How strange it might seem, that while - according to Perodua - the "Malaysian family dynamic has changed significantly over the past decade, with the number of family members shrinking from an average of six to four," the need to be able to carry more people in a car has increased.
Well, that’s what you’d believe, if the ever-increasing number of multi-purpose vehicles that dot the roads is anything to go by. With the allusion to the figure above, one has to wonder why there would be a need for more, to carry less.
Never mind that then. The important thing is that MPVs are an ever growing trend, a lifestyle statement, if you will, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t have enough people to carry them in - the point is that you can carry them when the situation demands it, and in relative comfort and luxury as opposed to a rather limiting sedan.
Versatility, in this case, is the buzzword - and it’s exactly what the new Perodua Alza promises, ‘versatile as you’ being the attached tagline for the compact, seven-seater P5. ‘Car one moment, MPV the next’ is another catchphrase.
And it really is, given its size and kit list, as well as the price point at which it enters the fray. It should suffice for many in terms of town use, offering the right balance of load-carrying ability and natural bulk.
In terms of competition, the Alza goes up against a stablemate of sorts, the Toyota Avanza, which it should undoubtedly take more than a fair amount of sales from, though it will also do battle with something a little larger, in this case Proton’s Exora.
With an external measurement of 4,205 x 1,695 x 1,620mm (l/w/h), the Alza is very much an in-between, correctly tagged as a compact MPV and perfect for those looking for something slightly larger than a standard sedan but not as big as a full-fledged MPV.
It’s based largely on the Toyota Passo Sette (and Daihatsu Boon Luminas), though the Alza is somewhat longer than the latter by about 50mm. The Alza, which weighs in at 1,120-1,150kg, depending on variant, does share some commonality with the Myvi, less than 30% in terms of componentry. Primarily, the largest single area is with the front end of the cabin platform, but this has of course seen a fair amount of adaptation come about for the new vehicle. Elsewhere, it’s all new.
Styling-wise, the lines are clean, streamlined in a safe manner; granted, there’s only that much you can do with a MPV shape in terms of form and flow, so there’s nothing to take away from the vehicle here.
The Alza (the name is derived from a Spanish word meaning “rise”) is powered by a 3SZ-VE 1.5l twin-cam DVVT engine, which puts out 103bhp at 6,000rpm and 136Nm at 4,400rpm of torque. Both five-speed manual and four-speed auto transmissions are available, and at point of launch four variant types will go on sale.
Perodua has given the Alza a fair bit on the features front, and the kit includes items like projector headlamps, a four-speaker, CD/MP3/WMA audio system with Bluetooth capability (on the premium version), steering wheel audio control switches (again, on the premium version), power windows for all four doors, a tilt adjustable steering wheel, a centre mounted Optitron meter panel (with blue illumination for the premium variant, and amber for the standard), a foot pedal parking brake, and for the auto version, a gear shifter located on the instrument panel. The premium version also gets a rear spoiler and front fog lamps.
The Alza rides on MacPherson struts and coils in front and a torsion beam with stabiliser bar at the rear, and sits on eight-spoke 15-inch alloys and 185/55 series rubbers. Brakes are discs in front and drums at the back. On the premium version, you get dual SRS airbags, as well as ABS with EBD and brake assist.
There’s plenty to like inside. Granted, the two-tone plastics in the interior still look a little hard to the sight, but the presentation is clean enough on the whole, and ergonomics are decent. There is one small matter of the panel that houses the three air-conditioner rotary knobs - on the manual, with just these to dot the particular panel in a line, the surface looks strikingly bare, with the result that the light grey finish is exposed as somewhat cheap looking. The auto reduces this acuity and focus, since the knobs are repositioned and the gearshift becomes the primary focal point. Nothing a painted panel add-on can’t address, really.
The 2,520 x 1,415 x 1,310mm (l/w/h) cabin is decently spacious, and the second row seats have separate sliding mechanisms, which allow the seats to be adjusted 150mm. The third row seat is a fold bench, and in all, there’s no shortage of seating arrangements and options, offering 83l of luggage space with all seats up right up to 884l with row two and three folded flat.
As for the third row, it'd have been nice to have separate folding seats here, because while it may be more cost effective to manufacture and implement compared to the former, if you decide to sit six and carry a box, it’s going to be fun. Ditto the metal cabinet that the product shots used to highlight the three-passenger mode ability of the car. Want to seat four in such a case? Well, you can’t.
In use, as was shown during the media preview of the vehicle a couple of weeks ago, the configuration will seat seven easy, though there are some pinches to be had given the size of the vehicle. In terms of leg space, the third row clearance is more than acceptable, with due adjustment of the second row seats. Doing so, with say three tall-ish adults in a line from row one to three does show up one little hiccup, egress can get a little difficult, especially in terms of the getting your legs to clear the door opening. Nonetheless, the Alza does commendably well in its ability to hold seven at a go.
The ride comfort in the third row looks to be alright for short hauls, but can be considered a little bumpy. The take from the second row is good though, and on the whole the ride comfort of the vehicle is decent. Speaking of seats, the front row has what is effectively a seat bridge, a “joiner” of sorts, making the front seats look like a row. Technically, it’s not a seat, but you can imagine a fair number of kids plonking themselves on the ‘middle seat’; from a safety perspective, it could shape up to be less than pretty.
In terms of performance, the 3SZ-VE pot is adequate for hauling the Alza around in town. It isn’t a scorcher, but offers decent pace once the mass gets going. Here, the manual offers more spirit and poke, though the shifter is set a little too low in reach, completely rubbery in feel and the actuation, especially in first gear, is rather notchy. The auto offers a more refined take on things, to the point that you’ll happily let it go along at its own pace. Sprightliness aside, the auto is very much the preferable drivetrain choice.
As for consumption figures, the claimed figures are 12.7km/l for the auto and 15.5km/l for the manual, in mix mode, based on internal testing.
At its current entry point, four variants of the Alza will go on sale, these being the Standard manual (SX) and auto (EZ) and Premium manual (SXi) and auto (EZi). The SX goes for RM55,490 (solid), RM55,990 (metallic) and RM56,190 (special metallic), EZ goes for RM58,490 (solid), RM58,990 (metallic) and RM59,190 (special metallic).
As for the SXi, the pricing is RM60,490 (solid), RM60,990 (metallic) and RM61,190 (special metallic), and the EZi is priced at RM63,490 (solid), RM63,990 (metallic) and RM64,190 (special metallic). All these prices are on-the-road, with insurance.
In the first quarter next year, a sportier variant, the Advanced Version, in both manual and auto form, will go on sale. This one will come with a full bodykit made up of front, rear and side skirts as well as a rear spoiler, leather seats, windscreen-mounted 5-inch GPS unit and a 150-degree wide angle reverse camera and special tint film.
This one will be available in three colours, namely Classy Purple, Ebony Black and Ivory White, and pricing for the Advanced Version is RM66,490 (solid) and RM66,990 (metallic) for the manual, while the auto version will go for RM69,490 (solid) and RM69,990 (metallic). With the exception of the reverse camera, which is installed during the vehicle’s build process, you can go for say, the bodykit, as an option with the other variants, priced accordingly, of course.
Six colours are available for the Alza, and these are Ivory White, the only solid colour in the shade line-up, Glittering Silver, Ebony Black, Medallion Grey, as well as a Pearl White special metallic and a new shade called Classy Purple, which is available only for the Premium variants.
Perodua is hoping to sell about 3,500-4,000 units a month of the Alza, targeted at young families and singles looking to own a ‘big car,’ and given the product’s features and price scope, that target should be easily met. Versatile? Indeed, as much as you want it to be, really; car one moment, MPV the next. Sounds perfect, no?
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