Perodua Alza: Priced from RM 62,500, the most cost-effective all-round MPV?

Perodua Alza (D27A) set the highest booking record in the company's history. Less than a month after opening reservations in 2022, Perodua has received more than 30,000 orders. As a 7-seater MPV, the all-new Alza, with its rich configuration and excellent cost-effectiveness, has attracted much attention from consumers.

Model and Price

The Perodua Alza in the Malaysian market offers three versions, namely Alza 1.5 X, Alza 1.5 H and Alza 1.5 AV. Below are the prices (excluding insurance) for these three models:

- Alza 1.5 X：RM 62,500

- Alza 1.5 H：RM 68,000

- Alza 1.5 AV：RM 75,500

These prices have considerable competitiveness among similar models, and the configuration differences of different versions also provide more choices for consumers.

Exterior Design - Elegant Aesthetics

The first-generation Alza was initially targeted at the female market in Japan, but did not perform well in the Japanese market. However, this model has achieved tremendous success in the Malaysian market, when the sales of MPV models were at their peak. However, with the introduction of crossover and SUV to the vision of Malaysian consumers, the craze of this niche market soon subsided, and the sales of the previous generation Alza also declined.

The all-new Alza once again borrows the design of the Daihatsu Xenia and its Toyota sibling models Avanza and Veloz, but compared to these models, Perodua has infused some upscale feeling into the design. The shiny black waterfall-style front grille and chrome decorations combined with the LED headlight design create a very elegant presence.

Interior – Luxurious...But there is still room for improvement

Although it seems very upscale from the pictures, Alza's interior is still very Perodua, with most interior materials being hard plastic. The chocolate-colored "trim" on the dashboard is actually hard plastic, as are the chocolate-colored decorations on the front doors. The entire rear door is black, which may discomfort some people with compulsive obsessive disorder (OCD).

Although the interior materials are relatively hard, the overall design is similar to Ativa. Perodua uses a similar floating 9-inch infotainment display. The design of the dashboard corresponds to it, with a clear and reasonable overall layout that is easy to use.

In terms of space utilization, the design of the all-new Alza is very practical. The third-row seats can be flexibly adjusted, providing more storage space. For large families or users who need to transport goods, this design undoubtedly increases the practicality of the vehicle.

Safety Features

The all-new Alza comes standard with 6 airbags. Similar to other Perodua models recently released, the all-new Alza performs well in safety features. All versions come standard with the Perodua Advanced Safety Assist 3.0 (ASA 3.0) advanced driving assistance system, including:

- Collision warning (PCW, Front Collision Warning, FCW)

- Collision braking (PCB, Automatic Emergency Braking, AEB)

- Misoperation control of the pedal (PMC)

- Start reminder (FDA)

- Lane departure warning (LDW)

- Lane Keeping Assist (LDP)

- Automatic High Beam (AHB)

The medium configuration version of Alza 1.5 H further adds a reversing camera, front parking sensor, and adaptive drive beam (ADB). ADB is the second Perodua model to adopt this technology after Perodua Ativa, using software and sensors to detect oncoming vehicles and selectively turn off individual LEDs to reduce glare.

The top-spec version of Alza 1.5 AV adds a driving aid kit, including:

- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

- Lane Keep Control (LKC)

- Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)

- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

- Electronic Parking Brake (EPB)

- Automatic Parking Hold (ABH)

- 360-degree panoramic camera

It is worth mentioning that the 360-degree panoramic camera is a feature first introduced by Perodua. By installing four cameras around the vehicle, it transmits real-time video to the central control display on the fly, achieving bird's-eye view, front view, rear view, side view and other multiple viewing modes.

Comfort and Convenience Amenities

The all-new Perodua Alza also performs impressively in terms of comfort and convenience amenities. Even the entry-level model is equipped with a wealth of features, including:

- LED lights to accompany you home

- Digital air conditioning control (manual temperature control)

- Rear parking sensor

- Side rearview mirror with LED turn signal

As an MPV, Alza is equipped with a third row of seats that can be folded 50:50, and the second row of seats supports 60:40 folding and has a one-touch topple and front and rear sliding function. 1.5 X and 1.5 H versions come with fabric seats, while the top-spec 1.5 AV comes with bi-color half-leather seats.

The 1.5 H version further adds the following features:

- Auto-folding side rearview mirrors

- 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels

- Driving modes (economical, normal, sport)

- 7-inch all-digital dashboard

- 9-inch infotainment system

- Reversing camera

- Front parking sensor

On the basis of 1.5 H, the top model 1.5 AV has further improved:

- Electronic parking brake (EPB) with automatic parking function

- Rear disc brakes

- Two-tone dashboard

- 360 degree panoramic camera

- 9-inch infotainment system supporting Android Auto (first introduced by Perodua)

- Front-mounted digital driving recorder (DVR)

Unlike the previous generation, all new versions of Alza are equipped with a rear air conditioning outlet installed on the roof, with manual wind speed adjustment function, to ensure that passengers in the second and third rows keep cool.

The trunk space of the D27A Perodua Alza also increased compared to the previous generation models. When the third-row seats are vertical, the trunk space is 137 liters, which is an increase of 54 liters from before. After the third-row seats are folded down, the trunk space increases to 498 liters, which is 150 liters more than the old model.

Power system

The new Perodua Alza is equipped with a 1.5 liter natural aspirated 4-cylinder gasoline engine (model 2NR-VE), with a maximum power of 106 horsepower (6000 rpm) and a maximum torque of 138 Nm (4200 rpm). This 2NR-VE Duval VVT-i engine replaced the 3SZ-VE DVVT engine of the previous generation.

At the same time, Perodua also replaced the gearbox, discarded the old 4-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, and adopted the dual-mode CVT (D-CVT) that first appeared on Perodua Ativa. Perodua claims that, combined with the new engine and gearbox, the D27A Alza has a combined fuel consumption of 4.54 liters/100 kilometers (22 kilometers/liter) under the Malaysian Driving Cycle (MDC), and 5.29 liters/100 kilometers (18.9 kilometers/liter) under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), which is 40% higher than the old Alza. The fuel tank capacity is 43 liters.

Summary

Overall, the brand-new Perodua Alza has significantly improved in terms of safety configuration, comfort configuration, and driving experience. It is a versatile MPV that is very suitable for family use. Whether for city commuting or long-distance travel, Alza can provide an excellent driving experience.

At the same time, its competitive price also makes it have a high cost-performance ratio in the market. If you are looking for a 7-seater MPV with excellent performance, rich configuration, and reasonable price, then the brand-new Perodua Alza is undoubtedly a very worth considering option.