APART from the continuous growth of sport utility vehicle (SUV) ownership, 2019 will be an interesting year as it witnesses the return of multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) as people-mover.
Why am I mentioning about MPV in this review? Some of you might get the idea.
Perodua launched the Aruz recently and this is highly significant for two main reasons; the return of SUV in the carmaker’s lineup after Nautica, and Perodua offering the most affordable SUV in Malaysia.
Aruz is priced from RM72,900 and for the 1.5 Advance, it is RM77,900. This is a marginal discount from Toyota Rush, its “sibling”. But that’s another story for another day.
You see, Perodua (and Toyota and Daihatsu) marketed the Aruz (and Rush and Terios) as SUV. To get to my initial question earlier, the Aruz in my very personal opinion is not a proper SUV.
The styling and technical approaches are also supporting this premise. It’s quite narrow, although it sits high, but does not have the silhouette of an SUV. The Aruz is also purely rear-wheel drive, contrasting modern SUVs that are commonly available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive option.
A rugged MPV. Yes, that is my personal take on this car. It’s more like an elongated Avanza or a more rugged version of the Innova.
Nevertheless, I quite like the appearance of the Aruz. As a Perodua, the car looks modern and dynamic. There are character lines on the sides and on the hood to give the car more strength in this respect.
I also particularly like how Perodua has given the Aruz its distinctive touches on the exterior and interior styling.
There’s LED headlights for both variants (auto for the Advance) with follow-me-home function, front fog lights, rear LED combination lights, roof rails, tailgate spoiler and a pretty stylish two-tone 17-inch wheels.
Inside, the Aruz 1.5 Advance is decently-equipped with leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather seats, touchscreen multimedia unit with navigation and Smart Link, six speakers, digital front air-conditioning as well as rear air-con vents (manual).
Ergonomics wise, the driver’s seat offered good amounts of support. However, the steering wheel adjustment still lacked telescopic adjustment and only the angle can be adjusted. This is a common thing for vehicles in this segment.
What I am trying to say is some drivers might struggle to find the optimum driving posture, thus inducing fatigue over long drives.
The rest of the cabin is comfortable and very family-oriented. The rear doors have large opening for good access to the second- and third-row seats.
The second-row seats have enormous legroom, and can be reclined and slid back and forth. This helps in managing legroom spaces between the two rear rows according to the situation. I believe it can sit three normal-sized adults with no hassle.
Getting in and out of the third-row seats is fairly easy, too. There’s decent degree of opening when the second-row seats are folded forward. And, as expected, the third-row is not so friendly for most adults. The headroom and elbow space are okay, but legroom is quite cramped.
One crucial deal-breaker for passenger vehicles in Malaysia is rear air-cond vents. The Aruz is fitted with a ceiling-mounted unit for the second- and third-row passengers.
I tried sitting in the third-row seats and the area can be cooled down in no time even with medium blower speed. I did not try with full passenger load onboard, but I suspect this should not be much of an issue.
THE DRIVE
When the specs of the Aruz were released, some “critical” social media users were sceptical on the car’s capability to haul its body with full load going uphill like to Genting Highlands, for example.
The sentiment was supported by the fact that Aruz rolls on 17-inch wheels.
Yes, it may be equipped with “just” a 1.5-litre engine - the same unit as those on the Myvi and current Vios - and wears larger wheels, but the solution is as simple as fine-tuning the gear ratios.
During the drive, the Aruz was able to deliver better acceleration rate than I expected.
Some of its rivals are fitted with better transmissions like six-speed automatic or CVT, but the Aruz’s four-speeder is well-tuned to exploit the engine performance when needed.
In fact, it’s tuned to give the car more acceleration than top speed. This means that the Aruz will not be so ideal for high speed cruising.
At 110kph, the tachometer already reads at 3,200rpm in the highest gear. Of course, the car can go much faster but that is not what it was designed to do.
Ferrying your family members for “balik kampung” or bringing your colleagues out for lunch, the Aruz will do this task very well.
It’s quiet, acceptably comfortable and easy to manoeuvre around town. The car does not feel too big when driven, and drivers will have great visibility out of the car.
Driving alone, the comfort is there but the rear axle can feel bouncy at times. This is because the suspension is designed to take heavy loads.
The ASA 2.0 (Advanced Safety Assist) works quite intuitively too. This safety feature is unique to the 1.5 Advance only, on top of the usual kits like anti-lock braking system with EBD, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRC) and Hill-start Assist (HSA).
Also, kudos to Perodua for fitting the car with individual seatbelt reminders. Drivers may now identify which of his/her passengers are not buckled up.
VERDICT
The Perodua Aruz is one capable contender in the segment occupied by the Honda BR-V, Toyota Sienta and Nissan Serena.
These cars may be slightly more comfortable, being constructed on a monocoque chassis rather than ladder frame for the Aruz, but this also makes the Aruz more heavy-duty.
If you have a family of four or more, and looking for an affordable as well as economical carrier, then the Perodua Aruz is an ideal choice.