Peroduas aren’t known for refinement. They may have improved beyond recognition in many areas, but refinement; well, it has been a weak point. But considering the fact that the folks from Rawang are selling the cheapest and best value cars in Malaysia, it’s forgivable.
UPDATE: The Perodua Ativa has officially been launched! Prices range from RM61,500 to RM71,200 on-the-road without insurance. Read the full launch story here.
Coming from a Myvi – which before this was the carmaker’s flagship product – the biggest takeaway from a short ride and drive session in the Perodua D55L today (Perodua would like to keep the name unveiling for the launch, but since everyone is calling it the Ativa, I’ll follow) is its refinement. There are two parts to this.
Rolling noise and general refinement is good in the Ativa, significantly better than in the third-generation Myvi, which was already better than any P2 product when it came out in 2017. The wheel well roar, so bold in the Myvi, is not here, and wind noise at highway speeds (and beyond, we were in P2’s private test track with strict SOPs in place) doesn’t stand out.
I had to check the tyres once my session ended, and it’s the Bridgestone Turanza T005A (sorry, no pictures were allowed at the session). That’s a very premium touring tyre for a RM70k car, and we’ve praised this model before when it was launched in 2018 – not just for its typical touring qualities, but for its surprising performance too. To see the T005 here is a big surprise. The 16-inch wheels on the base X variant gets Goodyear Assurance tyres.
But good tyres can’t mask bad NVH, and the Ativa is not a noisy fella. Perhaps more significant is the D55L’s powertrain refinement. Now, knowing that P2’s first turbo engine is essentially a boosted version of the Axia and Bezza’s 1.0L KR engine, expectations aren’t high to say the least. If you’ve driven those cars, you’ll know that there are significant amounts of vibrations, which are rather noticeable at idle. This has been tamed in the Ativa.
For a three-cylinder engine in a non-sporting application, you’ll want it to feel as “normal” as possible, and I feel that not many buyers, if any, would know that the Ativa’s engine “lacks one cylinder” from the default four. It does feel and sound regular. Many will have an opinion on this, so try it out and judge for yourself.
Also feeling normal is the CVT gearbox, which is another debuting component for Perodua. Much like modern CVTs from Toyota and Honda, it feels very natural in normal driving, with speed rising with revs in linear fashion. The D55L gets up to highway speeds without too much of a fuss; however, as usual for CVTs, the more measured your right foot is, the more invisible it becomes.
There’s also a seven-speed manual mode (via the sequential gear lever, push right for S/M) for times when you need more control, as well as a “Power” button on the steering wheel’s right spoke. This is supposed to give you more oomph and higher revs, but the difference isn’t night and day. Perhaps more time is needed. Longer seat time in the real world is also required to confirm the Ativa’s good NVH performance.
Another big question is power. Enough is what I would say. Perodua’s internal test track has a sweeping hill section mimicking a section of the North South Highway, and the Ativa – with two onboard – tackled it well enough. The turbo engine’s strong mid range means that the Ativa feels less strained than the Myvi 1.5L when pushed to the same speeds, but we did not have the luxury of a back-to-back comparison.
Perodua has yet to release official figures, but the JDM Rocky’s 1.0L 1KR-VET turbo triple makes 98 PS of power and 140 Nm of torque from 2,400 to 4,000 rpm. The twist, and where it’s made, makes the difference. Power goes to the front wheels – no 4WD here as that’s reserved for Japan’s snowy mountains.
I have to admit that with just a short loop, I can’t share much about the SUV’s dynamics other than the fact that it doesn’t feel tall and clumsy (200 mm ground clearance, higher than Rocky) – and the drive experience is not very different from a regular hatchback.
Compared to Perodua’s own best-selling hatchback however, there’s a greater feeling of stability and heft in the way the Ativa moves, including a better damped ride. We understand that the Ativa has a Malaysia-specific suspension setting, which is firmer than its comfort-focused JDM twin. Like spicy food, we like our cars on the sporty side, if you haven’t already realised.
Any shortcomings? For what it is – a RM70k SUV – I can’t think of much really. A couple of years ago, we praised the Myvi for raising the level for Perodua (and budget cars in general), and the Ativa has now done the same. However, the leap this time is not just bigger, but more impressively, it can now be felt in the drive, and not just on the spec sheet. With the Ativa, there’s no longer a gulf between P2 and Toyota/Honda in powertrain and refinement.
Driving aside, P2’s SUV has an interior (it’s similar to the Rocky’s, but the air con control panel is unique to P2, and there’s AC memory) that probably won’t wow many like how the Proton X50 does, but it’s still relatively funky and modern.
For those who desire a taste of premium, the X50 does much better in this regard, both in design and materials. For the latter, it’s all hard plastics in the P2, but with some texture thrown in to liven things up. The gear lever surround has an interesting diamond-like 3D pattern, and top spec cars get red accents.
I managed to check out the base spec X as well, and finally, there’s some not so good news to share. Unlike the entry-level Myvi, the base Ativa does look very base indeed – its dashboard is a daily reminder that you couldn’t afford the higher variants.
The lack of a touchscreen infotainment system is the most obvious because of the floating screen design (slim, unlike Toyota’s CRT TV-style housing), but that’s understandable – even style-conscious Mazda does this on lower variants. Similarly, the lack of a digital instrument panel and its four display themes is to be expected; that’s OK as the twin analogue dials are sunken and actually rather decent looking.
What’s more jarring are the empty steering spokes. Unlike in the Myvi, they are very obviously designed for buttons, but only the Power button is left there, alone. With almost no brightwork and accents (the above-mentioned ‘3D diamond’ gear lever surround survived, thankfully) – it looks very dour.
Which is not what the Ativa is about, even the base X. The single-tone 16-inch wheels are OK to look at, and the spec list is very good. One gets LED headlamps, six airbags, the improved ASA 3.0 (which includes AEB), Auto High Beam, and even Lane Departure Warning and Prevention on the entry-level RM62,500 (est) variant. The base Ativa X – at nearly RM20k cheaper than the base X50 Standard – soundly beats the Proton in kit and safety. It just could have been presented better.
Now that we’ve touched on safety kit, it’s the Ativa’s trump card. On top of ASA 3.0 and LDW/P, the mid-spec H adds on Adaptive Driving Beam. An upgrade on AHB (which is already a P2 first), ADB is a smart auto high beam that “cuts out” oncoming vehicles from the glare when high beam is on, instead of dipping the high beam completely. A visible and desirable bonus of ADB is sequential turn signals.
The range-topping AV adds on Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane Keep Control (LKC) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC, follows vehicles ahead from 30 to 125 km/h). It’s amazing to think that adaptive high beam and ACC were added to the Lexus NX in 2019, and they’re now on a car that’s much lower in Toyota’s SUV hierarchy.
So there you go, our first impressions of the Perodua D55L SUV, also known by many as the Ativa. So much more than a “Myvi SUV”, this is a completely new level for P2 in terms of safety, equipment and surprisingly – driving performance. If before, going for a Myvi over a Japanese B-segment car means you had to sacrifice some refinement and powertrain sophistication, it no longer seems to be the case with the Ativa. We’ll need a longer drive, but Perodua’s latest model makes a good first impression.
Our coverage of the 2021 Perodua Ativa D55L SUV
- OFFICIAL: 2021 Perodua D55L SUV open for booking
- Perodua D55L SUV vs Proton X50 and Perodua Aruz
- FIRST LOOK: 2021 Perodua D55L SUV
- 2021 Perodua Ativa SUV leaflet and price list leaked – name confirmed
- VIDEO: Perodua Ativa D55L SUV versus Proton X50
- Perodua Ativa D55L – cheaper in Malaysia compared to the Daihatsu Rocky
- Perodua Ativa SUV: 1KR-VET 1.0L three-cylinder turbo deep dive
- Perodua Ativa D55L SUV – DNGA platform explained
- Perodua Ativa – how its D-CVT is different to other CVTs
- Perodua Ativa D55L SUV – virtual launch on March 3!
GALLERY: 2021 Perodua Ativa AV
GALLERY: 2021 Perodua Ativa H
GALLERY: 2021 Perodua Ativa X
GALLERY: 2021 Perodua Ativa AV with GearUp accessories
GALLERY: 2021 Perodua Ativa official images
GALLERY: 2021 Perodua Ativa brochure
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
So sporty
Driven but no driving review????
Went to the same drive review junket. Vibrations at idle noticeably much quieter compared to Proton X50 and Nissan Almera.
Where is the proof in db meter?, pls he kind to share the method and instrument you’re using and the specific data measurements for each vehicles. Reply back with url to back your claim
Nice engine good RV. Well done Perodua
to BB70,
to say bye2 to X70 is mire emotional, unlogical to digest, to relate an A segment with another bigger C segment category is very subjective topics as both have different target market and selling profit per unit. Define & expand correctly your short …..
Engine, Not yet on the road and driven to the limit.
RV? Not reach the market yet, at least for another 3-5 years to judge the value in various usedcar lots. Kindly please be objective (put emotion aside) ready with sufficent facts before you quote ‘good’ or ‘best’ here and there. Same with mrDV88 ‘quietier’ highly questionable claim, without supported figures.
Kamal AutoGuide sudah goyang. Bye bye X50.
to JG:
as usual, short and baseless. Low basement arguer. no fact on the table – sit out asap!
Am wondering what’s the operating speed of AEB..
Takpayah pikir, takpayah pening. Beli aje ativa
Nasihat yang merbahaya. Berkata2lah kalau ianya bermanfaat. Kita ada otak untuk berfikir. Galakkan orang malaysia ini berfikir dan menganalisa. Anak2 muda sekarang ramai yang tak fikir panjang termasuk anak2 saya. Mudah termakan nasihat merbahaya seperti ini. Sila berfikir dan bertanggungjawab bila menulis di media awam.
Memang betul pun kereta Perodua kualiti Jepun kurang bermasalah. Sebab tu sentiasa laku keras pisang goreng panas.
Another NAUTICA in the making??? with 3 cyclinder?? Hahahahaha… good luck new buyers.
But why it screams CHEAP. Just cuz it is a cheap car doesn’t have to reflect its cheap pricing. X50 is also a cheap car but it is far more luxurious for the price. If can afford it get X50, if want to be cheap just like its pricetag get Ativa.
In Hong Kong, the same Toyota Raize sell much higher priced then the bigger Toyota RAV4 here RM197K.
So you’re right, cheap pricetag JDM Ativa for Malaysia
I comprehensively agree with your findings.
I certainly haven’t seen the real thing. But from the pictures seen here, the interior design does look “cheap and cheerful” especially the gear lever section. Does it have to look like this??
Clearly higher priced, the Proton X50 does look the part.
I chanced upon a 2012 Hyundai i10 at my regular workshop and driven it. An A-segment car – the drive was simply basic but OK-lar. Renault Kangoo’s drive and comfort is way better.
What struck me was how elegant and pleasing it looked – inside and out. Great ergonomics (even my 6-foot frame is right at home :)) ) and thoroughly modern even by today’s standards. In that respect, Activa with its Japanese underpinnings, is a let-down…….
As Uncle Rodger would say – HAIYAH !!!!!!!!
Don’t sure how you define ‘cheap’ though. Especially based on a photo. For what it’s worth, I daily a conti coupe and to be really honest I see nothing wrong with the interior here.
Might be hard plastics aplenty, but one will have to actually sit in the actual car to know right? Also, idk why that is such a big deal to many – its not that you actively fondle any part of your car’s interior much aside from the drivey bits.
You don’t have to go far. Down south have Raize in the market for quite some time.
Looks can be deceiving, it is actually worse! Reading reviews from SG, the interior is full of hard plastics with no cabin refinement. For a 60k car, Persona has better feel inside.
Mc Donno Alan,the point is q u ality n affordability.,nothing to do with cheap.You r confused lot.
You want quality and affordability, get a rock.
You want to get ripped off, get a P2.
You want to get value for money, get a P1.
Not really ripped off for P2. P2 quality is good, even P2 is still affordable
to label the Ativa as B-segment is a joke!
It is an A segment car la! 62k-73k? Crazy
Not really overpriced at all, it is still affordable. So why complain about price?
I certainly would not pay 60k+ for an A-segment car.
Good decision on exterior with boxy or angular design, but why settles tor a mediocre, plain and flat surfaces. What a waste of opportunity and money invested! i wish they could go back in time, into the drawing board process to create another 10 more templates, pick the best 5 to final process, put a lot of focus to compare with other best looking competitors, upgrade and beat them in details. Repeat the comparison process again until youre ahead of them.Dont settle for less. From top 5 to 1, then select the final best all rounder. A much better looking design of Raize, Rocky, Ativa will not cost more. Beautifull Design is subjective but achievable with better creative ideas and supported by management.
Maybe the lower compression and power stroke reduce a little vibration. My 2 cent.
Is smarter to top up abit and get the better X50.
But 148hp X50 doesn’t come with Active Safety System except for Flagship Spec but only 4 airbags
JDM quality, Msian price. Bye2 x50.
I waiting for them to do well in the market and steal sales from Proton then only I laugh at P1. Need cold hard facts to win an argument.
Most X50 owners sure trade-in n buy this Ativa.
Tak perlu fikir, tak nak pening kepala, beli jer Perodua.
Pening kepla, dah booking D55L baru diberitau ada part shortage keta datang akhir tahun. Tak maulah! Lagi baik tggu sikit je dapat X50. Lagi besar dan lagi baik keta.
Boleh book X50. Tapi u juga tunggu 6-7 bulan untuk pandu X50 kerana part shortage. So how?
Ok wat. You still can get X50 in this year. Ativa when?
Full credits must go to all fellow Malaysians who back in 2005, dared to make the heroic change and embraced 1st gen Perodua Myvi. nobody gv a chance then was only tiny kancil, rusa, kenari and kelisa.
The amazing courage of the rakyat, the rest is history. Perodua is now No.1 Dont forget. When we all stay united, ohsem things can happen! Make everybody count, this time. Not next time, but the time is now. If they kenot help, then we gotta help ourself! Ayuh bangkit Malaysia, sama2 kita Ativa…
Tahniah Daihatsu Indon. IDM quality at Mesian prices. Selling overpriced cars since 1994.
This ativa is a JDM model…… it isn’t even sold in indonesia yet (if at all)) bang
Like Aruz, designed in Indonesia for Asean market.
Simply perfect small urban Suv better than X50
That’s why DNGA real meaning is Don’t Need Geely Anymore
You’re spot on!
You are damn right. Jepunis are the best.
John Geli
Lots of p1 sales advisors quite sore when they read your remarks,cos I reckon 30% of X50 bookings are jumping ship(like some politicians) to Ativa due to 6-8 months waiting period.
Some more,there are horror stories of big bradder X70 bumper spare parts…also months of waiting after accidents.
Anyway,congrats to P2…bring it on .WE,as hardcore Perodua fanboys gladly wait for the exciting test drive.
P1 sales team way too busy to come here and troll. Meanwhile look who are so free with nothing to do in their empty showroom to come and talk so much in PT.
So ativa now all ready stock? Why they ask people to do booking first? Maybe P2 haven’t decide on a number yet so they open for booking first then only estimate. Like that wouldn’t that make future owner of ativa waiting at least 2-3 months before they got their car? and thats just only for the first batch. Imagine if the booking is as hot as x50, will they have to wait longer? So those who already book x50 cancel their booking for ativa with hopes that they’ll get it much quicker assuming that ativa booking doesnt overwhelm the order and second batch future customers need to wait another 6 months or so.
Jealous lah tu. Bye bye X50.
Tak jealous pun. I’m just saying that those who already book X50 should think wisely before cancelling their booking and switch to Ativa. Of course there are a lot to desire from Ativa and that would be a good switch nonetheless. However, if it is purely because of waiting period, wouldn’t switching extends it?
Nice
The most suitable candidate to upgrade my car from axia. Well done Daihatsu and Perodua
No Android Auto or Apple Car Play???
Unfortunately no..
When you see so many post about Perodua Ativa but the author keep using photos of Daihatsu Rocky instead, you will slowly get confused with Perodua and Daihatsu logo.. @@
Handsome looker
PT has nothing to post, har-hari ativa, tak bosan kah?
It’s their job to report la bro. Even before, there are a lot of X50, X70 articles being published in PT. Sometime I wonder, Fan Bois x bosan ka ari² gaduh who’s brand are the best.
macam good old school days of my Nintendo is better than your Sega. We boys never grow up bah! :P
1 post a day ok la, but not 4-6…gaduh about best brand? Just buy what u afford financially and practically in real life
Good
Shame. The 4WD of the original model is not brought in. Malaysians always be served with inferior model..
No 4WD does not means its inferior.
The target market here is urban jungle road. No need 4WD system.
The P2 fanboy (and fangirl) force is strong out there
It’s going to be fun when driving this
Japs realize that geely (china) cars are r worthy opponent n copycat, decide to take out the big guns. Jap specs all the way. Enemy of my enemy is my friend. Winner… Malaysian consumer.
Man if Perodua can do all this without being sold to a foreign company it really shows how badly Proton was managed for 3 decades and up till today they still can’t do well with their after sales service. What’s good when all you can do well is to sell a rebadged Chinese vehicle but you can’t keep your customers loyal by treating them better during after sales?
Shhhh… lepak le bro jatuh maruah. Proton badly for 3 decades, Msia badly for 6 decades.
LMAO don’t know the history of your company shame on you. Yr P2 had always belonged to foreign company since beginning. What’s good when all you can do well is merely rebadging, rebadging, rebadging. As the saying goes; Maruah mana?
Since when is Daihatsu a Malaysian company? 31% of Perodua is owned by Japanese concerns.
In mid 2000s, Perodua was restructured, giving its Japanese partner Daihatsu greater say in the affairs of the second national car company. Perodua’s sales and manufacturing divisions were separated into different companies.
The Malaysia-controlled portion is limited only to the sales and marketing division, which is now known as Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd or PSSB.
The most important manufacturing side is now controlled by Daihatsu.
There are three manufacturing subsidiaries:
#Perodua Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (PMSB) makes the Myvi, Alza, and Aruz.
#Perodua Global Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (PGMSB) makes the Axia and Bezza.
#Daihatsu Perodua Engine Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (PEMSB), whose Sendayan plant also makes the 1.5-litre 2NR-FE engine for the Toyota Vios and Yaris. The same engine (with different Daihatsu/Perodua specific 2NR-VE code) is also used in the Perodua Myvi, Aruz and Perodua-made Toyota Rush.
These three companies are manufacturing subsidiaries of Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd. (PCSB), which is a joint venture between Perodua and Japan’s Daihatsu Motor and Mitsui & Co Ltd.
In short, the Malaysian portion of Perodua (PSSB) controls only sales, marketing and aftersales.
The manufacturing operations, where the bulk of the money is made, is controlled by Daihatsu (and trading company Mitsui) via PCSB.
So while UMW controls 38 percent of the holding company Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (POSB), the ones who hold the key to the company is Still Daihatsu.
The Malaysian-controlled sales arm PSSB has to buy the finished cars from the manufacturing arm PCSB, before delivering the cars to dealers. It is they that influences the selling price of Perodua cars the most.
Perodua’s manufacturing companies are listed by Daihatsu as its subsidiary.
Daihatsu Motor lists the three aforementioned Perodua manufacturing companies as its subsidiaries or joint ventures. Still want to call Perodua a national car company?
70k for a perodua? nop
Adaptive only up to speed 125kmh? Low cost option. Have the spec but pretty useless in real world
So u drive more than speed limit?
People complain when Volvo speed limit to 180kmph.
New elder brother king of Myvi
P2 all the way
Cute car
Looking to bring this soon. Sounds interesting. Even with DNGA Platform, D-CVT gearbox, AEB and so on.
Is this a 4WD or AWD? Ie Kembara 2?
is this 4WD or AWD? Why witheld this info?
Is this a 4WD or AWD?
“Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC, follows vehicles ahead from 30 to 125 km/h)”
means it is not full range ACC?
Just when I thought I could finally end my suffer in stop and go traffics.
Can’t really complain much for that price though.
P/S: Top spec P1 X50/ Geely Binyue (whichever way you like to refer it as) has full range ACC.
Mazda MRCC also performs similar speed,
No crawling speed follows auto stop go
x50 ACC that disengage after few seconds of stopping. Probably useless in the bad balik kampung traffic jam.
You’re supposed to be pressing on the brakes when stopped you nit
So this is gonna become the new king of the road?
Would be better if there plenty select 2wd and 4wd
I believe even if topping RM 5k there will be plenty of people going for 4WD. Nowadays we hardly find a SUV with 4WD around RM 100k.
I only have one question how does the wind noise compare to X50 at speed above 100km/h?
One source said: It won’t make wind noise when speeding above 100 km/h
Cheap looking car, good safety spec, half-cooked handling dynamic & overpriced as always from Perodua. More value for money in secondhand condition.
Not really. You will feel that handling and dynamic should be improved from Perodua. And also this is not even overpriced.
True, it not even overprice..handling and dynamic cant tell yet..but for the price, it is cheap..
Myvi 1.5L AV, 1,015kg, 2NR-VE with 4AT, 20.1km/l with eco-idle
Ativa 1.0L AV, 1,040kg, 1KR-VET with CVT, 18.9km/l with eco-idle
Why is Ativa’s quoted fuel economy worst than Myvi? The car weight is quite similar. Does that means NA engine with 4AT is better than turbo engine with CVT…?
Because this is SUV. Usually, every sedans/hatchback makes better FC than every SUVs. But FC for Ativa still good, at least.
Ativa use 17″inch tyre, thats why
SUV usually lower aerodynamic and this will contribute to higher fuel consumption.
LKC + ACC = Semi Autonomous… In a Perodua!
Did not expect that one.
Kudos Perodua.
As expected. This is another well packaged low budget vehicle for those can not afford better choice. No need to shoot me, you are definitely not a die hard fan. If you are, it is due to the price only. Look at built in quality for Aruz, and this SUV is not positioned as one level above Aruz, we can not expect too much.
You may say it gives many high tech gadgets (mostly for high spec which is RM70k++). If P2 developed them and used a lot of money, then we can understand. But hey, all these just taken from others. Do not tell me bullshit that P2 got contribution in R&D too. Ask yourself, without help from others, does P2 able to do it by themselves? Therefore, without high cost (I should not use zero cost, though) of R&D and tax advantage as national car, RM70k is really too high!
You should Google and check Daihatsu Rocky price in Japan, it priced close to yaris cross at its own motherland.
Just compare the PVC seat for both Rush and Aruz. They can be same car with different built quality! Thus, with different selling price!
why dont bring in awd version
98ps and 140Nm is enough for the perodua Ativa? then 172ps and 220Nm is way way more than enough for the civic turbo.
Stop comparing the ativa with x50, they are slightly different class. Like actually quite some lady driver prefer x50 over the x70. For sure the ativa may grab away many potential buyer who prefer a lighter specs and easier to drive car.
Do PT crew asked about their Denso brand fuel pump?
So when is the new Alza coming out? almost 3 years been talking about…
Me happy ; More options for us without compromising safety at great value. Things are changing now..A big thanks to P2/Daihatsu & P1/Geely.
A special mention to freaks like us(me especially) bashing online, demanding better cars way before Avengers are a thing..the waves hv reach our shores, expecting a tsunami! *cough ev *cough
Tough look but small size. It is like Chihuahua. Nampak je garang, tapi kecik.
how come it reminds me of Daihatsu Charade with bigger wheels?
Kerata mivy ada orang beli bagi gua tolong jawapan. Gua bagi imal saya tolong tengok kereta belom akat. TOLONG AKU JAWAB. Https
It is a bit disappointed the 4WD version not available in Malaysia. I believe if 4WD available and price jack up another 5k there are still numbers of people willing to pay.
Maybe they’re reserving the old Kembara name and giving it a twist for the soon-to-be launched vehicle and calling it the Kembaraz.
Hmm… X50 Premium? Ativa Av? I believe I should pun on hold X50 and going test drive Ativa. So lucky X50 delay.. still got chance to choose. Anyone have similar thoughts like me?
test drive dlu sbb bukan murah harga dia…
Looking great..gonna test drive today if available..from the look and spec, i think im gonna buy it..after drive my wife’s x50, im starting to love driving small suv..btw, x50 is great,comfortable and fun to drive..hope this ativa will be great too..i dont mind the tech, just focus on driving experience..
What happen to Aruz after this? Ativa sound like over the counter drug name