Review: Perodua Traz H - Cup half full or cup half empty?

The Perodua Traz is one of those cars that arrived with a cloud of expectations already hanging over it.

It was late. The internet had opinions ready before the first customer even touched the steering wheel. By the time it rolled into showrooms, the narrative was already half written. Missing features. Not ambitious enough. Pick your poison.

And yet, the funny thing about actually driving a car is that it doesn’t care about the comments section.

Because the moment I stepped into the top-spec Traz H for the first time, the mood changed. Not dramatically, not in a fireworks way, but in a quiet, reassuring way. It instantly felt familiar. Toyota familiar. Like stepping into a Corolla Cross that went through the dryer and came out slightly smaller, but still recognisably from the same school of thought.

That first impression matters. The seating position is natural, visibility is good, the controls fall exactly where you expect them to be. You don’t need a learning curve. You don’t need a tutorial. You just get in and drive.

And honestly, for a Perodua that is meant to be a daily companion for years, that kind of immediate friendliness is worth more than a giant touchscreen gimmick.

It still looks fresh, even if it’s late

Visually, the Traz has no right to look as current as it does.

This is a car that many people assumed would feel outdated the moment it launched. Instead, in our opinion, it looks modern, sharp, and slightly aggressive in a sporty, clean way. The lines are crisp without being fussy. The stance is planted enough to feel like a proper SUV, not a hatchback on stilts.

What I like most is that it feels classless in the best possible sense. It doesn’t scream budget. It doesn’t try to cosplay as a luxury car either. It just looks like a well-resolved, modern Perodua that will age gracefully.

And those wheels deserve a special mention. These are probably the nicest rims Perodua has ever put on a production car. They fill the arches properly and lift the whole design. On the H variant, the Traz looks complete. Nothing feels like an afterthought.

Even arriving late, it does not look like it missed its window. Park it next to newer rivals and it still belongs.

A cabin that feels better than expected

Inside, the Traz continues that theme of quiet competence.

The materials are not exotic, but they feel solid and honest. There is a premium-ish vibe to the cabin that goes beyond what Perodua used to be known for. Panels feel properly fitted, switchgear has a reassuring weight, and nothing immediately screams cost cutting.

Except for one thing. The red accents in the H variant.

I genuinely do not understand why the reds do not match. Once you notice that the trims are different shades, it becomes a tiny visual itch you cannot stop scratching. It is not a dealbreaker, but it is a strange own goal in an otherwise tidy interior.

Still, from a usability standpoint, the Traz nails the basics. Good visibility, sensible storage, easy ergonomics. It feels like a car designed by people who actually live with cars.

Steering that divides opinion, brakes that don’t

On the move, the Traz reveals its personality pretty quickly.

At low speeds, the steering is lovely. Smooth, light, and perfectly judged for city driving. Parking is effortless, tight manoeuvres are drama free, and you can thread through traffic without thinking about it.

Push the pace a bit and the character changes. At higher speeds, the steering starts to feel numb. Turning it around is not as fluid as you would like, and there is a slight disconnect between your hands and the front wheels. Enthusiasts will notice it immediately.

But here is the twist.

In quick town driving and sharp, slower corners, the Traz mostly stays flat. There is less body roll than you expect, and it actually becomes quite fun to dart around urban roads. It feels tidy and composed, not clumsy. Through longer, faster bends, it behaves well too. Stable, predictable, and confidence inspiring in a quiet, everyday way.

The brakes are a highlight. Strong, progressive, and easy to modulate. Brake feel is consistent and predictable, which is exactly what you want in a daily driver. You never second guess how much stopping power you have left.

Ride comfort and the underrated art of damping

Ride quality is where the Traz becomes a bit of a mixed bag.

Large potholes are not its friend. Hit a bad one and the impact comes through more sharply than you would like. There is no sugar coating that.

But over smaller imperfections, the suspension smooths things out nicely. The body settles quickly after bumps, and this is where the damping deserves praise. The rebound control feels properly tuned. The car does not bounce or float unnecessarily. It feels tied down.

This is an area where some newer rivals still struggle, chasing softness at the expense of composure. The Traz feels more mature in comparison.

NVH is another pleasant surprise. Even at higher speeds, the cabin remains reasonably quiet. Wind and road noise are well managed, and long drives do not feel tiring. For a car in this class, refinement is genuinely impressive.

The familiar engine story

Under the bonnet sits Perodua’s well-known 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, paired with a D-CVT automatic. It is a combination we have seen across multiple Perodua models, and it behaves exactly like you expect.

This is not a powerhouse.

When you need to get up to speed quickly, the engine has to work. You hear it. There is a noticeable roar as the revs climb, and it feels like the car is being asked to give everything it has. With a full load of passengers and luggage, the Traz does feel underpowered. Overtakes require planning, not bravado.

But once you are up to cruising speed, it settles down. Alone in the car, or lightly loaded, it does not feel lumbered at all. It cruises quietly and smoothly, perfectly happy sitting at highway speeds without fuss.

It is an engine that rewards a calmer driving style. Smooth inputs, steady momentum, and it responds with predictability. For most daily scenarios, it is adequate. Not exciting, not fast, but dependable.

Safety without compromise

Where the Traz makes a very strong argument for itself is safety.

This is an ASEAN NCAP five-star car, and crucially, Perodua did not turn safety into a paywall. Even the base variant gets the full core safety suite. Six airbags, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and prevention, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and more.

Nothing critical is locked away behind the top-spec badge. That deserves genuine credit.

The H variant adds conveniences like the 360-degree camera and a built-in dashcam, but the essentials are already there for everyone. In a segment where rivals still treat safety as a premium upgrade, that is a strong statement of priorities.

The missing cruise control question

Of course, the elephant in the room remains.

There is no adaptive cruise control. There is not even regular cruise control. The right side of the steering wheel looks oddly empty because of it.

In daily reality, many owners will rarely use cruise control. But symbolically, its absence stands out in a feature list era where buyers count boxes. It is one of those omissions that fuels online debates more than it affects real world ownership.

Cup half full, and that matters

The Perodua Traz is not a car that wins on spec sheet bravado. It does not chase headlines with outrageous performance or gimmicks. Instead, it focuses on the fundamentals.

It looks modern. It feels friendly. It is easy to drive in the city. The brakes are excellent. The ride is mature more often than not. Refinement is better than expected. Safety is comprehensive without forcing buyers into higher trims.

Yes, it has weaknesses. The steering feel at speed could be better. The engine feels strained when heavily loaded. The missing cruise control will annoy some people. The interior colour mismatch is a strange detail to overlook.

But cars are not lived with as bullet points. They are lived with as companions. And in everyday Malaysian driving, the Traz makes a convincing case for itself as a sensible, well-rounded partner.

Cup half full is not about ignoring flaws. It is about recognising that a car can be imperfect and still be a good choice. The Traz understands its role, plays it honestly, and does enough things right to earn respect.

And sometimes, that quiet competence is exactly what people need.