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Peroduas are not known for their refinement. They may have improved beyond recognition in many areas, but refinement; well, it was a weak point. But considering the fact that the people of Rawang are selling the cheapest and best value cars in Malaysia, it’s forgivable.
Coming from a Myvi, which was previously the automaker’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 unveiled for launch, but given that all they call Ativa, I will continue) is its refinement. There are two parts to this.
Rolling noise and overall refinement are good on the Ativa, significantly better than the third-generation Myvi, which was already better than any P2 product when it went on sale in 2017. The roar of the wheel, so bold on the Myvi, it’s not here, and the wind noise at highway speeds (and beyond, we were on P2’s private test track with strict SOPs) doesn’t stand out.
I had to check the tires once my session was over, and it’s the Bridgestone Turanza T005A (sorry, no photos were allowed in the session). It is a very premium touring tire for an RM70k car, and we have praised this model before when it was launched in 2018, not only for its typical touring qualities, but also for its amazing performance. Seeing the T005 here is a huge surprise. The 16-inch wheels on the base X variant have Goodyear Assurance tires.
But good tires can’t mask bad NVH, and the Ativa isn’t a noisy guy. Perhaps more significant is the refinement of the D55L’s powertrain. Now knowing that P2’s first turbo engine is essentially an upgraded version of Axia and Bezza’s 1.0L KR engine, expectations aren’t high to say the least. If you’ve driven those cars, you know that there are significant amounts of vibrations, which are quite noticeable at idle. This has been domesticated in Ativa.
For a three cylinder engine in a non-sport application, you want it to feel as “normal” as possible, and I think not many buyers, if any, would know that the Ativa’s engine is “lacking a cylinder” of the four default. It feels and sounds regular. Many will have an opinion on this, so give it a try and judge for yourself.
The CVT gearbox, which is another debut component from Perodua, also feels normal. Like modern Toyota and Honda CVTs, it feels very natural in normal driving, with speed increasing with revs in a linear fashion. The D55L reaches highway speeds without too much fuss; however, as is common with CVTs, the more measured the right foot, the more invisible it becomes.
There’s also a seven-speed manual mode (via sequential shifter, push right for S / M) for times when you need more control, as well as a “Power” button on the right hand spoke. steering wheel. This is supposed to give you more thrust and higher revs, but I didn’t feel heaven or earth. Maybe more time is needed. A longer real-world seating time is also required to confirm the good NVH performance of the Ativa.
Another big question is power. Enough is what I would say. Perodua’s internal test track has a wide hill section that mimics a section of the Carretera Norte Sur, and the Ativa, with two on board, tackled it well enough. The powerful midrange turbo engine means the Ativa feels less forced than the 1.5L Myvi when pushed at the same speeds, but we didn’t have the luxury of a back-to-back comparison.
Perodua has yet to release official figures, but JDM Rocky’s triple turbo 1.0L 1KR-VET generates 98 hp of power and 140 Nm of torque from 2,400 to 4,000 rpm. The turn, and where it is done, makes a difference.
I must admit that with just a short loop, I can’t share much about the dynamics of the SUV other than the fact that it doesn’t feel tall and awkward (200mm ground clearance, higher than Rocky), and the driving experience is not much different from a normal hatchback.
However, compared to Perodua’s best-selling hatchback, there is a greater sense of stability and weight in the way the Ativa moves, including a better damped ride. We understand that the Ativa has a Malaysian-specific suspension setup, which is firmer than its comfort-focused JDM twin. Like spicy food, we like our cars on the sporty side, if you haven’t noticed yet.
Any deficiencies? For what it is, an RM70k SUV, I really can’t think of much. A couple of years ago, we praised the Myvi for raising the bar for Perodua (and economy cars in general), and the Ativa has now done the same. However, the jump this time is not only greater, but more impressive, it can now be felt in the unit, and not just in the spec sheet. With the Ativa, there is no longer a gulf between P2 and Toyota / Honda when it comes to powertrain and refinement.
Driving aside, P2’s SUV has an interior (it’s similar to Rocky’s, but the A / C control panel is unique to P2, and there’s AC memory) that probably won’t surprise many as does the Proton X50, but it is still relatively modern. and modern.
For those who want to try premium, the X50 does much better in this regard, both in design and materials. For the latter, they are all hard plastics on the P2, but with some texture to liven things up. The edge of the gear stick has an interesting diamond-shaped 3D pattern, and high-spec cars have red accents.
I also managed to check the basic X spec and finally there is some not so good news to share. Unlike the entry-level Myvi, the basic Ativa looks very basic – its dash is a daily reminder that you can’t afford the higher variants.
The lack of a touchscreen infotainment system is most obvious due to the floating screen design (slim, unlike Toyota’s CRT TV-style casing), but that’s understandable, even the style-conscious Mazda will does in lower variants. Similarly, the lack of a digital instrument panel and its four display themes is to be expected; that’s fine, as the twin analog dials are sunken and actually look pretty decent.
What is more jarring are the empty steering spokes. Unlike Myvi, they are obviously designed for buttons, but only the Power button remains there, alone. With almost no shiny work and accents (thankfully the aforementioned ‘3D diamond’ gear stick edge survived), it looks very severe.
That’s not what the Ativa is about, not even the base X. The 16-inch single-tone wheels are fine to look at, and the spec list is very good. One has six airbags, the improved ASA 3.0 (including AEB), and even lane departure warning and prevention on the $ 62,500 (est) entry-level variant. The basic Ativa X, almost RM20k cheaper than the basic X50 Standard, beats the Proton in kit and safety. It could have been presented better.
So there you go, our first impressions of the Perodua D55L SUV, also known to many as the Ativa. Much more than a “Myvi SUV”, this is a whole new level for P2 in terms of safety, equipment and surprisingly, driving performance. If earlier opting for a Myvi over a Japanese B-segment car meant you had to sacrifice some powertrain refinement and sophistication, this no longer seems to be the case with the Ativa. We will need a longer ride, but the latest Perodua model makes a good first impression.
P.S: There is more information about Ativa to share, including photos, but at this time only driving impressions are allowed; Full specs and details will have to wait until the March 3 release. Stay tuned.
Our coverage of the SUV Perodua Ativa D55L 2021
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