By the end of last year, Perodua updated the most famous car in Malaysia, the Perodua Myvi. The updated Myvi may receive minor changes on the surface, but major upgrades under the skin to make the car safer and more efficient than before.
On the outside, the front bumper has been redesigned to look sportier than before, and it now also features vertical daytime running lights at the edge of the bumper. The rear bumpers have also been redesigned to blend in with the look of the front bumper. In order to further enhance the sportiness level of the Myvi, the car now gets blacked out wing mirror covers, side skirt, and lower portion of front and rear bumper. 
On top of that, the headlights have also been enhanced with the availability of the automatic on/off function and adaptive high beam function as well. Perodua also did some slight redesigning to make the headlights blend into the new front bumper. Overall, I do feel that the exterior changes are a welcome upgrade to make the Myvi even more sportier looking. 
Stepping on board, the overall design is largely retained, but now red color accents are featured around the dashboard and the seats. I quite like the red accents that replace the chrome accents on the dashboard, but I would prefer a more subtle red color accent for the seats. 
Speaking about the seats, I find that the seats in the Myvi are still too small for me. Apart from that, my seating position is quite tall even when the seats are at their lowest point. With the sun visor down, it literally blocked my view out the windscreen. Even though space is abundant around the cabin, both front and rear seats don’t really provide much support for taller or bigger size people to feel comfortable. 
Much to my surprise, Perodua has improved the user experience of the head unit. The system now feels more like a smartphone, where the reaction time is snappier and reactive compared to those found on older Myvis. Perodua probably upgraded the hardware for the head unit, and I do think that it’s about time for Perodua to include Android Auto and Apple Carplay already. 
For the powertrain, the 1.5L engine has been retained, but it is now paired with the new Dual Continuously Variable Transmission (DCVT) that comes from the Ativa. The engine still outputs 102 hp at 6,000 rpm, and a peak torque of 136 Nm at 4,200 rpm. Officially, Perodua claimed that the Myvi can achieve the 0-100km/h mark in 10.2 seconds. 
When on the road, the engine has sufficient power to bring the car up to speed. Most of the engine torque is available in the mid band of the rev range. With the new DCVT, Perodua not only manages to efficiently extract the performance of the engine, but also provide decent fuel economy as well.
In order to achieve that, the DCVT is tuned to suit the 1.5L engine. For the 1st gear, the DCVT uses a regular gear to achieve better acceleration without the rubber band feel. 2nd gear onwards, the CVT part of the transmission will keep the engine running in its peak power band to pull the Myvi up to highway speed. Once at highway speed, the long final drive keeps the rpm low to achieve good fuel economy when cruising. 
Regarding the ride and handling, no changes have been done to any of the suspension components. As the Myvi was never intended to be a driver’s car, I can feel that the ride of the car lacks sophistication. When going over bumpy and uneven roads, the passengers in the car can feel the bumps and jolts of the roads. As for the steering wheel, the wheel is on the heavier side to mimic steering feel, at least it’s quite stable when going past our national speed limit.
When slowing down the Myvi, I would consider the braking performance sufficient for day to day use. Myvi uses the usual brake disc upfront, and brake drums at the rear to slow the vehicle down. If the owner intends to do plenty of spirited driving with the Myvi, brakes are one of the components that needs to be upgraded to handle the abuse. 
One last major upgrade for the Myvi is in the safety department. For this, I would like to applaud Perodua for doing a good job in upgrading the driver assistant feature for the Myvi. At this price point, the system may not be as polished as some of the systems found on more expensive vehicles, but Perodua managed to bring these systems to the masses. They deserve a pat on the back for it.
The safety systems include 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRC), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), and Hill-start Assist (HSA). As for driver assistance systems, it includes Pre-Collision Warning and Braking, Pedal Misoperation Control, Front Departure Alert, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keep Control (LKC), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and Auto High Beam (AHB). 
I may not be the biggest fan of the Myvi, but I personally do think that Perodua has done a great job in making the Myvi more relevant to modern day car buyers. Priced at RM 58,800, the new Myvi will definitely suit most car buyers who want a frugal, reliable, and practical car. With the added safety features, the Myvi now comes with an extra layer of protection for the drivers.
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