Brief Review: Perodua Myvi D20N, Redefining The Segment

If familiarity was a car, then that car would be the Perodua Myvi. Look around you and you’ll notice that the Myvi does account for a considerable amount of traffic on our streets.

When the first generation was introduced in 2005, the Myvi singlehandedly drove Perodua's sales figures ahead of Proton. The second generation model that arrived in 2011 continued that trend.

Perodua introduced the facelifted second generation model in 2015, addressing the model’s poor crash test results. That did little to help the ageing Myvi, which was already 4 years into its lifespan. Additionally, non-national car manufacturers also introduced entry-level models that were well within the reach of the Myvi owners.

The company realizes that and for its third iteration, Perodua aims to redefine the segment with the all-new Myvi.

Recently, we were invited by Perodua to sample the third generation Myvi at the company's facility in Serendah ahead of its official debut.

Bear in mind that the more detailed review will come after the new Myvi is launched.

Visually, the all-new Perodua Myvi is a 100% in-house job, not based on any Toyota or Daihatsu design, unlike the earlier models. We dare say that the all-new Myvi looks considerably sportier than some of its main rivals.

Is the all-new Myvi based on an existing platform?

Well, Perodua’s technical team did mention that the all-new Myvi uses the existing model’s platform, but it has been thoroughly reworked to bring the model to bring the model inline with modern standards. Reinforcement has been added to the platform, though hard points still remain.

Is the all-new Myvi quieter?

During our quick drive around Perodua’s test circuit, we certainly noticed that the all-new model is quieter than the outgoing one, although we still need lengther stint on public roads to gauge the car properly. 

How does it handle?

To be honest, handling has never been the Myvi’s strongpoint. While we did notice that the all-new Myvi was relatively planted on some sections of the test circuit, there were slight hints of nervousness felt in the suspension, though we believe it was due to the car’s pre-production nature.

Handling aside, what about comfort?

Again, we sample the new Myvi on specially-prepared surface, which won’t be representative of Malaysia’s actual road conditions, despite what Perodua wants us to believe. From our quick drive of the new Myvi, we did notice that the suspension tuning is on the firm side.

Is the new Myvi powerful enough? 

For the first drive, we had a go in the entry-level Myvi 1.3 MT. We would not say that the car is quick, but acceleration from the small 1.3-litre engine is sufficient. Hopping into the 1.5-litre Myvi, we noticed a more generous spread of torque over the 1.3-litre model. Perodua has no immediate plans to introduce 1.5-litre manual model, but the keen drivers amongst you looking for such a variant might want to look at the Toyota Vios 1.5 J MT instead. After all, both cars share the same engine.

A more thorough review can be expected once the all-new Myvi is launched. Stay tuned for that.