In Cars, Daihatsu, Perodua, Spyshots / By Jonathan Lee / 15 May 2019 7:15 pm / 31 comments

Here’s something a little interesting – we’ve just received spyshots from reader Syed Mohd Nur Isa, showing Perodua testing a Daihatsu Tanto kei car on local roads. How do we know that it’s Perodua? Because the same trade plate has previously been seen on the company’s Daihatsu Move and Ayla test mules, the latter eventually spawning the Axia.

Now, before you jump at the possibility of a new kind of Perodua model, don’t get too excited. When we saw the Move being tested all those years ago, speculation was rife about there being a next-generation Kenari, and we all know that came to nothing. It’s now clear that the national carmaker was trialling the active safety systems that would eventually find their way onto the Myvi and Aruz.

Could this Tanto, then, indicate that Perodua is ready to introduce more functions to its Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) suite? Currently, the Myvi gets collision warning and autonomous emergency braking at speeds of between 4 and 30 km/h, along with Front Departure Alert and Pedal Misoperation Control. The Aruz upped the AEB speed threshold to 80 km/h and introduced pedestrian detection at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

In Japan, Daihatsu’s Smart Assist III system is available with two more features not offered in Malaysia – lane departure warning and automatic high beam. These functions could be introduced on cars like the next-generation Axia, which could arrive as soon as this year, along with the facelifted Myvi that should make its debut within a year or two.