The Perodua Myvi is a B-segment hatchback launched on 25 May 2005 as Perodua’s first car in that class, developed with Toyota and Daihatsu on the basis of the Daihatsu Boon. It became the best-selling car in Malaysia, a position it held for 14 years, and by the end of 2024 it had reached 1.487 million sales.
Perodua Myvi at a glance
| Maker | Perodua, Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Production | from 25 May 2005 |
| Class | B-segment five-door hatchback |
| Based on | Daihatsu Boon / Sirion, first generation |
| Engines | 1.0-litre three-cylinder, 1.3-litre four-cylinder |
| Valve gear | DVVT with electronic fuel injection |
| Trim levels at launch | 1.0SR, 1.3SX, 1.3EZ, 1.3SXi, 1.3EZi Premium |
| Facelift | 22 August 2008 |
| Sales record | best-selling car in Malaysia for 14 years |
| Total by end 2024 | 1.487 million |
| Name from | “My Vehicle”, “My Vision” and “Malaysian Vision” |
This article covers the first generation (M300), the model described in the source; based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Perodua Myvi
The Myvi was unveiled on 25 May 2005 as the first B-segment hatchback Perodua had ever built. Until then the company had concentrated on A-segment cars based on Daihatsu kei models; the Myvi was heavily based on the first-generation Daihatsu Boon, also sold as the Daihatsu Sirion, Toyota Passo and Subaru Justy, and it was the result of Perodua’s collaboration with both Toyota and Daihatsu. The name comes from “My Vehicle”, “My Vision” and “Malaysian Vision”.
Perodua expected to sell 4,000 Myvis a month, but by August 2005 it had received 52,000 bookings, around 10 per cent of the annual car sales in Malaysia, while it had delivered only about 10,000 cars. In the second half of 2006 orders were averaging 7,000 a month.
Equipment and engines
The first Myvi came in five trim levels: the 1.0SR with a five-speed manual, the 1.3SX manual, the 1.3EZ automatic, the 1.3SXi manual and the 1.3EZi Premium automatic, plus a Special Edition with modified bumpers, side skirts and a spoiler. Dual airbags and ABS were offered on the 1.3 Premium only. The engines were a 1.0-litre EJ-VE three-cylinder and a 1.3-litre K3-VE four-cylinder, both with DVVT and electronic fuel injection and both built at Perodua’s Serendah plant. The car also brought equipment unusual on earlier Perodua models, such as four-hole injectors, foam-filled pillars for noise insulation, an immobiliser and a pedestrian-safety body structure.
The 2008 facelift and editions
On 22 August 2008 Perodua launched an updated Myvi with a modified grille, front bumper and bonnet, new rear bumper and alloy wheels, a new dashboard colour and instrument panel, an MP3/WMA player and new seat fabric. The 1.3 Premium gained UV-protection glass, a seat height adjuster and an audio system with USB and Bluetooth. A Myvi SE followed on 10 October 2008 with new bumpers, clear tail lights, smoked headlights, an amber instrument panel, leather seats and a 2-DIN player, and an Exclusive Edition arrived in October 2009 in Ebony Black, Ivory White or Medallion Grey. In July 2010 a Limited Edition based on the 1.3 automatic came in a unique Dazzling Red.
The Myvi’s launch was the first time Perodua competed directly with Proton, whose similarly sized Savvy arrived a few months later. The Myvi 1.3 beat the Savvy 1.2 to the Car of the Year 2005/2006 title of Autocar ASEAN, and Proton’s new car did not affect Myvi sales. The Myvi was the best-selling car in Malaysia for nine consecutive years between 2006 and 2014 and again between 2018 and 2022, and the third generation was designed and built entirely in Malaysia rather than being based on a Daihatsu.
Design and features
- First B-segment Perodua: a larger car than the Kancil, Kelisa and Kenari that came before it.
- Daihatsu Boon basis: shared engineering with the Sirion, Toyota Passo and Subaru Justy.
- Two engines: a 1.0-litre three-cylinder and a 1.3-litre four-cylinder, both with DVVT.
- Local production: engines built at Perodua’s Serendah plant.
- Sales success: Malaysia’s best-selling car for 14 years and 1.487 million sold by 2024.
Perodua Myvi versions
- 1.0SR (2005): the entry model with a five-speed manual gearbox.
- 1.3SX and 1.3SXi (2005): manual versions of the 1.3-litre car.
- 1.3EZ and 1.3EZi Premium (2005): automatic models, the Premium with dual airbags and ABS.
- Myvi SE (2008): body kit, clear tail lights and leather seats.
- Exclusive Edition (2009): a simplified SE in three colours.
- Limited Edition (2010): the 1.3 automatic in Dazzling Red.
The Myvi was the larger stablemate of the Perodua Viva, the Perodua Kelisa and the Perodua Kancil. More cars from the maker are in the Perodua collection.
Video: 2012 Perodua Myvi 1.5 SE Start-Up, Full Vehicle Tour, and Quick Drive
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Perodua Myvi, English Wikipedia: history, trims, engines, facelift, sales, reception
