Perodua EV rendered – Is this what Perodua’s first electric car will look like?

Perodua’s first electric vehicle (EV) appeared at the Malaysia Autoshow 2025, sort of. The car shown was called Aspirations, a final prototype of the production model, cut in half and painted in near-lightless Vantablack-style paint. The Perodua EV revealed the cabin and powertrain layout, but as far as styling goes, the all-black treatment left plenty to the imagination.

Enter Theophilus Chin. The Photoshop wizard has taken the concept’s hidden form and turned it into a believable, full-colour design study. Based on his personal observations at the show, the render stays true to the car’s proportions and detailing, right down to the flush door handles and 18-inch wheels.

What he’s recreated is a compact crossover with a coupe-style roofline, full-width LED light bar, angular lower lamps, and sculpted fenders. Blacked-out pillars create a semi-floating roof look, while the rear door handles are tucked next to the windows.

Perodua’s first EV car runs on a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery from CATL, with Perodua targeting 400 to 410 km of real-world range. Performance figures are punchy too with 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 6 to 7 seconds, and a top speed of around 165 km/h.

The interior, partially exposed in the cutaway prototype, shows a near-production dashboard with a high centre console, digital instrument cluster, rotary gear selector, and thoughtful touches like physical air-cond switches (yes, that’s a compliment in 2025), a 360-degree camera system, and even a digital rear-view mirror. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both present. Visitors could experience the full cabin in a separate dark room display, although photography was not permitted.

The EV sits on a clean-sheet platform developed in-house, as Daihatsu had no suitable donor. Pre-production starts in September, and the company plans to launch its first EV by year end.