PETALING JAYA, Jan 27 — It is safe to say that the 2022 Perodua Alza was the most talked about car last year for various reasons.

One of them is, of course, the fact that it is the most competitively-priced car of its kind you can buy today.

But is it really the car to go to if you are looking for a family vehicle under RM80,000?

The Alza is a seven-seater and there are quite a number of approaches to look at it. We sampled the range-topping 1.5 V, priced at RM75,500.

What is it?

In this day and age, the lines between MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), crossover and SUV (sports utility vehicle) have become blurred, partly affected by marketing exercises.

To put them simply, let us categorise the segment from ground clearance point of view.

The Perodua Alza has a 150mm ground clearance, closer to the Proton Exora which rides at 155mm, positioning these two models in the MPV category.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Veloz, Honda BR-V and the Mitsubishi Xpander have much higher ground clearances at more than 190mm, making them more of an SUV or crossovers.

The difference between the new Perodua Alza and the previous one is like night and day; the only thing they share is the name.

The platform, transmission, design, technology, and the overall packaging are all new.

Key features on the new Alza (depending on the variants) include full LED headlights with Auto High Beam, 16-inch wheels, fully-digital instrument cluster, Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity, rear air-conditioning vents, new D-CVT transmission, electronic parking brake, 360 camera, and a whole list of safety tech under ASA 3.0 (Advanced Safety Assist 3.0).

More practical than ever

In terms of appearance, despite being an MPV, I found myself treating the Alza as a station-wagon during the week I drove it.

Maybe I am one of those guys who refuse to believe that they need an MPV at this point of life, perhaps owning a wagon is a good transition I suppose.

In fact, Perodua also shared that most of Alza owners only use two rows of seats most of the time, so yeah, a front-wheel drive, five-seater, lots of cargo space wagon anyone?

Space is one of the most crucial factors in this kind of car and the new Perodua Alza did not disappoint.

Second and third row seats were satisfyingly roomy. You can slide the second-row seats back and forth around 40cm to adjust the spaces between the two rear rows as well as to allow for better access to the third row.

I have to be honest though, the first-row seats are now less spacious compared to the old Alza, a ‘sacrifice’ to a more modern and driver-focused dashboard design with a rather premium centre console.

Speaking of which, the overall quality here in the cockpit is the best you can get for the price bracket, it did not feel too cheap.

The hard plastic surfaces here appeared rather contemporary and most buttons have good tactile feel to them.

It is worth mentioning that the third-row seats offer good seating posture even for adults, the floor was not too high so you do not feel like you are crouching.

A rather sophisticated drive

Under the hood of the Perodua Alza is the familiar 1.5-litre petrol engine with around 105hp and 138Nm of torque, paired to a new D-CVT transmission.

Is it underpowered? While the Alza is not going to be supremely potent like the RM260,000 2.2 diesel Kia Carnival, it offered a more than sufficient punch to get you going.

Having driven the Alza with five adults together with luggage, through the hilly Bukit Tinggi and twisty Karak highway, I have to say I have no complaints on the Alza’s powertrain.

The D-CVT helped spread the powerband along the rev range while providing a good balance between performance and fuel economy.

It is not going to deliver the advertised 22km/litre in the real-world driving, but the Alza can peak at 18km/litre when driven light-footedly.

There’s a set of new driving modes where you can engage from the steering wheel, but to me, the more efficient way of getting more performance and control out of the car was by engaging the gear lever from D to S.

Here, the engine will run at a higher rev giving you more juice, then when off the throttle, the gearbox retained the rpm simulating engine braking, good for tackling corners and going downhills.

Yes, this is not a sports car but we have to bear in mind the Alza might be the only car in some households.

So, it may be driven to send the kids to school and out of the city. A one-for-all kind of car for some families.

In essence, if you need the space to carry up to seven people and you do not need the high ground clearance and heavy-duty chassis from the Aruz, then the Perodua Alza is the best car you can buy today.

At the price, it offers a great package of practicality, features, safety, and value.

Here are more snapshots of the vehicle.

Front and rear of the Perodua Alza. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi
Front and rear of the Perodua Alza. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

The interior of the car. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi
The interior of the car. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

No complaints about engine power. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi
No complaints about engine power. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

This is a seven-seater that can be converted. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi
This is a seven-seater that can be converted. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

The platform, transmission, design, technology, and the overall packaging are all new. — Picture by Amirul HazmiPETALING JAYA, Jan 27 — It is safe to say that the 2022 Perodua Alza was the most talked about car last year for various reasons.One of them is, of course, the fact that it is the most competitively-priced car of its kind you can buy today.But is it really the car to go to if you are looking for a family vehicle under RM80,000?The Alza is a seven-seater and there are quite a number of approaches to look at it. We sampled the range-topping 1.5 V, priced at RM75,500.What is it?In this day and age, the lines between MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), crossover and SUV (sports utility vehicle) have become blurred, partly affected by marketing exercises.To put them simply, let us categorise the segment from ground clearance point of view.The Perodua Alza has a 150mm ground clearance, closer to the Proton Exora which rides at 155mm, positioning these two models in the MPV category.Meanwhile, the Toyota Veloz, Honda BR-V and the Mitsubishi Xpander have much higher ground clearances at more than 190mm, making them more of an SUV or crossovers.The difference between the new Perodua Alza and the previous one is like night and day; the only thing they share is the name.The platform, transmission, design, technology, and the overall packaging are all new.Key features on the new Alza (depending on the variants) include full LED headlights with Auto High Beam, 16-inch wheels, fully-digital instrument cluster, Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity, rear air-conditioning vents, new D-CVT transmission, electronic parking brake, 360 camera, and a whole list of safety tech under ASA 3.0 (Advanced Safety Assist 3.0).More practical than everIn terms of appearance, despite being an MPV, I found myself treating the Alza as a station-wagon during the week I drove it.Maybe I am one of those guys who refuse to believe that they need an MPV at this point of life, perhaps owning a wagon is a good transition I suppose.In fact, Perodua also shared that most of Alza owners only use two rows of seats most of the time, so yeah, a front-wheel drive, five-seater, lots of cargo space wagon anyone?Space is one of the most crucial factors in this kind of car and the new Perodua Alza did not disappoint.Second and third row seats were satisfyingly roomy. You can slide the second-row seats back and forth around 40cm to adjust the spaces between the two rear rows as well as to allow for better access to the third row.I have to be honest though, the first-row seats are now less spacious compared to the old Alza, a ‘sacrifice’ to a more modern and driver-focused dashboard design with a rather premium centre console.Speaking of which, the overall quality here in the cockpit is the best you can get for the price bracket, it did not feel too cheap.The hard plastic surfaces here appeared rather contemporary and most buttons have good tactile feel to them.It is worth mentioning that the third-row seats offer good seating posture even for adults, the floor was not too high so you do not feel like you are crouching.A rather sophisticated driveUnder the hood of the Perodua Alza is the familiar 1.5-litre petrol engine with around 105hp and 138Nm of torque, paired to a new D-CVT transmission.Is it underpowered? While the Alza is not going to be supremely potent like the RM260,000 2.2 diesel Kia Carnival, it offered a more than sufficient punch to get you going.Having driven the Alza with five adults together with luggage, through the hilly Bukit Tinggi and twisty Karak highway, I have to say I have no complaints on the Alza’s powertrain.The D-CVT helped spread the powerband along the rev range while providing a good balance between performance and fuel economy.It is not going to deliver the advertised 22km/litre in the real-world driving, but the Alza can peak at 18km/litre when driven light-footedly.There’s a set of new driving modes where you can engage from the steering wheel, but to me, the more efficient way of getting more performance and control out of the car was by engaging the gear lever from D to S.Here, the engine will run at a higher rev giving you more juice, then when off the throttle, the gearbox retained the rpm simulating engine braking, good for tackling corners and going downhills.Yes, this is not a sports car but we have to bear in mind the Alza might be the only car in some households.So, it may be driven to send the kids to school and out of the city. A one-for-all kind of car for some families.In essence, if you need the space to carry up to seven people and you do not need the high ground clearance and heavy-duty chassis from the Aruz, then the Perodua Alza is the best car you can buy today.At the price, it offers a great package of practicality, features, safety, and value.Here are more snapshots of the vehicle.
The platform, transmission, design, technology, and the overall packaging are all new. — Picture by Amirul HazmiPETALING JAYA, Jan 27 — It is safe to say that the 2022 Perodua Alza was the most talked about car last year for various reasons.One of them is, of course, the fact that it is the most competitively-priced car of its kind you can buy today.But is it really the car to go to if you are looking for a family vehicle under RM80,000?The Alza is a seven-seater and there are quite a number of approaches to look at it. We sampled the range-topping 1.5 V, priced at RM75,500.What is it?In this day and age, the lines between MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), crossover and SUV (sports utility vehicle) have become blurred, partly affected by marketing exercises.To put them simply, let us categorise the segment from ground clearance point of view.The Perodua Alza has a 150mm ground clearance, closer to the Proton Exora which rides at 155mm, positioning these two models in the MPV category.Meanwhile, the Toyota Veloz, Honda BR-V and the Mitsubishi Xpander have much higher ground clearances at more than 190mm, making them more of an SUV or crossovers.The difference between the new Perodua Alza and the previous one is like night and day; the only thing they share is the name.The platform, transmission, design, technology, and the overall packaging are all new.Key features on the new Alza (depending on the variants) include full LED headlights with Auto High Beam, 16-inch wheels, fully-digital instrument cluster, Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity, rear air-conditioning vents, new D-CVT transmission, electronic parking brake, 360 camera, and a whole list of safety tech under ASA 3.0 (Advanced Safety Assist 3.0).More practical than everIn terms of appearance, despite being an MPV, I found myself treating the Alza as a station-wagon during the week I drove it.Maybe I am one of those guys who refuse to believe that they need an MPV at this point of life, perhaps owning a wagon is a good transition I suppose.In fact, Perodua also shared that most of Alza owners only use two rows of seats most of the time, so yeah, a front-wheel drive, five-seater, lots of cargo space wagon anyone?Space is one of the most crucial factors in this kind of car and the new Perodua Alza did not disappoint.Second and third row seats were satisfyingly roomy. You can slide the second-row seats back and forth around 40cm to adjust the spaces between the two rear rows as well as to allow for better access to the third row.I have to be honest though, the first-row seats are now less spacious compared to the old Alza, a ‘sacrifice’ to a more modern and driver-focused dashboard design with a rather premium centre console.Speaking of which, the overall quality here in the cockpit is the best you can get for the price bracket, it did not feel too cheap.The hard plastic surfaces here appeared rather contemporary and most buttons have good tactile feel to them.It is worth mentioning that the third-row seats offer good seating posture even for adults, the floor was not too high so you do not feel like you are crouching.A rather sophisticated driveUnder the hood of the Perodua Alza is the familiar 1.5-litre petrol engine with around 105hp and 138Nm of torque, paired to a new D-CVT transmission.Is it underpowered? While the Alza is not going to be supremely potent like the RM260,000 2.2 diesel Kia Carnival, it offered a more than sufficient punch to get you going.Having driven the Alza with five adults together with luggage, through the hilly Bukit Tinggi and twisty Karak highway, I have to say I have no complaints on the Alza’s powertrain.The D-CVT helped spread the powerband along the rev range while providing a good balance between performance and fuel economy.It is not going to deliver the advertised 22km/litre in the real-world driving, but the Alza can peak at 18km/litre when driven light-footedly.There’s a set of new driving modes where you can engage from the steering wheel, but to me, the more efficient way of getting more performance and control out of the car was by engaging the gear lever from D to S.Here, the engine will run at a higher rev giving you more juice, then when off the throttle, the gearbox retained the rpm simulating engine braking, good for tackling corners and going downhills.Yes, this is not a sports car but we have to bear in mind the Alza might be the only car in some households.So, it may be driven to send the kids to school and out of the city. A one-for-all kind of car for some families.In essence, if you need the space to carry up to seven people and you do not need the high ground clearance and heavy-duty chassis from the Aruz, then the Perodua Alza is the best car you can buy today.At the price, it offers a great package of practicality, features, safety, and value.Here are more snapshots of the vehicle.