Perodua Ativa

The 2023 Perodua Ativa’s interior is more utility-oriented than being premium. The cabin is compact compared to other cars in its class. But it’s not uncomfortable. There’s sufficient space inside. The seats in the entry-level model are fabric upholstered. There are flashes of red in the Ativa Turbo AV (Special Metacllic) version and that goes nicely with the Pearl Delima Red with Black Roof color scheme. A lot of hard plastics have been used in the cabin to keep production costs low. That has increased the cabin’s durability. The plastics may not be liked by buyers who expect a more premium feel. But Peruda’s whole point is to offer an affordable car to the masses and it succeeds in this regard with the 2023 Ativa.

Opening the doors of the higher-trim 2023 Perodua Ativa AV reveals leather seats with red stitching. The seats are nicely padded and offers good support during long trips. Like the rest of the cabin, the door panel, pillar covers and the dashboard are made from hard plastic. But the air vents and the well-designed dashboard enhance the look of the cabin.

Overall, the 2023 Perodua Ativa’s cabin is a nice place to be in. It’s a people’s car and the average Malaysian won’t mind the overtly plain interior.       

Passenger and boot space 

The 2023 Perodua Ativa, despite its compact dimensions, is decently spacious. Five average-height Malaysian adults can comfortably travel in its cabin. The driver and front passenger gets the maximum legroom. There’s plenty of space on the rear seat with ample headroom. The Perodua Ativa is a daily commuting car and point-to-point travel time within the city is unlikely to exceed an hour. The 60:40 split-folding rear seat don’t fold entirely flat. But even in a fairly tilted position, the 369-liter boot is certainly one of the most spacious in the Malaysian compact SUV segment, and all that with a full-sized spare wheel placed in the boot. The only drawback is the collapsible tonneau cover. While that’s a novel idea, it’s a cumbersome to operate.  

Comfort and entertainment

The 2023 Perodua Ativa comes with a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit that supports Bluetooth, USB and auxiliary input. Audio is output through four speakers. There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support, and that’s a sore miss. The manual air-conditioner with memory function offers fast cooling because of the car’s compact dimensions.    

The Perodua Ativa looks compact from all angles. There’s nothing over-dramatic about its appearance. The boxy dimension on a short wheelbase has its own appeal. Perodua has made minor tweaks to the front grille and the bumpers to forge a compact SUV look. The plan has succeeded to an extent. The car doesn’t have that aggressive or menacing stance, but still manages to look bold. The original Daihatsu Rocky formula is pretty much retained in the Attiva. These include the elliptical angular light clusters.

The Perodua looks nice with a bit of utilitarian charm and a compact dimension, and softer lines. The praise doesn’t really go to the Malaysian manufacturer but to Daihatsu. Perodua has retained almost everything from the Daihatsu Rocky with minimal changes for the Malaysian market. That will probably work well for people intending to buy a less fancy but more practical car. The exterior can be spruced up by adding aftermarket accessories like side skirts, aprons, and red-black wheel cladding.

The 2023 Ativa gets LED headlamps and fog lights in all models except the entry-level trim.  

What are the dimensions of the 2023 Perodua Ativa?

The compact SUV pickup measures 4,065mm in length, 1,710mm in breadth, and 1,635mm in height. The wheelbase is of 2,525mm. 

What is the ground clearance of the 2023 Perodua Ativa?

The Ativa has a rather high ground clearance of 200mm. It helps the car to negotiate potholes and bumps better.  

The Perodua Ativa’s 1.0-lter petrol-CVT powertrain is frugal. Within city limits, the Ativa returns a mileage of around 13kmpl. That’s a pretty decent number. The Ativa comes with Perodua’s Eco Idle system which cuts off the engine when the car stops. It saves fuel when the car stops at red lights.

What is the fuel tank capacity of the 2023 Perodua Ativa?

The vehicle comes with a 36-liter fuel tank. 

The 2023 Perodua Ativa drives well for a compact SUV. The higher ground clearance offers a rather commanding view of the road. All-round visibility from the driver’s seat is among the best in segment. It makes narrow maneuvering particularly easy. The steering wheel is light and promptly responds to driver inputs. It’s nicely weighted. But the lack of tilt-adjustability is a sore point. The overall ride and handling of the Ativa is nicely balanced. A bit of body roll is felt inside the cabin but only during hard cornering. The suspension is soft and absorbs pretty much everything. The Bridegstone Turanza T005A tires have superb traction. That’s immensely helpful during hard braking. The tires instantly grips the road.

The 1.0-liter turbo-CVT powertrain is certainly not the most powerful in its class. But Ativa buyers are unlikely to look for power from a car in this segment. The CVT is seamlessly mated to the engine, leading to a reassuring driving experience.    

What extra features does the 2023 Perodua Ativa Turbo AV (Specail Metallic) have?

The Ativa Turbo AV (Metallic) comes with leather seats while the lower versions have fabric upholstery. That aside, this particular trim gets adaptive cruise control and a blind-spot monitoring system. 

The 2023 Perodua Ativa is available in multiple variants and a single engine option. The standard Perodua Ativa Turbo X (Metallic) is hauled by a turbocharged, three-cylinder, 1.0-liter engine that produces 98PS maximum power at 6,000rpm and 140Nm peak torque at 4,000rpm. The motor is mated to a dual-CVT. The car is underpinned by Ativa’s new Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA). It’s a pretty sophisticated system for the car’s worth. The DNGA platform has been designed from ground up and also supports all-wheel-drive and electric powertrains. Perodua clearly has its eyes set on the future. The DNGA is easily the company’s most advanced platform ever and the Ativa proves its merit with a punchy engine performance. A bit of engine noise and vibration does enter the cabin. Vibrations aren’t entirely uncommon in three-cylinder cars. But the noise is easy to live with and doesn’t interfere with the performance. But Perodua engineers still have some work to do minimize the noise and keep it at an acceptable level.

Is the 2023 Perodua Ativa available in diesel?

No. The car is available with a turbocharged 1.0-liter petrol engine only.

The 2023 Ativa comes with Perodua’s Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 3.0. The system is now grouped under the Perodua Safety Drive Assist (PSDA) package. It includes features like autonomous emergency braking, collision preventive braking, front and rear parking sensors, pre-collision warning, and lane departure warning. The last-named feature does get intrusive sometimes. The standard safety features of the Perodua Ativa is quite common among most of compact SUVs. The more convenience-oriented driver-assist features are reserved for the high-level AV model. This includes an automatic high beam, adaptive cruise control, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The 2023 Perodua Ativa is one of the safest cars in its class with a 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating. 

How many airbags does the 2023 Perodua Ativa have? 

The car comes with six airbags. 

How many cameras does the 2023 Perodua Ativa have?

The compact SUV comes with a reverse parking camera. 

Value for money

At a starting price of RM 62,500, the 2023 Perodua Ativa is an absolutely value for money car. It ticks all the right boxes for being a utility vehicle for average Filipino. It comes with a decent set of features, market-standard safety equipment list and nice drivability. It may not be as powerful as other foreign players in the compact SUV segment, but certainly serves as one of the most affordable option. 

Warranty

The 2023 Perodua Ativa’s basic warranty covers three years or 100,000km whichever is earlier. It includes cost of labor and parts. Major parts coverage is for five years or 150,000km whichever is earlier.

Are original spare parts of the 2023 Perodua Ativa available in Malaysia?

All genuine spare parts of the 2023 Perodua Ativa are available at the company’s workshops and service centers. 

2023 Perodua Ativa vs Proton X50

The Proton X50 is a direct competitor of the Perodua Ativa in the Malaysian compact SUV segment. The X50 is hauled by a 1.5-liter petrol engine which is more powerful than the Ativa. The X50 is known for its premium-focused interior that offers a very comfortable ride. The engine itself is very refined. But the X50 falters in the suspension department with a hard setup. The car has a starting price of RM 86,300, much higher than the Ativa

2023 Perodua Ativa vs Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris is one of the most popular cars in Malaysia. It’s not exactly a compact SUV but more of a crossover-hatchback. The Yaris is equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine. The car is known for its comfortable and a spacious cabin for five passengers. The powertrain itself in refined and void of vibrations. The Yaris is backed by the legendary Toyota brand worthiness. The starting price of the Toyota Yaris is RM 70,490, which is higher than the Perodua Ativa.

2023 Perodua Ativa vs Honda WRV

The Perodua Ativa has always been a bestselling vehicle in the compact SUV segment. But it now faces stiff competition from the Honda WRV. Dimension-wise both car are almost the same. But the Honda WRV is a seven-passenger. But the last row is best reserved for children. It’s uncomfortable for adults and requires frequent leg adjustment to fit into an acceptable travelling position. The WRV’s naturally aspirated 1.5-liter engine is more powerful than Ativa’s. But it’s the pricing of the Perodua Ativa that Malaysian buyers will find more attractive. 

Is the 2023 Perodua Ativa worth buying?

The 2023 Mitsubishi Ativa has a strong build quality. It gives a sense of assurance to the occupants. While the cabin may look very plain, especially in comparison to Japanese rivals, it’s comfortable for short-distance rides. The suspension strikes a good balance. It’s not boat-like soft, but isn’t too hard either. Even with a raised ground clearance, body roll is almost nonexistent. The 2023 Perodua Ativa is a worthy car for those on a budget.