Perodua Kelisa (02-08) - Review

Review by David Ross on 22 May 2009

The Perodua Kelisa gained fame as the cheapest new car on sale in the UK for some time. With a list price of less than £5,000 it offered affordable motoring along with rock bottom running costs. There's a reason it was so cheap though. The basic and sparse interior isn't the nicest place to spend time, it's noisy and unrefined, plus safety kit is limited - amazingly it was never available with ABS. It's surprisingly fun to drive though and while the performance is slow, it's good for nipping in out of town traffic. A tight turning circle means it's a doddle to park too. It may lack sophistication, but it's a good option for low-budget, no-nonsense motoring.

2.5 out of 5

Other Perodua reviews

2.5 out of 5

Summary

New price range:

£4,674 - £6,763

Used price range:

£530 - £3,165

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Very cheap to buy and run, frugal engine, easy and fun to drive

Noisy and unrefined, small number of dealers, basic interior, no ABS

Driving & Performance

Performance

2.5 out of 5
"There's just one engine available and the three-cylinder 55 bhp 1.0-litre engine is suited to town..."
Handling

3 out of 5
"It may not much, with it's small wheels and narrow tyres, but the Kelisa is actually good fun to..."

Comfort

Comfort

2 out of 5
"The narrow body means that passengers will find the interior quite tight. Two adults can fit snugly..."
Practicality

2.5 out of 5
"All Kelisas are five-door models so access to the back seats is easy and the 155-litre boot is..."
Equipment

2 out of 5
"The Kelisa is cheap for a reason - it's very sparsely equipped. ABS isn't even available - which is..."
Behind the wheel

2 out of 5
"The interior is best described as basic and functional. But it's also very dated with cheap-feeling..."

Costs

Running costs

4 out of 5
"Thanks to low prices and a frugal engine, the Kelisa is cheap to run. However, you may have to..."
Green credentials

3 out of 5
"The Kelisa is eco-friendly with CO2 emissions of 121g/km of CO2, but if this figure was below..."

Safety & Reliability

Safety

1 out of 5
"Amazingly, ABS isn't even available on the Kelisa despite it being standard on nearly all modern..."
Reliability

4 out of 5
"Some of materials inside look cheap, but the Kelisa doesn't feel too flimsy. The platform comes from..."

Buying & Selling

Buying new

4.5 out of 5
"This is the cheapest new car you can buy in Britain. You can haggle for a discount, but it's..."
Buying used

2 out of 5
"There are few Kelisas about so finding one could be your first problem. But it's affordable plus..."
Selling

1 out of 5
"Perodua is not a particularly well known name and the Kelisa isn't especially sought after so it..."