Perodua Mini's A Toy Wonder

The engineering says Toyota, but the price says Perodua. Next year, budget buyers will be spoiled for choice when the Malaysian manufacturer branches out into the supermini sector for the first time.

Auto Express Car Reviews

14th December 2004

The car will be an all-new model based on the next-generation Yaris - revealed by Auto Express in issue 835. The platform-sharing deal is a result of Perodua's alliance with Toyota, which was forged back in 2002, and the newcomer will be the first product of that agreement.

This should mean build quality will be an improvement over any previous Perodua. The jointly developed underpinnings have also been used for the all-new Daihatsu Sirion, driven in Issue 836. The full-sized five-door hatchback, which has yet to be named, will be the largest-ever model from Perodua, slotting into the range above the Kelisa and Kenari.

It will be offered with a 1.3-litre petrol engine, but it's unlikely there will be a diesel version. Sales will begin towards the end of 2005.