Affordability is essential for an automobile to genuinely become mainstream, and from a Malaysian standpoint, few vehicles are more economical to buy and operate than a small runabout like the Perodua Kancil.
Since its premiere in June of last year, its replacement is the Perodua Axia E, which, at RM22,000, is the most affordable new car available in Malaysia. What if Perodua released a similar totally electric car and perhaps revived the Kancil moniker along with it? Of course, when speaking of the Kancil, we are referring to a model that was born in 1994. While still a concept, a new Kancil model could take on the futuristic shape you see above.
Theophilus Chin, a master of visual rendering, has shared his vision for the electric Perodua, including visual cues and inspiration from Daihatsu vehicles and concepts like the Mira Tocot, Osanpo, and Daihatsu me:MO.
The front fascia, bonnet, and headlamps of the Kancil EV are taken from the Osanpo, while the fenders and wheel arches are from the me:MO. The black cladding of the me:MO van and Osanpo roadster concepts, as used on the imagined “Kancil EV,” lends itself to a potential entry-level variant with unpainted bumpers.
The glasshouse, which originates from the Mira Tocot and combines with the other style aspects to create a depiction that is both boxy and rounded, is absent from both concepts.
This results in a cute, simple yet distinctive look. If a completely electric Kancil came out looking like this, would you purchase one?
OUR THOUGHTS
This Kancil concept is definitely cute and eye-catching and could be the perfect budget EV to pull in a whole new segment of drivers who are hesitating at buying an electric car due to the above-average pricing. If Perodua could get an EV to market for under RM25,000 that would certainly lift awareness, and sales figures too.