Daihatsu Ayla EV Concept: Could It Lead To Perodua Axia EV In The Near Future?

Being one of the most affordable cars in the country, Perodua Axia is a common sight in Malaysia since the original model was released back in 2014. The successor to Viva was actually based on another model with strong Indonesian roots: the Daihatsu Ayla.

At the GAIKINDO Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) last week, Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM) has unveiled the Ayla EV concept car. So, given Ayla’s relationship with Axia, it goes without saying that many (including yours truly) already have their imaginations running wild that this EV could be the pathway that would lead to the creation of Axia EV.

After all, Perodua already has its eyes on electrification as the company’s President and CEO, Zainal Abidin Ahmad has reportedly said that it will opt for a pure EV instead of a plug-in hybrid if Perodua decides to produce an EV.

Meanwhile, ADM didn’t really reveal the full specifications of its Ayla EV which did not come as a surprise since it is still a concept car. That being said, the company has hinted at some specs in the short video that accompanied the launch of the car at GIIAS.

For example, the video mentioned a 60kW motor which is roughly equivalent to 81hp of maximum output. That means it is generally more powerful than the 1KR-VE 3-cylinder 998cc engine inside the current Axia which has a maximum output of 67hp (50kW) and the electric motor almost matched the 86.7hp 3NR-VE 4-cylinder 1,197cc engine in Ayla.

The teaser also mentioned a 32kWh battery which is almost the same capacity as the battery inside Mazda MX-30. Since Ayla EV is probably lighter than the MX-30 in addition to having a motor that is around 57% of MX-30’s output, it seems quite possible that the Ayla EV can deliver a much longer range than the MX-30 which has a rather measly range of just 199 km.

Even the MINI Electric which is equipped with a 28.9kWh battery and 135kW motor has a maximum range of 232km. So, the Ayla EV should not have much problem going further than these more powerful premium powerful EVs.

Surprising enough, ADM did not go bombastic on the Ayla EV’s interior. In fact, the dashboard area looked not far different from the existing Ayla except for the fully digital 7-inch meter cluster and a different steering wheel which seemed to be picked up from Daihatsu Sirion/Perodua Myvi.

In yet another fascinating choice, ADM has also implemented cameras instead of traditional side mirrors on the Ayla EV which are fed to a pair of displays on the opposite ends of the car’s dashboard. The EV also has a rotary gear selector as opposed to a traditional transmission stick, similar to what we have seen before on the DFSK EC35 electric van as well as numerous luxury cars out there.

Furthermore, ADM has also chosen to implement a combination of Alcantara and fabric for the seats inside Ayla EV. The company has also decided to forego physical door handles for the car’s rear doors and opt for touch sensors instead.

Located at the tail-end of their windows, the doors would slightly pop open for users to pull once they put their hands on the sensor. On the other hand, the front doors still carry traditional mechanical door handles.

At the moment, ADM still doesn’t have any release timeline for the Ayla EV. The company insisted that they are still studying the car and they have to make sure that it can meet several essential factors including quality as well as safety before it can be released to consumers.