Perodua Alza: Reasons to buy

Our own Perodua was born of a result of planning between Daihatsu and the Malaysian government. This collaboration not only reaped the dividends for both the parties involved but also eventually ended up bringing in more to the flock. Perodua it seems to have come a long way since 1992 and in fact, their entry-level car, the Myvi was Malaysia’s best selling car for a good straight eight years. However, the car which firmly put Perodua as a leading car maker from Malaysia was the Alza. The name in Spanish means to “rise” and it indeed has made the homegrown maker a household name. While Perodua has been refreshing the model from time to time, it still is a reminder of how good the car has been especially in the wake of fresh competition. Here are a few reasons why the Perodua Alza still makes for a good buy.

It is based on the Myvi

The Myvi is a cheerful car and it makes sense to model an affordable van on it. The Perodua Alza then is more like a Myvi with an extra row of seats and a discounted space for luggage. At this price point, you will find a couple of multi-purpose vehicles but none as spacious as the Alza. The Alza’s third row may seem cramped but for those who are no taller than 5ft 2 inches, there is enough space. Or if you don’t have to fit in seven people, down the seats for additional luggage carrying capacity.

It doesn’t look awkward

Come on! Not every MPV has to look like a breadbox. Few can be like the Perodua Alza. Those projector headlights, side skirts, and LED tail lamps lend it some character. While being one of the most affordable MPVs on sale, it doesn't seemingly look the same. What we meant is that the MPV does look modern even today though the design is now almost two decades old. The centrally mounted meters, over the years, have an improved graphic quality and now look a tad premium too - much like Toyota’s vehicles with the same design.

Efficient engine

While there was a 1.6-litre engine in the beginning, Perodua managed to convince Daihatsu to lend them the new 1.5-litre petrol motor. This 1.5-litre 3SZ-VE petrol engine with electronic fuel injection and a relatively easy compression ratio of 10 makes 104 PS of power and 136 Nm of torque. A choice of 4-speed and a 5-speed manual transmission is available for customers to choose from. Perodua claims a fuel efficiency of 12 kmpl from the automatic trim while the manual will return slightly more economy. A fuel tank of 42 litres ensures that one doesn’t have to worry about doing long distances in this car.

Features and convenience

Of course, Perodua has kitted the Alza with many features. These include the 15-inch alloys, UV protection for the windscreen, 12V power socket, leather seats, all four power windows, multimedia system with navigation, seat height adjuster, manual AC with rear vents, and four speakers. The seats can fold completely flat, including the driver’s unit. So, if you’re locked out of your house and don’t have any resources in the night, turning to the Alza (of course your own) and calling it a night in the car wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Several owners are claiming that the Alza has been used by them more like a goods van than a family carrier. The car will do both the roles with equal aplomb though.

Safety

Safety standards for Malaysian vehicles are improving slightly though we are nowhere close to those in the US or other European regions. It should just be a matter of time before the laws here become stringent and dual airbags with ABS become standard across the range. The Perodua Alza though maintains things from the start - it gets dual airbags for the front passengers, ABS along with EBD (available only on some trims), reverse sensors, reversing camera, anti-theft device and ISOFIX child seat mounts.

Perodua Alza is a great family car that is abled to support you in the commercail front too.