2023 Perodua Axia previewed in Malaysia, is the next-gen Toyota Wigo coming soon to the Ph?

The Malaysian market got a sneak peek of the 2023 Perodua Axia today and already we are thinking the 2023 Toyota Wigo is just around the corner.

With an impending launch on February 14th, the Perodua Axia follows the world premiere of the 2023 Toyota Agya/Wigo in Indonesia on February 13th. Coincidentally, Toyota Motor Philippines will have a Thanksgiving Media Party on the 13th as well. Will we see the 2023 Wigo as early as then too?

Half-camouflaged units of the D74A generation 2023 Perodua Axia, which is basically the same model sold by Daihatsu as the Ayla and by Toyota as the Wigo, were previewed to our colleagues at Wapcar.my and their first impressions were generally positive.

According to Wapcar.my Head of Content, Hans, the new A-segment hatchback doesn't say, "I am poor." He says it looks more expensive than it actually is. 

Wapcar.my estimates of the prices of the 2023 Perodua Axia are as follows:

• 1.0 G - RM 38,600 (₱ 493,062)
• 1.0 X - RM 40,000 (₱ 510,945)
• 1.0 SE - RM 44,000 (₱ 562,040)
• 1.0 AV - RM 49,500 (₱ 632,295)

With the local Toyota Wigo now ranging from ₱578,000 to ₱705,000, and the new Perodua Axia costing up to 13% higher and packed with more features than the generation it replaces, we can expect an adjustment in prices as well for the 2023 Toyota Wigo once it arrives. 

The Perodua Axia will still have the 1.0-liter naturally aspirated 1KR-VE engine, same as the current generation Wigo. However, a new D-CVT automatic transmission that claims to provide lower fuel consumption will come with Axia. 

The new D-CVT replaces the current 4-speed automatic found in the Wigo. According to Wapcar.my the new D-CVT will have less rubber band effect than other CVTs. It is also designed to improve fuel consumption by up to 27.4 km/l according to Perodua as tested under the Malaysia Driving Cycle. 

The interiors of the 2023 Axia looks more spacious than the current generation Wigo. We can see two-tone leatherette seats with stitching giving the interiors a boost in class. 

There's also a 7" TFT screen for the information cluster as well as a 9" screen for the infotainment. Both specs are available on the top-spec AV model of the Perodua Axia. This same variant also gets six airbags, Perodua Smart Drive Assist, and even LED headlamps. 

Looks like a hefty hop-up in specs and features for the budget A-segment hatch. The question is now, which features will Toyota Motor Philippines bring in for the 2023 Wigo?