Following Daihatsu’s admission over rigging of safety tests, Perodua has assured that its latest Perodua Axia 2023 is still safe and there will be no suspension for its deliveries. The Perodua Axia 2023 is among the 88,123 vehicles affected by the violation of side collision test procedures.
In an official statement, Perodua’s President and Chief Executive Officer Dato Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said, “Perodua engaged Daihatsu Co Ltd to carry out safety testing for the new Perodua Axia in Japan, which was witnessed by relevant authorities and agencies for their respective assessment.”
“As we received news of this “procedural irregularity” by Daihatsu, we immediately contacted these bodies to determine if the safety standard of the Perodua Axia was compromised. We were assured that despite the revelation by Daihatsu, the UN-R95 certification given to Perodua Axia is intact,” he added.
Zainal said, “This means that the Perodua Axia is safe for driving and no recall will be issued nor will Perodua stop delivery of this new model to our valued customers.”
Perodua also apologises for any distress caused to their customers on the matter and they wish to assure that the safety information and specification of all their models are verified by professional bodies. The carmaker stressed that they place their customers’ safety and comfort above all else and they will continue to do so as part of their practice of Going Beyond what is expected.
Two days ago, Daihatsu said it had suspended shipments of affected vehicles in countries in which approval had been granted after discussions with Toyota. It added that they will re-test the vehicles in the presence of inspection and certification authorities and they will resume shipments once it is confirmed that the side impact performance complies with regulations.
According to Reuters, the door trim of affected vehicles had been modified with a “notch” to minimise the risk of the door interior breaking with a sharp edge which could cause injury to an occupant when the side airbag is deployed in an accident. This modification was not present in the final production vehicle. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda had apologised for what he called an “unacceptable” violation of consumer trust. At the time, Toyota said it had not received any report of an accident or injury related to the rigged side-crash test.
In Malaysia, only the top-of-the-line Perodua Axia AV (RM49,500) is equipped with 6 airbags including two airbags for the sides and two more for side curtains. The Toyota Yaris ATIV (aka Toyota Vios in Malaysia) is also among the affected models. The Perodua Axia 2023 received a 4-star ASEAN NCAP rating with a total score of 73.55 points in January 2023.
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