CarBrandLogos archive · Perodua · 2005

PeroduaMyvi

The small hatchback that became Malaysia's default new car.

Photo: © M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

The story

A defining chapter in Perodua history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Perodua Myvi, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

2010 Perodua Myvi LE in Cyberjaya, Malaysia

Origins

Perodua was set up in 1993 as Malaysia's second national carmaker, working closely with Daihatsu and building tiny, cheap models aimed squarely at first-time buyers. By 2005 the company needed something a size larger than the Kancil and Kelisa: a proper five-door supermini that a family could live with, without leaving the price bracket Perodua had built its reputation on.

2010 Perodua Myvi LE in Cyberjaya, Malaysia · Aero777 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

The Myvi arrived in May 2005, assembled at Rawang in Selangor, with a conventional front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout and a tall, boxy body that turned a subcompact footprint into surprisingly usable interior space. Its mechanical package was shared with contemporary Daihatsu small cars, which meant proven engines, cheap parts and a dealer network that already knew how to fix them. That combination mattered more to Malaysian buyers than any single specification.

2010 Perodua Myvi LE in Cyberjaya, Malaysia · Aero777 · CC BY-SA 3.0

2010 Perodua Myvi SE in Cyberjaya, Malaysia

In production

Later generations kept the formula and sharpened it. The second-generation car of 2011 grew slightly and looked more grown-up; the third, launched in 2017, involved far more Perodua-led engineering and brought low-speed autonomous braking and other driver assistance to a class where such equipment was still unusual in the region. Perodua also began exporting the car in modest numbers under its own name.

2010 Perodua Myvi SE in Cyberjaya, Malaysia · Aero777 · CC BY-SA 2.5 my

Legacy

The result has been one of the most dominant nameplates in any national market. The Myvi has topped Malaysian sales charts in most years since its launch, to the point where it functions less as a model than as a baseline, the car other manufacturers price against. It remains in production.

At a glance