How much is the new Perodua Alza?
So anyway, here we are finally, the Perodua Alza. The smaller MPV also comes with a smaller price tag, though Proton has worked to introduce the Exora Basic as well. Perodua says the Alza project first started off as the D46T about 3 years ago. The Japanese version was unveiled on Christmas day last year.
It’s cheaper than the Exora though technically it isn’t the cheapest in the market. Changan-Berjaya sells their Chana Era CM8 “van” at prices starting from under RM40k.
Datuk Syed Hafiz revealed that a sportier version with a bodykit, GPS navigation and a reverse camera will be introduced in March 2010, though I think showrooms are already taking bookings for this version now. This model will be premium and auto-only, and will go for RM69,990 which is RM6k on top of the Metallic Premium automatic.
The prices range between RM56,000 to RM64,000 per unit for the standard model and between RM67,000 and RM70,000 for the advanced version.
Alza, which means “to rise” in Spanish, rose to the occasion when it was launched with the tagline “Versatile As You” at a ceremony that saw about 900 industry players, Perodua staff, local and foreign journalists and car enthusiasts.
How big is the Perodua Alza?
Above you will find a comparison of various MPVs available in the Malaysian market. The Alza’s power output and weight is actually quite similiar to the Avanza’s, which means performance should be comparable. The Alza and Avanza actually use the same 3SZ-VE engine though the Alza’s is transverse and the Avanza’s is longitudinal for rear wheel drive installation. There is a discrepancy with the power figures quoted above for the Alza and Avanza engine, but I think it’s because Perodua gave DIN numbers while the Toyota numbers are a different kind of measurement.
Is there enough power?
When we drove the Alza under a load of 4 to 5 people it was quite possible to drive in a relaxed manner, though pace was rather hampered. Driving it in a “youthful” manner with hurried progress called for the engine to be revved into the upper boundaries of the rev range most of the time. What made it worse is the fact that the engines did not seem to be run in properly, and most of us in the same car agreed.
Veteran journo Leeps (who went ahead and bought one after the media preview drive) described it as being kinda ‘tight’, while to me the sensation was of an inconsistent torque curve (also reflected in RPM needle progress) that kept dipping randomly. It’s really quite a bummer as when things like this happens it does not reflect the car’s actual performance (just like the Mazda 3 review unit earlier this year), leaving a big blank question mark in my review expectations. So watch out for another review later, as this is pretty much just a preview drive in a circle around the Shangrila Putrajaya, though there was some very nice curves and uphills and downhills.
With regards to the revviness, you really can’t run away from this kind of engine behaviour if you try to drive it like a sports car under heavy loads. The engine has no problems taking the car around gently. I really wouldn’t consider it a significant improvement over the Exora but I found throttle response to be zipper compared to the Campro CPS. Thankfully the sound insulation for the Alza preview drive units (and the Exora) are sufficient to supress any excessive vibrations. The Alza’s engine remained sounding refined up to the redline, despite the inconsistent power delivery issues
How does the Perodua Alza handle?
The Alza behaves surprisingly decently around the bends on our test route. It’s definitely better than the Myvi. All four of us in the Alza 1.5 Premium A/T were all pleasantly surprised by this. I also had no complaints about the weighting of the power steering system – a decent weight makes it easier to point instead of being overassisted where it turns too easily and makes it hard for the driver to hold it in the position he or she wants through a bend.
When I asked the engineers, they said the Alza had improved suspension settings and it was likely that the biggest contributor to the Alza’s decent behaviour around corners is the addition of a rear stabilizer bar. The Myvi does not have this.
The rest of the suspension layout is similiar to the Myvi’s – MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion bar at the rear. The wheels are 15 inchers across the range and the tyres are 185/55R15.
The manual gearshift while in a good position to be reached of course does not offer Civic Type R kind of shift feel. It feels very rubbery and for some reason the feel of putting it into first gear is just somehow tak sedap, like it only goes in half way or something, without much feedback to you that the gear is in position. The rest of the gear positions feel ordinary.
Malaysia is a hot country – how is the air conditioning?
I think this is one of the most important features in an MPV. Stuffing many annoyed people in a hot vehicle is surely a recipe for family arguments! There is only one blower in the Perodua Alza and dashboard-level air conditioning vents are only available at the front.
Perodua says the interior of the Alza’s low roof helps with the air circulation. You can click the image above to test out some test results on air conditioning performance that they’ve released. The tests were performed with a starting cabin temperature of 55 degrees Celcius and test results were obtained after 11 minutes of driving with the air cond at maximum performance.
Are there any safety features?
Yes, only for the premium version, which gets the full ABS and dual SRS airbags treatment. I’m not sure if I can even call that full since we can get 4 airbags in a car below RM100k now – in the Peugeot 308. Even Proton is guilty of this – 2 airbags is the most you can get in any Proton sold in Malaysia.
The standard version is devoid of any safety features whatsoever other than your usual crumple zone and the chassis. ABS, EBD and dual SRS airbags are only available for the premium version, which I find is just plain skimping on specifications. Why couldn’t they have left a single airbag for the standard version? There are also no ISOFIX points anywhere in the car, so you’ll be forced to strap your baby chair with seatbelts (as per some reader’s request, please read my long rant about ISOFIX in this story).
What about the Alza’s Fuel Consumption?
Its premature to talk about fuel consumption at this point of time considering we drove only a few km around Shangrila Putrajaya. Logically I don’t expect the Alza to perform great in terms of fuel efficiency if you have a full load but it’s probably still going to be cheaper than if you take two cars.
Perodua claims 12.7 km per liters with the automatic transmission model and 15.5 km per liters with the manual transmission model. This is based on their own internal “Perodua mixed mode test”, so these numbers will be different from the Passo Sette’s which are based on Japan 10-15 mode.
The Alza’s multi-info display meter integrated in the center dashboard has the ability to show you your average fuel consumption in liters per 100km, and your remaining range based on the fuel remaining in your fuel tank in terms of km.
I will be requesting for a test drive unit later in order to do some day to day driving with only one or two people in the car and measure the overall fuel consumption. I’ll also be trying to measure the fuel consumption on a full load on a short trip somewhere. I believe with these two figures you can get a better picture of the kind of fuel money you’ll be forking out if you own an Alza.
The Perodua Alza drives decently (you honestly can’t say the Alza handles like a boat or the usual stuff that gets said about the Myvi) and offers a lot of space inside, as long as you don’t actually use it as an MPV. At the kind of prices Perodua is asking for, it could become an alternative to sedans from Proton or the Korean manufacturers, or for those who have the spare cash and want something newer than the Myvi, with a bigger bootspace. Just buy the Premium version to make sure you get all the necessary safety equipment. But if you are looking for an alternative to the Exora or any other MPV, you’ll have to think twice if you need it to fit 7 adults.
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