As the most affordable electric vehicle on the market, the Chinese-made Neta V has finally arrived in Malaysian showrooms. On-the-road prices begin at RM 100,000 without insurance making it even cheaper than the RM100,530 BYD Dolphin.
The affordable electric Neta V made its premiere in Malaysia at the 2023 Malaysia Auto Show, but this time around, Intro Synergy is the official distributor, and it even made its debut with a brand-new body kit.
Despite being about the same size as the Perodua Ativa, the V is a compact electric vehicle. With its closed-off front end, it has an exterior similar to that of an EV. The positioning of the side indicators, which are located on the wheel surrounds, is one unusual feature of the Neta V.
Its 16-inch wheels, automated halogen projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights and tail lights are all included as standard features. The V has a body kit all around with its most recent public debut, which marginally enhances the appearance.
The V’s interior includes a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch portrait head unit with a six-speaker sound system, electronic parking brake (EPB), reverse camera, and synthetic leather upholstery.
The Neta V’s front axle is fitted with a single electric motor that produces 95 horsepower and 150 Nm of torque. The Chinese automaker claims a top speed of 120 km/h and 0–50 km/h acceleration of less than 3.9 seconds.
Despite its compact size, the Neta V’s 38.5 kWh battery pack allows it to travel up to 380 km (NEDC), but in the real world, expect range of around 320km at best. The highest AC charging rate that the Neta V can manage is 6.6 kW, and the highest DC charging rate that it can handle is 100 kW. While the latter takes 30 minutes to charge the battery from 30% to 80%, the former takes 8 hours to fully charge from flat.
To keep its price tag down, this tiny EV has passive safety features like two airbags, automatic brake hold, hill start assist, hill descent control, tyre pressure monitoring system, passive cruise control and the standard assortment of electronics like ABS, traction control and ESC but no advanced safety features.
OUR THOUGHTS
With a price hovering around RM100,000, the affordable Neta V has the potential to tempt those buyers currently sitting on the gasoline or hybrid fence, wondering whether to make the plunge into the EV world. Included in the price of the car is a 5-year/150,000 km general warranty, an 8-year/180,000 km high voltage battery warranty, and a 10-year/200,000 km body warranty.