Perodua Aruz launched, starts at RM 72,900

KUALA LUMPUR: The Perodua Aruz has been in the limelight since the time it was announced. From the sneak peek at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2018 to the teasers and to the official details, our in-house automaker Perodua has not left any stone unturned in the quest of gaining people’s attention. While announcing the official specs and safety features of the Aruz, the manufacturer even shared the story behind the name. Well, the wait has ended today and we have the SUV in flesh in front of us ready for grabs.

Just after the tentative prices were out, Perodua started accepting bookings for the SUV. In a matter of 30 hours, 300 orders were received by the automaker which is a clear statement about the beginning of a success story. With so many of the details out, we already had an idea about what the SUV from Perodua was going to offer. The standard features list include LED headlamps, keyless entry and start, 17-inch alloy wheels, second-row air-conditioning vents, built-in Touch n Go reader, charging ports in all rows, and reverse camera. Furthermore, leather upholstery, roof rails, leather-wrapped steering wheel with telephony controls, HDMI input, and a digital video recorder make their way to the higher end AV model.

Talking about the looks of Toyota Rush’s cousin, the Aruz features a design language similar to that of Rush. While the front grille gets an extra slat and the third bar looks like a winged extension of the Perodua badge, the tail lamp clusters are the same as the Rush. On the inside, there are chrome accents and regular amenities like touchscreen infotainment system, steering mounted controls, and USB & HDMI ports among others.

Under the hood of the Aruz is a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated 4-pot engine good enough for 105 PS at 6000 rpm and 136 Nm at 4,200 rpm. The power generated by the decently strong motor is then sent to the wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission unit. Perodua has also claimed that the Aruz will provide the customers with a mileage of 15.6 kmpl. On top of that, the SUV also comes equipped with “Eco Idle automatic engine start/stop” for better fuel efficiency.

Safety wise, the Perodua Aruz is not lagging behind either. The SUV has already received a safety rating of 5-stars from the ASEAN NCAP. The community has also said in a statement that, “The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) has assessed the new Perodua SUV model, Perodua Aruz. We are pleased to announce that the Perodua Aruz has obtained 5-Star ASEAN NCAP rating. Details of the result will be released on 17 January 2019”.

Available in two variants, namely X and A, the Aruz comes with 6 airbags (dual front, side, and curtain), ABS with EBD and brake assist, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), hill descent control, hill start assist, emergency stop signal, seat belt reminders for all seven seats, and ISOFIX child seat anchors on outer second-row seats on its X variant. The AV model, on the other hand, also get Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0 which is a high-end safety suite that includes Pre-collision Warning with pedestrian detection, Pre-collision Braking with pedestrian detection, Front Departure Alert, and Pedal Misoperation Control.

At the price of RM 72,900 (X trim) and RM 77,900 (AV trim), the Perodua Aruz can be had in one of the Amazon Green, Granite Grey, Electric Blue, Glittering Silver and Ivory White finish. This SUV is sure to shake the market with the set of amenities it is offering at this price.