Unless you’ve been held in solidary confinement for the past month or so, you most definitely already know about the Perodua Ativa. Priced from RM62k to RM71k and packed to the brim with features, the Perodua Ativa sounds like it has everything to replicate the successes of the beloved Myvi. But will this become the new King of Malaysian Roads?
The Ativa is based off of the Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize, but Perodua has some significant changes to the styling to make it truly their own. These include the new grille which is stretched out to meet the headlights, redesigned bumpers, as well as new 16- and 17-inch wheels.
LED headlights are standard across the board – the entry level X variant gets an automatic high-beam feature, while the two higher-end variants actually get a fully adaptive driving beam function, shutting off specific beams to avoid glaring other road users.
Underneath the bonnet is a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, a first for the national carmaker. The force-fed three-banger puts out 98 hp and 140 Nm of torque, with power sent to the front wheels via a D-CVT gearbox – also a first for Perodua.
Unlike a regular CVT gearbox, the D-CVT found on the uses split gears in addition to regular belts on higher loads and speeds for increased efficiency and lower noise, while still maintaining the smooth CVT acceleration at low speeds.
The main headline of the Perodua Ativa however, has to be its safety features. The Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) system, now in its third generation, is now standard across the range with features such as autonomous emergency braking, Front Departure Alert, and pedal mis-operation control available on all three variants of the compact SUV.
The Ativa in the AV variant adds on Lane Keep Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring System, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, making it the cheapest car on sale here in Malaysia to technically offer a SAE Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities.
There’s a lot more to know about for the Perodua Ativa, so be sure to check out our launch coverage, as well as the detailed variants run down for the full details. A full review is coming soon, too, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!
