The Perodua Aruz makes its official launch debut today, and marks the national carmaker’s return to the SUV segment after the Nautica and Kembara. Customers will get two variants of the seven-seater to choose from, with the 1.5X being priced at RM72,900, while the range-topping 1.5 Advance (AV) goes for RM77,900 – prices are on-the-road without insurance.
Only one engine option is available for both Aruz variants – a 2NR-VE 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol unit that develops 105 PS at 6,000 rpm and 136 Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm.
Equipped with Dual VVT-i and Eco Idle (auto start-stop), Perodua claims the Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) engine has a fuel economy of 15.6 km/l. If the engine seems familiar, it is the same one that you’ll also find in the latest Myvi and Toyota Rush.
A four-speed automatic gearbox is standard regardless of which variant you pick, with drive going to the rear wheels. This setup is similar to what you’ll get with the Rush and the Indonesian-spec Daihatsu Terios, which the Aruz shares a lot in common with.
Where it differs from its cousins is in terms of styling, noticeably at the front grille where the Aruz has an extra slat, with the third bar acting as the signature “wing” to the Perodua badge. The chrome bar also links the LED daytime running lights within the standard LED headlamps, which are more pronounced with “double lines” compared to those on the Rush.
The Aruz’s lower apron is unique too, as it is more reserved in appearance compared to the Rush, which carries quite a number of add-ons for a more rugged look – the 1.5 X gets a black “front diffuser,” while it is body coloured on the 1.5 AV. Moving towards the rear, the Perodua model is similar to the Rush, with wrap-around LED combination taillights that are joined by a two-tier trim pieces in gloss black and chrome.
Inside, the Aruz is significantly different from Rush as it gets its own dashboard design. Silver trim pieces help to frame the centre stack, and are also used to highlight the shape of the air vents. You’ll also spot Perodua’s own seven-inch infotainment head unit and controls for the single-zone manual air-conditioning system (with second-row blower) – standard fitment on both variants.
As for the rest of the kit list, both variants come as standard with 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, integrated SmartTAG, six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, VSC, hill start assist, hill descent control and Isofix child seat anchors on outer second-row seats.
The 1.5 AV naturally gets more goodies, including automatic on-off functionality for the headlamps, front fog lamps, roof rails, leather upholstery (fabric on the 1.5 X), leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob (urethane on the 1.5 X), piano black dashboard and door trim with chrome highlights, SmartLink functionality for the head unit and an integrated driving video recorder (DVR).
Perodua’s Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0 suite is also exclusive to the 1.5 AV, which includes Pre-collision Warning, Pre-collision Braking, Front Departure Alert, Pedal Misoperation Control.
While these systems are similar to what you’ll get with the Myvi, the Aruz’s active safety suite adds pedestrian detection (up to 50 km/h) and increases the operational speeds of Pre-Collision Warning to 100 km/h and Pre-Collision Braking to 80 km/h (from 30 km/h) – ASA 2.0 is similar in spec to the Rush’s Pre-Collision System. The Aruz has been certified with a five-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating.
Other details? The Aruz can be ordered in one of five colours – Granite Grey, Electric Blue, Glittering Silver, Ivory White (solid) and Amazon Green – the last one being a new colour for Perodua. A five-year/150,000 km warranty accompanies each purchase.
Also on offer is a range of Gear Up accessories for – the Utility package includes door visors, a luggage tray and coil mats for RM450, which is RM50 cheaper than if the items are purchase separately.
For more information and detailed specifications about the Perodua Aruz, check out CarBase.my. Alternatively, you can also refer to our detailed spec-by-spec comparison of the two available variants. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the Aruz in the comments below.
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