New sportier-looking Myvi 1.5 to drive up its sales

PETALING JAYA: A new and sportier-looking 1.5-litre variant of the Myvi is expected to boost vehicle sales at Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) this year, motor analysts said.

Pictures of the more powerful Myvi variant have surfaced on automotive blogs recently, and industry observers say Perodua is likely to launch the car by year-end.

“This will open a new market segment for Perodua. Judging from the online photos, the 1.5-litre Myvi variant looks quite sporty with a full body kit, revamped front end and rear roof spoiler. People have been modifying the previous-generation Myvi anyway with similar looks,” an analyst told StarBiz.

A CIMB Research motor analyst concurred, saying a sporty 1.5-litre Myvi variant would expand Perodua's product line-up and enable the firm to better compete against Proton Holdings Bhd, which offers the Saga FL 1.6 Executive at RM46,549 (on-the-road with insurance).

Industry observers say Perodua is likely to launch the new model by year-end

“Depending on its price tag, a 1.5-litre Myvi would definitely boost Perodua sales,” the CIMB Research analyst said.

However, another motor analyst with a local bank was more cautious, pointing out that the top-end variant of the new 1.3-litre Myvi is priced at RM50,800 (on-the-road with insurance).

“A sporty 1.5-litre Myvi variant could be considered to be slightly expensive by buyers if it is priced in the mid RM60,000 range. Buyers will compare its pricing against the Saga FL 1.6 Executive's price tag,” the analyst said.

Perodua has seen brisk sales of the 1.3-litre Myvi since its launch in mid-June, and has delivered 18,000 units to date. A further 16,000 units are due to be delivered over the next two months. The carmaker, which aims to sell 190,000 vehicles this year, has to-date sold about 115,000 units.