Orange, Mystical Purple, Glittering Silver and Ivory White (solid).

Following the Myvi launch, Aminar said Perodua has set a year-on-year sales target growth of 6% to 208,000 units for 2015, its highest ever, despite expecting a “challenging year” this year.

He said the growth would be driven by continued strong demand for the company’s Myvi and recently launched Axia, which replaces the Viva whose production has stopped.

“Response for the Axia has been overwhelming. Since its launch in August, bookings have already surpassed 70,000 units, with 29,100 units delivered as at December,” he said.

Aminar said the loan-rejection rate for the Axia was low.

“This is because most of the purchasers are additional car buyers, who have no credit issues.”

He said the new Myvi would also be well-accepted by the public, adding that Perodua was targeting to sell 6,000 units per month.



“Since the Myvi was launched in 2005, over 800,000 units have been sold. Last year alone, we sold 85,000 units.”

On the outlook for this year, Aminar said he expected many buyers to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach, but only initially, due to the upcoming goods and services tax on April 1.

“Looking at other countries as examples, there tends to be pent-up demand after the first year of implementation as people stay on the sidelines.”

Aminar also said consumers would adopt a more cautious stance this year due to the gloomy global economic outlook, adding, however, that a potential economic downturn would actually bode well for a car company like Perodua.

“If you look at the previous years, during a challenging environment, most people tend to downgrade or shift to cars with lower engine capacities (like Perodua).

For 2014, Perodua sales slipped 0.3% to 195,600 units from 196,100 units in 2013. Market share dropped 0.5% to 29.4% from 29.9% a year earlier.

Aminar said collective market share of the non-national makes in the country had surpassed those of the national makes, namely, Proton and Perodua.

In view of this, he said Perodua had put in place a new five-road map to remain competitive as the local automotive sector becomes increasingly liberalised.

“For the second phase of our road map, which will be from 2015 to 2019, we will focus on factors such as reforming our network strategy for future growth, enhancing our service and parts business environment as well as our value chain.”

 




 



 

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