Perodua Aruz SUV Now Open For Booking! OTR Estimated Prices Start From RM72,200

Perodua Aruz, the national carmaker’s much-awaited three-row seven-seater Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), is now open for booking with estimated prices of between RM72,200 and RM77,200 (on-the-road before insurance in Peninsular Malaysia).

“The Perodua Aruz is our fourth transformation model, setting new standards for us in quality, space, fuel efficiency and safety – the latter bolstered by a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating. With these qualities and more, the Perodua Aruz is among the best-value SUVs in Malaysia,” Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad said, adding that the vehicle comes with a five-year/150,000 km warranty (whichever comes first).

“The Perodua Aruz is expected to complement our existing product line-up and based on our value proposition, we expect sales of this new model to average 2,500 units monthly or 31,200 units by end-2019,” Dato’ Zainal added. Two variants of the Perodua Aruz are offered, namely the 1.5 X and 1.5 Advance, with five colours available – Ivory White, Glittering Silver, Electric Blue, Granite Grey and a new Amazon Green.

Contributing to the Perodua Aruz’s 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating are Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), ISOFIX and 6 airbags, which are all standard across the range. Furthermore, the Advance variant debuts an upgraded version of the Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) active safety suite, called ASA 2.0 (above).

ASA 2.0 adds pedestrian detection (up to 50 km/h) to the safety suite and increases the operational speeds of Pre-Collision Warning to 100 km/h and Pre-Collision Braking to 80 km/h. The safety suite continues to incorporate Front Departure Alert and Pedal Misoperation Control. ASA is a driver assistance system that helps to reduce the risk of collisions and is by no means a substitute for safe driving. Always be alert and cautious behind the wheel.

“The Perodua Aruz is perfect for families and those with active, aspirational lifestyles. The elevated driving position affords great visibility all round, while the abundance of space and flexible seating layouts make the vehicle extremely versatile and adaptable to any activity you wish to undertake,” Dato’ Zainal said. The Perodua Aruz’s efficient powertrain, built in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan, consists of an aluminium-block 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i and an electronically-controlled automatic transmission (E-AT).

These join forces with Eco Idle to give a best-in-class rated fuel efficiency of 15.6 km/l, allowing it to be government-certified as an Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV). Featuring bold LED headlamps with follow-me-home function (auto lights on Advance variant), the Perodua Aruz sits on 17-inch two-tone alloys, with a ground clearance of 220 mm. Smart Entry with Push Start/Stop Button is also standard, while the Advance variant adds fog lamps and roof rails for extra style points.

The interior is at once functional, stylish and practical, with the Perodua-developed anti-snatch hook to deter handbag thieves and fold-away utility hooks on the backs of the front seats. All variants get a touch-screen radio with reverse camera display, digital air-con with two memory settings, air vents for the rear passengers and a built-in toll card reader. The second row is split 60:40 while the third row is split 50:50. Both rows can slide, fold and tumble, yielding a multitude of seating and loading configurations to suit every occasion and lifestyle. There are charging ports in all three rows.

Interior equipment exclusive to the Advance variant are leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with call-receive controls, plus an integrated driving video recorder. The top variant also gets HDMI, Smart Link, Bluetooth and Navigation added to its touch-screen system. “For more information on the Perodua Aruz, we welcome the public to speak with our authorised sales advisors at any of our sales outlets nationwide. The Perodua Aruz will appear in showrooms very soon, but don’t wait – book now to elevate your life in an instant and start 2019 riding high!” Dato’ Zainal said.

About the name…

Perodua Aruz SUV Teaser Photo Gallery…

Perodua Aruz sedia untuk tempahan! Dari RM72,200

Seperti yang telah dinanti-nantikan selama ini, kenderaan Sport Utiliti atau SUV terbaru dari Perodua telah pun tiba dan namanya ialah Perodua Aruz! Model SUV dengan tujuh tempat duduk ini kini dibuka untuk tempahan dengan harga anggaran antara RM72,200 hingga RM77,200 (harga atas jalan tanpa insurans). (more…)

FEATURE: Why 2019 Is Going To Be A Good Year For Trucks & SUVs! [+Videos]

Yes, 2019 is indeed shaping up to be a stellar year for Truck and SUV fans across the nation, and here’s just a taste of what’s to come!

LAND ROVER

Thanks to AutoExpress, we’re getting a first glimpse of the all-new 2019 Land Rover Defender. So who said the LR Defender was dead eh? You just can’t kill a Defender….

“The all-new Land Rover Defender will be revealed within the next 12 months, likely to be towards the end of 2019, and new official images have given us our best look yet at the iconic SUV in development. The latest image shows a prototype of the all-new Defender under going off-road testing in North America as part of its grueling test cycle. The vehicle will be subjected to temperatures as low as -40 Celsius and as high as 48 Celsius and at attitudes as high as 13,000ft.” – Auto Express.

FORD

As we all know, late last year, Ford Malaysia finally launched the much-awaited Ranger Raptor, (<–link) but in addition to that, they also introduced new variants of the Ranger 4×4 in the form of the XL, XLT, XLT+ (below) and Wildtrak. In total there are 9 variants of the new Ranger, including the aforementioned Raptor.

Here’s a short walkabout video of the Ford Ranger XLT+

PROTON

Right. So this SUV is likely the MOST anticipated of the lot. Having subjected us to one of the longest ever “long-lead” ups to its launch, which happened only last month, Proton’s X70 SUV (<–link) has finally hit the road. We’ve already seen a few out there, all CBU of course, with local-assembly only set to begin in October 2019. With more than 12,000 bookings taken before launch and once the order-books were opened, we await word on the official media drive later this month, in the meantime, here’s a walkaround video:

TOYOTA

What a Rush. Sorry, just had to with a name like that. Yes, the new Toyota Rush (<–link) was introduced recently too, and we even managed to get a short test drive in! Set to be officially launched very soon, the price estimate is apparently below RM100k… we’re guessing circa RM92,000 or so. Here’s a quick walkaround video:

MITSUBISHI

All hail the new Triton! Shown at KLIMS 2018, (<—link) this truck is likely the only contender to the Ranger Raptor in terms of ‘wow’ factor. There’s still no word on when it’s going to arrive here, but it’s a stunner! Completely unexpected, it was getting a lot of attention at the show, here’s a video featuring the truck:

PERODUA

So technically it’s still very hush-hush for now, but there’s definitely a new Perodua SUV on the way. Perodua isn’t new to SUVs, having introduced the Kembara many years back, and the short-lived Nautica later on. Largely based on the Daihatsu Terios (above) and Toyota Rush, it’s almost a given that Perodua will have some design input in the finished product, scheduled to be launched in Q1 this year. Here’s a video on the Terios…

ISUZU

And now a surprise. In October 2019, Isuzu Malaysia will bring in the new MU-X 7-seater SUV! We have no solid details about it at the moment, except to say that in typical MU-X fashion, it is huge. Here’s a walkaround video:

Photo Gallery (Land Rover Defender images courtesy of AutoExpress.co.uk)

Farewell Datuk Dr. Aminar Rashid Salleh, Terima Kasih For All You’ve Done For Perodua!

Our second national-car maker Perodua has seen its longest-serving President & Chief Executive Officer, Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh (below), 58, retire after nine years at the helm. Under Datuk (Dr) Aminar’s leadership, Perodua not only expanded its market share from 31.2% in 2010 to more than 37% as of year-to-date 2018, but also started the much-needed transformation initiative within the Perodua Group.

After-sales improved significantly, as well as cost efficiency, quality and delivery. Most importantly, Perodua embarked on a RM1.3 billion investment to build Perodua Global Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Malaysia’s first Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV) Plant as certified by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

“The Perodua Board of Directors wishes to thank Datuk (Dr) Aminar for his contributions to Perodua and to the Malaysian automotive industry as a whole,” Perodua Chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin (above) said.

Datuk (Dr) Aminar is to be succeeded by Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad (below), previously Vice-President of Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd. He is expected to further efforts to work on improvements in efficiency and competitiveness, with the aim of expanding Perodua’s export business.

“To this end, the Perodua Board of Directors looks to Dato’ Zainal to lead the charge as he has the capability in managing Perodua as well as its vendors, suppliers and dealers to become regional players. Taking Perodua regional requires someone that can not only lead but who can also effectively engage the government and together navigate the ever-challenging automotive industry.” Tan Sri Asmat said.

“Dato’ Zainal has also proven his ability to work well with all shareholders, including Daihatsu Motor Company of Japan in bringing new technology to Perodua and encouraging investment within the country,” he added. Tan Sri Asmat said,

“The future of Perodua depends on our ability to work more harmoniously with Daihatsu as they have always been very supportive of us. Dato’ Zainal has proven that he is well-suited for this task.”

“With the manufacturing knowledge shared by Daihatsu, we were able to stay competitive domestically, and with their guidance, we are looking to further grow our business beyond Malaysia,” he added.

Datuk (Dr) Aminar’s tenure as Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer ends 31 December 2018, and Dato’ Zainal will take the helm from 1 January 2019. “We look forward to further progress under his leadership,” said Tan Sri Asmat.

About the new Perodua President & CEO…

Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad, 52, (above) holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems and Accounting from the Pacific Lutheran University, Washington, USA. He began his career in Perodua in 1995 in the cost control department, and was directly involved in creating Perodua’s manufacturing cost structure.

Dato’ Zainal will be the first President and Chief Executive Officer selected from within Perodua. He participated in the formulation of the National Automotive Policy (NAP) and is working closely with the government through the various bodies under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry to further improve the policy.

Dato’ Zainal was also instrumental in establishing the Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan powertrain hub, which incorporates Daihatsu Perodua Engine Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (opened 2016) and transmission plant Akashi Kikai Sdn Bhd (opened in 2015).

Perodua Mid Valley pindah ke Menara MBMR, Jalan Syed Putra

Perodua baru sahajan mengumumkan bahawa bilik pameran Perodua Mid Valley di bawah jagaan DMM Sales Sdn Bhd telah pun berpindah ke lokasi baharu iaitu di Menara MBMR, Jalan Syed Putra. Tujuan pemindahan lokasi adalah untuk menggandakan kapasiti jualannya dan menjaga kepuasan pelanggan. (more…)

Perodua sumbang 50 Myvi kepada Bomba & institusi pengajian tinggi!

Perodua akan menyumbang 50 buah Myvi kepada Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Negeri Perak serta 25 institusi pengajian tinggi di seluruh negara (untuk kegunaan dalam latihan dan penyelidikan), menjadikan ia antara penyerahan kenderaan terbesar yang pernah dilaksanakan oleh mereka. 25 institusi pendidikan tinggi ini merangkumi universiti, institusi vokasional, teknikal, latihan industri dan kemahiran belia. (more…)

KLIMS Returns For 2018 After 5-Year Absence @ MITEC! [+Videos & Mega Photo Gallery!]

Following our previous report on KLIMS or the Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow, we attended the Press Day on 22nd November 2018, and right-off the bat, it’s safe to say that the new venue for KLIMS at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) outside downtown KL is definitely a better location, not just in terms of accessibility, but also the floor space and allocated display area. But before we get into that, here’s the video of the official launch ceremony for KLIMS 2018!

Everything also seems a lot better organised this time around, especially in terms of handling the media and providing a proper set-up for us to work. There was free flow of food and drinks in the designated press room, although the room itself was a bit small, considering the number of media personnel who showed up to cover the launch and press day of KLIMS 2018. There was also no designated rest area; let’s not forget that all-in, it was at least a 10-hour day on our feet for many of us. Something to look into for the next one. Here’s our first walkabout video, which we took even before the official launch ceremony. Kudos to all the car brands who participated!

Unfortunately, while the venue itself was a lot better, manufacturer participation was definitely wanting, for apart from Peugeot, Citroen and DS Automobiles, there wasn’t a single other European carmaker in attendance. No Audi, BMW, Volvo or Mercedes-Benz. The latter was represented only thanks to Petronas who grafted what looked like an entire petrol station into KLIMS 2018, replete with a Kedai Mesra shop, while the only Supercars (apart from the Toyota FT-1 in the second video below of course) were what the peripheral pavilions brought in.

That being said, those who did participate put in a tremendous amount of effort to ensure their pavilions looked top notch! Seriously, many of them looked like they belonged in overseas motorshows like BIMS, GIIAS & TMS. Still, at least we were finally able to bring you this ‘live’ coverage of the new Proton X70 SUV, with no restrictions on photos this time. However, while fully expecting to finally learn the official price of the X70 at KLIMS, we were told that the price will be officially announced only on 12th December at the launch extravaganza…

Undoubtedly though, the star of KLIMS 2018 is the incredible Toyota FT-1, which is also known among fan-boys as the new Supra. It definitely deserved it’s own short video….