Perodua Kelisa
Ratings
1 stars
Summary
Avoid. It's the cheapest car on sale in Britain - but there's still no reason to be tempted.
Review
The Kelisa's lowly pricetag earns it more attention than it really deserves in terms of its merits as a car - and despite its bargain status, few will be tempted by a desperately dated package.
In the Kelisa's defence, it has a couple of positive qualities. Its three cylinder engine has a nice, revvy sound to it and provides a spirited approximation of acceleration under urban use. Generous power assistance for the steering, a light gearchange and good visibility make it easy to park in tight spaces, too. And the seats are reasonably comfortable over the sort of short distances it's likely to be used for.
Sadly, in every other area it's terrible. From the look of the grafted-on chrome radiator grille to badly designed, desperately dated interior it projects precisely zero ownership appeal. And beyond derestriction signs the engine's best efforts quickly come to naught, with the Perodoa barely able to overtake tractors and unhappy to cruise (noisily) at more than about 65 mph.
Alarmingly, the Kelisa lacks ABS anti-lock brakes - they don't even feature on the options list. And under even moderate retardation the front tyres tend to lock up, with the car pulling to one side when this happens.
Three models are available, with only the cheapest "EX" making the slightest case for itself. Punishing depreciation means that potential savings over a nearly-new supermini are soon negated, though.
Ratings Breakdown
Styling
2 star
The designer of the chrome radiator grille and the designer of the rest of the boxy bodyshell appear to have never met. Terrible.
Handling
1 star
Grip levels are reasonable by ultra-cheap city car standards, but the lack of ABS braking is a serious omission.
Comfort
2 star
Front seats lack support but are surprisingly comfortable over short distances. Cruising is very loud.
Quality & Reliability
1 star
As the cheapest car on sale in Britain it's appropriate that the Kelisa possesses by far the cheapest-feeling cabin. It's truly dreadful.
Performance
2 star
The three-cylinder engine spins sweetly enough and provides a decent urban turn of pace. Outside city limits, though, forget it - we've encountered faster glaciers.
Roominess
2 star
Poor rear seat space and a tiny boot, utility further knocked by the lack of a split in the folding rear seat.
Running Costs
4 star
Good fuel economy and cheap servicing (if you can find a Perodua dealer) - although insurance is Group 3, which seems a bit high considering the total lack of urge.
Value for money
2 star
We can't see the Kelisa's low list price as being anything more than a false economy. A nearly-new mainstream supermini is a vastly better prospect.
