Living with a Perodua Viva Elite

Ticking all of the boxes that mattered to me, by a large margin, was the Perodua Viva Elite. When they were launched around 2010, they were all the rage and literally thousands were sold. Perodua is a joint-venture between Daihatsu and the UMW Corporation and a few other Japanese and Malaysian companies, and have always used Daihatsu components. Our market is very sensitive to these details, and people are aware that Daihatsu is a fully owned subsidiary of Toyota. This is why the Viva Elite was a breakaway hit – it was an improved iteration of the Daihatsu Mira, itself a city car with a strong reputation for fuss-free motoring.

The search was hectic. Even after nearly a decade of being launched, demand is still high for well-used ‘Elites. After driving around chasing cars that were still available (some were seriously dodgy or hacked – so many people really abuse their cars), I raced back to the first car I saw – a relatively low-mile Viva Elite, sparingly used, garaged and covered, with the papers in order. After a thorough check by my trusty mechanic, it was mine. 

Looks & Exterior

The Viva Elite is essentially a Kei-car (A-segment as per European standards), as it’s based on the Mira, – meeting Japanese Domestic Model dimensions in terms of width (1.48m) and length (3.4m). However, being Malaysian, these regulations don’t matter – and the Viva Elite, is slightly longer at 3.5m. Unlike the Mira it is based on, the car has a few additional design elements that elevate the overall design of the car, to make it look more distinct.

The front and rear bumpers have ‘aero’ moulding elements, combined with fog lamps and a honeycomb faux-grill at the rear. The side cladding too is shaped to give the appearance of a ‘body-kit’, and looks very sporty, especially in combination with pronounced wheel arches. The 12-spoke alloy wheels complete the look, wrapped in 165/55R14 tyres. 

I have made a few subtle changes to the exterior. The stock antenna was ridiculously long, hit low hanging branches and made it difficult to use a car-cover with, when needed. This was replaced with a shorter after-market Japanese antenna that is a universal fit for Toyotas. Also affixed is a subtle stainless-steel exhaust tip, which despite being surprisingly cheap, was great value as it makes the car look a little more distinct than average. With use, usual scrapes and marks remain, and are planned to be corrected down the line.

All in all, the Elite is a functional, typical city car – sharpened up slightly to look pleasant and inoffensive. It may not be a design master-class, but drop dead looks in this segment generally come at the cost of practicality, of which the Viva Elite has loads.

Interior

The dashboard is derived from the Mira as well, with a few unique re-arrangements made specifically for the Viva Elite. All necessary functions are controlled by intuitive, large buttons, knobs and levers – tried and tested methods which rarely go wrong.

The instrument cluster is simple yet refreshing for this segment, with delightfully sporty red hands and yellow numbers lighting up the speedometer and tachometer, both of which are surrounded by an elegant chrome bezel. The digital central display is very reminiscent of early 00s Toyota – and features fuel level, gear and mileage. All the other warning lights sit in the middle, visible only when lit up. 

The stock single-din head unit was defective when purchased, and was replaced by a Kenwood unit with all the modern bells and whistles. This paired well with the 4 OEM speakers on the door cards, and sound balanced and clear.

The centre console has a large double-din recess for your knick-knacks, 2 standard-depth cup holders, and 1 big bottle holder, which now holds hand sanitizer. The boot and fuel release are combined with a lever that you pull and push (respectively) to open. Simple.

The seats are very supportive, both front and rear, and the driver’s seat is height adjustable as well. The boot is normal for this segment, and can take a medium sized bag. If you do want to load up the vehicle with a few more bags, the rear seats can be folded flat. There is enough headroom and legroom for 4 adult passengers. There is a clever storage tray beneath the front passenger seat, which can hold quite a number of small, useful items as well. 

The Perodua Viva Elite has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. One is the Daihatsu EJ-VE 1.0L (989cc), inline 3-cylinder engine with Dynamic Variable Valve Timing, complete with dual overhead camshafts, rated at 60 BHP at 6000 RPM, 90 Nm at 3600 RPM, often found in slightly larger Daihatsu vehicles. The other, is a front stabilizer which helps with sharper steering and composure around corners. This makes for some seriously fun motoring.

The Viva Elite also handles bumps well, although you do feel the jolts of the larger pot-holes and ruts developed by the RDA. It also has good ground clearance, even though it doesn’t seem so at first glance. It is very stable at highway speeds, having been designed for Malaysian roads, and can cruise comfortably around 100kmph on our highways with ease.

The dimensions of the car, and the tight turning circle make parking and navigating through traffic a breeze. I am yet to take this on a long-distance drive to the hills, but I imagine it would be quite capable of handling such a journey as well.

Overall, the Viva Elite is quite a fun little car that packs enough power and dynamics to balance comfort, performance and economy. 

Living with it

So what is it like to live with on a daily basis?

The Good

• The best bit about it how fuss free it is as a daily driver. Economy of around 10.5kmpl for the automatic, means very comfortable fuel bills. Even with the occasional Italian tune up, the economy hovers around that mark. Sharp steering, comfort and good low-end torque, make it a pleasant drive around town.

• The interior build quality is solid, well laid out, easy to access and clean.

• There is enough space to keep all your essentials around the cabin.

• The 3 cylinder has a nice thrum, which sounds great around town

The Bad

• The rear seat can accommodate 2 adults. 3 might be pushing it.

• Rear headroom might be tight for taller folks.

• Airbags and ABS are only available on the top line Premium trim level

• No ISOFIX seats at the back. 

Servicing & Maintenance

While regular servicing is done every 5,000km, the EJ-VE requires 3 litres of engine oil, which is great on the wallet. In addition to this, there are a few common things to look out for when running the Viva Elite.

Being a city car, some of the parts on the car, wear more frequently than usual. The brake pads for example need to be changed every 9,000kms. Engine mounts are the priciest items and it is recommended to change the complete set at once, considering the vibration of the 3-cylinder. I also had to change a number of seals in the engine, common wear and tear issues, like the crank oil seal, spark plug seals, and the O-rings. The door weather strips are rubber and they perish over time. The exhaust rusts over time as well. A lot of the maintenance that had to be done, was due to the fact that the car was sparingly used.

As with any car, you would have routine maintenance to do. Thankfully, the OEM parts are very affordable when compared to other manufacturers, and are available through numerous distributors.  

Verdict

For me, buying the Viva Elite was probably one of the best decisions I have made so far. It serves my purpose, and fulfils all the requirements that I was looking for in a reliable first car. The Viva Elite suits my lifestyle and commuter requirement perfectly, and it is a super vehicle to use in Colombo. While being practical, economical and comfortable, it also manages to look good, and is fun to drive as well. The Viva Elite, truly did bring me the joys of motoring, despite being my second car – it is the first I am truly proud to call mine, and the very first that I enjoy owning, wholeheartedly. Just goes to show that sometimes decisions made with your head, can be good for your heart as well!

Motor notes

When we posted some teaser photos on our Facebook after the photo shoot, we got many inquiries as to whether it was for sale. This shows how revered this little car is on our shores. In fact, I would hazard a guess that Sri Lanka might be its most successful overseas market – it was exported to Singapore, Nepal, Brunei and Mauritius as well as sunny Sri Lanka.

Hopping behind the wheel for a quick drive, everything is practical and falls to hand. The meter cluster communicates everything you need to know. This is a car that can be driven with minimal fuss, from the light yet sharp steering and easy-to-modulate brakes, to the peppy nature of the engine low-down that means you can make good progress without ever exceeding 3,000rpm while the four-speed auto smoothly shifts in the background. The AC keeps you calm and chilled. You can push it when the mood strikes and are met by the three-cylinder thrum that Avinda mentions, that although it builds in crescendo as the revs rise, never becomes overpowering. The handling is also far more grown-up than you’d expect, no doubt aided by that front stabiliser bar, and it feels composed at higher speeds. Indeed, this car is fun to drive, and the cost of maintenance and repair mean that you will keep smiling.

Ashraaq Wahab