Perodua Aruz: Should you wait for the upcoming SUV?

It was during the 2018 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show that Perodua for the first time dropped a hint of a new model. Remember, this model was previewed in a box with peepholes around it. Back then it was tagged as “Something Exciting is Coming” with no info about the new car’s name or even its segment. Well, it was shortly after the show that the automaker released a newspaper advertisement along with a banner on its website. The company then made it clear that it’ll be soon adding an SUV to its lineup and it was codenamed D38L. Also, in the teaser, the car looked way too similar to the Rush. This official but the partial introduction was followed by the much talked about leaflet leak that gave way too much information about the upcoming SUV. And the rest as we know is history. Later that day Perodua gave as a lot of insight about its SUV, the Aruz. It even shared the story/inspiration behind its unusual name.

Now, the Aruz specs are out in the open. We know substantial information about it, and Perodua can launch the car any day now, well that’s what we think. As there is no confirmed date given by the automaker. So, now the question arises, shall a prospective buyer should wait for the Aruz or go ahead with the available options? Well, the decision is quite simple. Why? Because in its segment, i.e., B-segment crossover, the models on offer are limited and all are priced above to the Aruz. Go check out our price story on the Perodua Aruz for better insight.

What’s even more appealing than Aruz affordable price tag is its uncompromisable attitude towards features. The car is loaded with a fantastic set of standard features, below mentioned pointers would give you better info on Aruz specs -

Exterior

• LED headlights with Follow Me Home tech
• 17-inch Alloy wheels
• Power folding ORVM with electric adjustment
• Silver rear number plate garnish

Interior

• 7-inch touchscreen head unit
• Urethane multi-functional steering wheel with tilt adjustment
• Rear air-con vents (2nd row)
• Push start/stop engine button
• Single zone manual air-con system with memory function and digital display
• Integrated toll reader (SmartTAG)
• A USB port in the first and second row
• 12V socket in the third row
• Full-size spare tyre

Under the hood configuration

• 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated 4-Cyl engine
• A 4-speed automatic unit does transmission duty
• Mill churns 105 PS at 6000 rpm and 136 Nm at 4,200 rpm
• Fuel consumption of 15.6 kmpl
• Eco Idle automatic engine start/stop

Safety and security

• 6-airbags
• Vehicle Stability Control
• Hill descent control
• Hill start assist
• ABS with EBD and BA
• Emergency stop signal
• ISOFIX child seat anchor
• Seat belt reminder for both the driver and passengers

The specs mentioned above are standard across Aruz both variants - X and AV. Out of the two Aruz trims, AV comes with a few extra features like roof rails, skid plate both at front and rear, automatic headlight, leather upholstery, integrated driving video recorder dash cam, SmartLink smartphone screen mirroring via HDMI port, and lastly the most impressive of all the Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0.

When compared to its competitors, the Toyota Rush, and Honda BR-V, the Aruz offers more features that too at a lower price tag. The Perodua Aruz price starts at RM 72K to RM 77k, which is way lesser compared to the Rush (RM 93k to RM 898k) and BR-V (RM 81k to RM 88K).

As for the performance figures, both the Rush and BR-V are powered by a 1.5-litre mill. The power and torque figures for the Rush mirrors the Aruz, while the BR-V displays figure at a bit higher side with 119 PS of power and 119 Nm of torque. On the dimension front, the cars are roughly the same, so no issues in this area too. On the safety and feature front, the Aruz seems to top the charts, followed by Rush and then the BR-V.

Conclusion -

Now, if you’ll ask whether to wait for the Aruz or not? We will say the former is the way to go. As you are getting more for less. However, if you need a car immediately, then nothing can be done as Perodua has not confirmed about its launch date.

Note, Perodua has opened bookings for the Aruz, do the same to get your hands first on this new Perodua SUV. Also, if you are sending more than 95k then we would recommend you to check out the recently launch Proton X70, starting at RM 100k it’s a great car to buy.