Perodua QV-E 2025 Review

Recently, the C-segment pure electric vehicle market in Malaysia has seen quite a bit of activity. When choosing a car, consumers not only want sufficient range and practical features but also hope to keep the price in a reasonable range—after all, most families upgrading their vehicles or purchasing their first pure electric car don't want to pay for unnecessary features. Perodua's newly launched 2025 QV-E directly targets the core needs of this segment. With a 204PS motor, an official range of 445km, Level 2 driver assistance as standard, and a price tag of under 80,000 MYR, it has sparked significant interest right upon its debut. This time, we've got our hands on a test car, and the main focus is to see whether its real-world performance matches the on-paper specifications, especially in terms of range achievement and everyday driving convenience, as these are the two aspects most pure electric vehicle users care about.

The QV-E’s exterior design is one that grows on you over time, with overall lines leaning towards rounded but carrying a hint of sportiness. The front features a closed grille design, with Perodua's chrome logo in the center. The sharp LED headlights on both sides are connected by a chrome trim at the top edge of the grille, giving the front a wider visual effect. The air intake at the lower bumper is relatively large, paired with front fog lights, adding some dimension. The side profile exhibits a classic hatchback design, with a waistline running from the front to the rear, complemented by 18-inch multi-spoke wheels for balanced proportions. The rear LED taillights adopt a through-type design connected by a chrome trim in the middle, offering high recognition when lit. The bottom edge of the trunk lid has a slight upward curve, forming a small spoiler effect that aligns with the aerodynamic design of electric vehicles. Overall, the exterior avoids overly flashy elements, making it a safe choice for everyday commuting.

Stepping inside, the first thing you notice is the quality of the materials and layout. The dashboard is covered in a large area of soft-touch materials, highlighted with silver trims, providing a texture superior to many models in the same price range. The 10.25-inch full LCD instrument panel and 10.25-inch central control screen are integrated into a dual display design. The screen resolution is quite good, and operation is smooth. A HUD head-up display is standard, allowing drivers to avoid looking down at the instrument panel, adding to convenience. The multifunction steering wheel is wrapped in leather and allows electric adjustment, offering a comfortable grip. The gear selector uses an electronic stalk-shift design, saving space on the center console, which can also be used for storing small items. The front seats are six-way electrically adjustable, providing good back and cushion support, ensuring comfort during long drives. The rear seats can be folded in a 60:40 split. When seating three adults, there's about two fists of legroom and one fist of headroom—not overly spacious, but adequate. The floor is completely flat, preventing the middle passenger's feet from feeling too cramped. Regarding storage, the door panel compartments can hold two bottles of water, the center armrest box is deep enough, and the trunk provides a standard capacity of 320L, expandable to approximately 1200L with the rear seats folded down, accommodating strollers or suitcases without issue.

As for performance, the QV-E is equipped with a 150kW (204PS) permanent magnet synchronous motor, delivering a maximum torque of 285 N·m. Officially, it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds. In real-world driving, the throttle response at start-up is immediate, and you can feel a noticeable push-back sensation with a light press on the pedal, making it easy to keep pace in city traffic or overtake. It offers three driving modes: Eco, Standard, and Sport. In Eco mode, power output is smoother and more suitable for daily commuting; in Sport mode, torque delivery becomes more aggressive with faster acceleration, perfect for drivers seeking some occasional thrill. Regarding range, we drove about half the distance in the city and the other half on the highway while running the air-conditioning and playing music throughout the trip. The energy consumption was approximately 13kWh per 100km, and the actual range achieved was about 390km with an official rating of 445km, yielding a 88% achievement rate. This performance ranks moderately high compared to similar models in its class. For charging, using a 60kW fast-charging station can charge the battery from 30% to 80% in roughly 40 minutes, and using a slow charger will fully charge it in about 8 hours, which is sufficient for daily use.

The handling and chassis performance exceed expectations. The steering wheel feels relatively light, making parking at low speeds very easy. At high speeds, it becomes heavier, and the steering is also precise. The front suspension is a MacPherson independent suspension, and the rear is a torsion beam non-independent suspension, but the tuning is very well done: when going over speed bumps or uneven roads, the suspension quickly filters out jolts without obvious residual vibrations; when cornering, the body roll is well-controlled and does not sway noticeably. As for NVH, at low speeds, there is almost no audible motor noise, while at high speeds, wind noise and tire noise are present but still within an acceptable range, not affecting conversations inside the vehicle. The energy recovery system offers three adjustable levels. At the highest level, releasing the accelerator produces noticeable resistance, almost eliminating the need to use the brake; at the lowest level, it feels similar to a fuel car when coasting, making it easy to adapt to.

Safety features are a major highlight of the QV-E. Six airbags, ABS, and vehicle stability control are all standard. L2 level driver assistance is also included: ACC adaptive cruise control is very useful on highways, automatically following the vehicle ahead and maintaining distance; lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking systems are responsive and sensitive. On one occasion, the system issued a timely warning and automatically slowed down when the car ahead braked suddenly, avoiding a collision. The automatic parking system is also very practical. Whether parking parallel or reversing into a parking spot, it completes the task quickly, making it very friendly for beginners.

Overall, the advantages of the 2025 Perodua QV-E are very clear: priced at less than 80,000 MYR, it comes standard with dual screens, a HUD, electric seats, L2 level driver assistance, and more, offering a value-for-money package virtually unmatched in its class. The range performance is reliable, suitable for daily commutes and short trips. Its driving quality and comfort can meet the needs of family users. Compared to competitors like the BYD Atto 3 or MG4 EV in the same class, the QV-E offers more comprehensive features at a more affordable price.

If your budget is around 80,000 MYR and you're looking for a well-equipped, reliable, easy-to-drive, and practical electric family car, the QV-E is definitely worth considering. It doesn't rely on flashy designs, but every feature is practical for everyday use. Whether it's for commuting to work or weekend family outings, it can handle it all. All in all, the QV-E is a very well-balanced electric vehicle. In the C-segment market, it offers consumers a solid choice with its reliable features and reasonable pricing.