Earlier this year, it was reported that the next-generation Toyota Wigo is set to debut in a few months. It’s about time, too, given that the current model is about nine years old already. As it turns out, those reports have solid merit, and we might just see it sooner than expected.
Malaysian automaker Perodua recently released photos of its upcoming mini hatchback, the Axia. But hold on, weren’t we just talking about the Wigo? The reason why we mentioned Perodua is because the next-gen Axia is essentially the Wigo for the Malaysian market. So, what you’re looking at here is the second-gen Wigo, but with a few changes to the trim and badges.
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Of course, Perodua won’t show the entire car just yet. We’ll have to wait a little longer for the full reveal which is said to be around February, per Paultan.org. For now, we’ll have to make do with photos of the headlight, a few buttons here and there, and its instrument cluster. Perodua also dropped a few specs for its new mini-hatchback to make things more interesting.
The teaser photo hints at a more grown-up and aggressive look for the all-new Axia, and we can expect the same from the redesigned Wigo. It’s larger, sharper, and more angular than before, ditching the bug-eye look of the current model. It also appears to have LED projector headlights, which could be a first for its segment.
Another photo shows a section of the new Axia’s bumper, grille, and wheels. Like the headlights, the bumper corners appear sharper with more pronounced edges. There’s a good chance the new Wigo will get those too, but with a few tweaks here and there for differentiation. The same goes for the grille and the wheel options.
Inside, the instrument cluster might look familiar to some Raize owners. It’s a digital screen that has a similar look to the subcompact crossover. Perhaps that shouldn’t come as a surprise to some as the new Axia (and Wigo) are said to use the same platform as the Raize, Avanza, and Veloz. Also seen in the teaser is the availability of a nine-inch touchscreen for higher-spec models.
Now, for the specs, and the Axia will use a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine from the Toyota-Daihatsu family. There are no horsepower and torque details yet, but this is likely a carryover from the previous generation. If so, it could produce 67hp and 91Nm of torque, as seen in the current Wigo. That said, a little horsepower bump would be nice.
Also new for 2023 is the transmission. The hatchback no longer uses a traditional (and rather dated) four-speed automatic. Instead, it is now available with a continuously variable transmission. Curiously, there is no mention of a five-speed manual, but that’s likely to appear down the line.
Other features? The Axia can have up to six airbags, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring. Those features, including smart key entry, are mainly reserved for the top-spec variant, but all versions come standard with stability control.
It remains to be seen what kind of features the Wigo will get, but the Axia gives us a general idea of what to expect from the Toyota version.
