It’s official – Perodua’s upcoming D55L SUV, supposedly to be called the “Ativa”, will make its Malaysia debut on the 3rd of March, 2021. As is standard these days, the launch will be held online via a virtual launch on its social media pages, happening at 8.25 pm next Wednesday.
As mentioned in the previous commencement of bookings announcement, the Perodua Ativa will be offered in three variants locally – X, H, and AV – with prices estimated to be between RM62,500 to RM73,400, on the road, without insurance, and inclusive of the sales tax exemptions.
Being a cousin to the Japanese-market Daihatsu Rocky (and Toyota Raize), we do already know quite a fair bit about this compact crossover model. And good news – based on the images provided by Perodua on its website earlier this week, it seems like most of the good bits are being retained on our local model!
Firstly, the D55L/Ativa will feature Perodua’s first-ever forced-induction engine, a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine which makes 98 hp and 140 Nm of torque. Also for the first time ever on a Perodua, the three-potter will be paired to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) in place of the four-speed torque-converter auto on all of its recent models.
Perodua D55L
Malaysians also aren’t being short-changed in terms of equipment, with most of the Rocky’s headlining features being brought over onto the two higher-end variants, H and AV.
These include an Adaptive Driving Beam system for the LED headlights on the two higher-end variants, 17-inch wheels with Perodua’s own design, a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment display, and even a fully-digital instrument cluster!
Impressed? Us, too, but we have not even reached to the most impressive part of the upcoming Perodua D55L/Ativa yet – its advanced driver’s assistance suite.
Now in its third generation, Perodua’s Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) suite has been updated with higher operating speeds, and is now also capable of detecting motorbikes and cyclist. Features such as Lane Departure Warning and Prevention, alongside Automatic High beam, have been brought down across the entire model range.
But the true party piece of the Perodua Ativa’s ASA 3.0 lies within the range-topping AV variant, which will come with features such as Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Adaptive Cruise Control – making it the cheapest car on sale here in Malaysia to feature Level 2 Autonomous Driving!
There should be quite a lot more to learn about Perodua’s upcoming SUV, but we’ll have to wait until next Wednesday to find out. Don’t worry, we are just as excited as you are – so make sure to keep an eye out for the latest updates on AutoBuzz.my!
