At the time of the launch, the Axia was the most affordable car on the Malaysian market.
The little car was unveiled in 2014 and it was the tenth model developed by Perodua.

The Malaysian car company had to replace the aged model Viva with something new, fresh, and appealing for the local market, but it didn’t want to risk anything. So, instead of developing a new product, it bought the license for a Daihatsu Ayla, a car that was already known in the area since it was produced in Indonesia.

The Axia featured a simple body design, with a very short hood, tall greenhouse, and an almost vertical rear end. The headlights were more aggressive for the top of the range SE version than on the base model. The front bumper featured a big, trapezoidal, grille for the SE and a smaller, smiling face for the base model. The SE was too aggressive for its class. But it featured 14” light-alloy wheels instead of the standard steel ones for the base version. In the back, there were LED taillights.

Inside, the top version featured AC, an infotainment unit with a touch-screen on the center console. A clear instrument cluster and nice leather-wrapped steering wheel were part of its equipment. The base model though, featured manual windows, no power lock, no radio and no speakers in the doors. It was just a basic mobility vehicle. The power steering was electric.

Under the hood, there was one engine option with a three-cylinder, one-liter unit. It offered just enough power to move the vehicle around. The standard transmission was a 5-speed manual, while a 4-speed automatic was offered as an option.