Perodua Nippa > Reviews (9)

Perodua really gave me a shock when i came to know that it was also in sale in UK. I'd really never expected this car to actually being quite successful in establishing it's market so far away from home.(Malaysia). Basically, i do not like this car. Well, i'll just explain the reason to you further below.

Name: Perodua Nippa.
Nippa actually gives no meaning. The actual local name is called Kancil, which means (Mousedeer) in Malay language. It's obvious that you can see why they call it a mousedeer.
Perodua is a short term for Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua, if i'm not mistaken. It means (the second automobile industry , after Proton)

Comes in two different models: The Manual or Auto Transmission, both are 850cc. Mine was the manual. (old version)

Disadvantages: (on the old model)
I don't really like Malaysian cars because of:
Firstly the quality, and secondly, most of the designs of their cars are copied from other Brands.
A good example would be the Proton Persona, in which they took most of the designs from the Mitsubishi Company.
Well, as for this Nippa and other range of this Perodua cars, most, almost all derived their designs from The Daihatsu Company.

Why can't they just create thier own design and stop paying royalty to other companies?

The new version was introduced early 2003 and there were a few changes in it.
I do not have any comments or reviews on the new version of Nippa as i do not own it.
I only noticed from the exterior that the new Nippa has some changes on the head lamps (rounded) and the edges are much smoother. Whereas the on the dashboard, the speedometer is in the middle of the car instead of being in front of the driver's steering wheel. I guessed they must have copied this style again from Ford 'Ka'.

Getting back to the old version again, i'll review some on the basic Specs which i know of:
Design: Squarish, Comes in many various colours, you name it, they have it. Short front. Sorta hatch back type. No butt is what i actually mean.
Small tyres, at rims around 13 or 14 inch in diameter. Lousy ugly Rim covers.
Not an outstanding overall exterior.

Interior and Spaciousness:
Somewhat plasticky from top to bottom. Obvious that dashboards and stuff are made from cheap plastics. Front seats are quite spacious, but the back seats are a dissapointment. You'll feel like a tuna in a can once you sit in it, with very little leg space. Seats are somehow hard to the backbone.
Comes with a cassette player.
The gear is thin and long and it looks fragile.
Nothing outstanding on the interiors too.

Handling: Quite helpful on the turnings as they are power steering assisted. Rides are not very comfortable due to the low quality Shock Absorbers. Engine is somehow underpower.
However, my friend(who has the same car) somehow was able to prove me wrong. She once took me out for lunch with 5 other friends (JUST IMAGINE HOW PACKED THE CAR IS!), and she was able to move the car. I did see her pushing hard and struggling on the accelerator but the car amazingly moves, with all the weight of 7 persons!

(Thank God nothing happened, or else we're all doomed like Burst Balloon filled with Blood.)

Warning: Car quality deteriorates quickly and you'll have to give a new paint job after 3 years.

Safety: Overall, NO PROPER SAFETY FEATURES
Central locking is provided, alarm too. NO ABS brakes, just two discs and two drums. Structure, too small and made of aluminium. I think a jail toilet is even bigger.
Weight is just around 700Kg. Can you imagine how far you and your car would fly to if you go head on with a Bus?
It was shown on the TV that a weightlifter could actually tilt the car up from the back !
Fuel Consumption:
The BEST feature i would give credit for. Pump once, and enjoy driving for at least 1 whole week to 2 weeks. Consumes very very little fuel.

Service Centre: The service centre is called AutoBinee. No idea why they named it like that but the service is somehow quite helpful. It's rather friendlier and more helpful compared to the service Proton gives.

General Comments:
This Malaysian made car isn't really the type of car for the fainthearted. It's small, compact and light. for safety reasons, and i really would not recommend this to anyone at all. If you are afraid to die on the road, never get this car, and if you do, it'll be a big mistake.
In my place, people who drives in this car, if an accident occurs, no one survives.
The aluminium small structure is not roadworthy enough. The quality is also lacking interiorly and exteriorly. This car can sometimes be annoying to others as they seem to move with ease in traffics. Many who owns this car will take it to race down roads and lanes during heavy traffic and this really annoys others a lot as these drivers jump the queue. Although it is small and cheap, if you're thinking bout safety, just say no to this car.
It's somehow rather dirt cheap, and reasonable in a way. This is the reason why in my country it is filled almost 30% with these cars on the road. Not forgetting lotsa accidents too. Malaysian drivers are one of the worst drivers in the world. There's a quote saying that "If can can drive in Penang or Kuala Lumpur (2 of the largest city in Malaysia), You can drive anywhere else in the world"

I'm also not sure if the UK has another Perodua car which is the Kelisa (Arowana Fish). This brother of Nippa is much better in handling and power wise. The 1 litre engine is extremely powerful for such a small car. I repeat, it's still a small car. (almost the same size as Nippa)

The Perodua Company seem to name most of it's vehicle according to the names of animals. Example : Rusa (Deer), Kenari ( A bird).

They haven't produced a lorry so far but i think i can predict what the name would be. It could be Perodua Gajah (Elephant). Wanna bet? Hahaha.

Anyway, I'd say keep a little more and invest in others.

Thier official website would be www.perodua.com.my but i advice you not to visit the site as it is not helpful. Don't trust me? Check it out yourself. I've been there myself and the specs and information are somehow lacking.

The only person i would recommend this car to would be persons who usually WAKES UP LATE FROM SLEEP and needs to get to work in time. Just squeeze all your way through and you'll reach your destination in no time.

From what i have known, i'll just recommend that you might just wanna save another thousand and get the Proton Persona or other cars.

The END. Just imagine yourself sitting in this car, would it be a thrill to you? Let me know your feedbacks! Thanks!

I sold mine in the end.