Perodua Aruz Review

Introduction

The Aruz is the first SUV that was introduced by Perodua due to stiff competition that was first by its Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda in the market.

The Aruz is a B-segment SUV arena and competes with the likes of Toyota Rush and Honda BR-V in the market. It is to be noted, that the Aruz is no direct rival to the Proton X70, as they belong to different segments altogether.

The Perodua Aruz is available in two variants - the base X Variant and the premium Advance variant. Both variants are powered by a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder Dual VVT-i engine.

The Aruz is availabe in five different colors which are, Amazon Green, Granite Grey, Electric Blue, Glittering Silver, and Ivory White. Price for the base variant starts at RM 72,200, whereas the Advance variant is priced at RM 77,900.

In Malaysia, both the Toyota Rush and Perodua Aruz are made by Perodua in Rawang, with all engines coming from the same factories in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan.

However In terms of driveability, the Aruz is more suited for Malaysian roads due to the suspension tuning by Perodua based on consumer feedback.

Interior of the Aruz

It’s truly commendable, how Perodua has shaped the Aruz. With a capacity of seven individuals, the Aruz offers a spacious and comfortable cabin. The base X Variant gets fabric upholstery seats,whereas the Advance Variant comes with leather seats.

The dashboard looks upmarket and pleasing to the eyes. Also, all the equipment are placed ergonomically. As for the driver’s arena, there’s a smart information cluster with MID, and tilt adjust multi-functional steering wheel.

The base X trim gets a urethane steering, whereas the steering wheel of the Advance version is wrapped in leather and even has a Bluetooth call button along with standard audio and telephony ones.

The list of Aruz standard features includes - a 7-inch touchscreen head unit which also function as a reverse camera when you place the car on reverse gear.

The Aruz comes equipped with keyless entry as well as push start/stop button which is a featured that is available in the Myvi and Bezza as well.

In addition the air conditioner comes equipped with 2 memory functions as well which was a feature that was first seen in the all new Perodua Myvi that was launched in Malaysia last year.

The Aruz also comes equipped with USB ports for the first and second row which is a convenient feature to have for those that like to charge their smartphones on the go.

The top spec Advance variant of the Aruz gets a few extra elements like an Integrated Driving Video Recorder, and SmartLink smartphone screen mirroring via HDMI port. This trim also features a few chrome accents on the door and Piano black coverage on the dash.

Perodua Aruz Interior

Exterior of the Aruz

The first impression of the Perodua Aruz gives the impression of the its big brother the Toyota Rush. The two despite being rivals share a resemblance. On the dimension front too, the two cars display similar measurements, i.e., 4435 mm X 1695 mm X 1705 mm (L X W XH). The wheelbase and even the boot space tallies at 2685 mm and 213-litre, respectively.

Eventhough the Aruz are similiar in terms of dimensions, most Malaysian would still prefer the Aruz over the Rush as the Aruz still has a more Malaysia oriented design theme.

At the front, the Aruz showcases a robust site with its multi-slate grille that’s done beautifully in black and silver accents. The LED headlamps adds to the aggressive yet modern design of the SUV.

In addition the LED headlamps also includes the Follow-Me-Home feature which is a function that turns on the headlights for around 5-10 seconds longer once you get out of the car. This is a convenient feature to have especially when parking your car during the night.

The Advance version of the Aurz comes equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, power folding ORVMs, as well as roof rails. This is a convenient feature for consumers that needs to use the Aruz to carry bulky cargo or sporting equipment overhead which they could fixed it on the rails and carry them on the go.

The rear of the Aruz is equally stunning as well as it its equipped with wrap-around edgy tail lamp, bold and black tailgate trim, number plate with silver garnish, and rear skid plates.

Perodua Aruz Front

Perodua Aruz Back

Engine & Fuel Consumption of the Aruz

The Aruz is powered by a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated engine which produces 105 Hp at 6000 rpmand 136 Nm at 4200 rpm. It is the same engine that is found in the Toyota Rush as well.

This engine comes mated to a four-speed automatic unit that sends the generated power to the wheels. Courtesy to displacement, the Aruz is eligible for the petrol subsidy.

Perodua has claimed that the all new Aruz has a fuel economy of 15.6 km/l. The Aruz also comes equipped with Eco Idle automatic engine start/stop tech which helps further enhance its fuel saving ability which can help benefits potential consumers in the long run.

Perodua Aruz 1.5 Litre Engine

Safety of the Aruz

The Aruz comes with a lists of safety features which includes the following features, which includes 6 airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, ABS with EBD and brake assist, Hill start assist, Hill descent control, seat belt reminder for all seats, emergency stop signal, and ISOFIX.

In my opinion, this is an impressive list of safety features for its price range that starts from RM 72,900. As not many SUV’s that is below RM 100k in Malaysia offer Six SRS Airbags as standard across all its variants. Take for example, the all new Honda BRV which was launched in Malaysia back in the year 2017 which starts at RM80,989. It is quite a letdown that the BRV only comes with 2 SRS Airbags as standard as compared to the Aruz which has 6 SRS Airbags as standard. Not to mention that the Aruz is RM 8089 cheaper as compared to the BRV as well.

In addition, the Advance trim that comes equipped with the Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0,front departure alert, pre-collision warking with pedestrian detection, and pedal misoperation control. This is a feature that is not found in the BRV as well. 

Safety Features of the Aruz

Summary

Eventhough the Perodua Aruz is the new entry in the B-segment SUV market. It entices potential car buyers with its appealing looks, class-leading cabin as well as the wide range safety feature that is available for a car of its price range.

If you’re a potential car buyer that is looking for an affordable SUV price below RM100k to drive your family around, the Aruz you could definetly consider the Aruz as your day to day car.

For detail review of the Perodua Aruz, kindly click on the video below. Credits to Bobby Ang for reviewing the Perodua Aruz.

Perodua Aruz Review by Bobby Ang