PERODUA- PHASE OUT KANCIL

PERODUA-KANCIL
PERODUA TO PHASE OUT KANCIL NEXT MONTH
By Wan Nor Azura Mior Abdul Aziz

RAWANG, May 4 (Bernama) -- Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) is
preparing to phase out its first and oldest model, Kancil, next month after 16
years on the road.
Its Managing Director, Datuk Syed Abdull Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar, said Perodua
would stop production of the popular 660cc Kancil and would replace it with the
Viva.
"Right now we are in the final month of the production of the Kancil. After
16 years (and) after 750,000 Kancils on the road, we are ready to phase it out."
"We would probably launch the Viva 660 basic to replace the Kancil around
July," he told Bernama in an interview recently at the manufacturing plant here.
The Kancil was the first model manufactured by Perodua, introduced shortly
after the company's incorporation in 1994.
The first batch of Kancils was launched on August 29, 1994, with a
manufacturing capacity of 45,000 units per annum.
"For April this year, almost 1,000 units of the Kancil have been registered
and we are now down to the final 1,000 to be sold in May or early June the
latest", he said.
Since its maiden launch, the Kancil has been through several processes of
modifications, upgrades and facelifts.
As for the basic Viva, he said the price would be cheaper compared to the
current Viva.
Perodua expects to sell a RM25,000 entry level car.
Currently, he said the cheapest Viva is about RM28,000.
"We are doing all these to prepare for our big launch in November of our
Multi-Purpose Vehicle. Our mass production will start sometime end-September. So
we do this in preparing for this new line for the MPV," Syed Abdull said.
The new Perodua MPV is internally codenamed Perodua D46T and is expected to
be priced between RM60,000 and RM65,000, he said.
The new Perodua D46T will be based on the Toyota Passo Sette, also known as
the Daihatsu Boon Luminas.
It measures 4,180mm long, 1,695mm wide and is 1,620mm tall, with a long
2,750mm wheelbase to maximise the interior space (2,550mm long). -- BERNAMA
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