Perodua Axia units have since been leaked online, but on 6 August 2014, additional photos revealed the final product name was indeed ‘Perodua Axia’, after months of media speculation.[11]
On 11 August 2014, Perodua teased a photo of the Axia on their official Facebook page.[3] Three days later, Perodua announced that bookings for the Axia will open on 15 August, with prices starting from RM24,900 along with a five-year warranty, a first for a Perodua model.[2] The following day, the first official photo from Perodua confirmed the product name ‘Axia’ along with the tagline ‘Your Smart Move’.[12] Later that same day, even more extensive official details on the Axia were unveiled.[13] Perodua released a teaser of the front end of the Axia Standard E and G variants on 19 August 2014.[14] The more expensive Axia SE and Advance variants sport a more aggressive and sporty exterior, whereas the cheaper Standard E and G trim lines offer a more modest and basic package.
The tentative pricing and equipment list for the Perodua Axia was leaked online on 14 August 2014.[15]
In the morning of 19 August 2014, Perodua announced that around 3,500 bookings have been made for the Axia in just the five days since 15 August, when bookings were officially opened.[16] Around 60-70% of the total bookings were made for the mid-range Axia Standard G model, whereas around 13% accounted for the base model, the Axia Standard E, and the remaining 17-27% made up the more expensive Axia SE and range-topping Axia Advance models.[16] Additionally, Perodua maintained that production of the now seven-year-old Viva will continue for as long as the demand persists. However, production of the no-frills Viva 660 and high-end Viva 1.0 and Elite is expected to cease nonetheless, with just the mid-range Viva 850 remaining in production.[16] Perodua also claimed that the all-new Axia will have 95% locally-sourced content, with the remainder being imported from Indonesia and Japan. Despite having the vast majority of parts and components locally-sourced, Perodua will still have to pay royalties to Toyota and Daihatsu for the licensing of their platform, engine and other key elements which were not indigenously designed by Perodua in Malaysia. Perodua also announced during the media briefing on 19 August that the tentative launch of the Perodua Axia would be in September 2014.[16] The company aims to sell 10,000 Axia units per month.
The Perodua Axia, which is an A-segment small car will not compete with the similar but more upmarket B-segment Proton Iriz, which is also scheduled for launch in the second half of 2014
