Perodua Kelisa (02-08) - Review

Review by David Ross on
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

1 out of 5

Safety

Amazingly, ABS isn't even available on the Kelisa despite it being standard on nearly all modern cars. It's not been crash tested by Euro NCAP, but all models get twin airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and an immobiliser as standard. An alarm is an optional extra but side airbags aren't available.

NCAP Test

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4 out of 5

Reliability

Some of materials inside look cheap, but the Kelisa doesn't feel too flimsy. The platform comes from the Daihatsu Cuore (Daihatsu own a large stake in Perodua), which has a reputation for solid build quality. The warranty from new was only two years or 24,000 miles where most firms offer at least three years and 36,000 miles.

Car check problem points

Body

No problems reported.

Engine/Gearbox

No problems reported.

Other

A recall in 2005 where the handbrake may not work correctly.