Perodua Ativa D55L SUV – teaser shows more details

Slowly but surely, we’re seeing more and more of Perodua’s new D55L compact SUV, tipped to be called the Ativa and slated to be revealed in less than a week’s time, on March 3. Today, the company released a teaser video that finally gives us a (much obscured) look at the front end.

From what we can see, the car will get a deep front grille that is connected to the headlights, differing from the discrete six-point opening found on its twin, the Daihatsu Rocky. As per the Aruz, the Ativa will have twin chrome grille bars, this time mounted further up, linking the unchanged LED headlights. We also see what appears to be a silver skid plate, plus the obligatory round fog lights.

We already know that the Ativa will have a slightly different 17-inch alloy wheel design and a unique rear bumper, the latter sporting inverted L-shaped corners for the reflectors. Don’t expect a lot of changes on the inside, however, with the car set to retain a similar dashboard and items like a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen, seven-inch digital instrument cluster and red accents on higher-end models.

However, the Ativa will have different air-conditioning controls with memory, as well as stiffer suspension compared to the Rocky. All models will be powered by the Rocky’s 1KR-VET 1.0 litre turbo three-cylinder engine making 98 PS at 6,000 rpm and 140 Nm of torque from 2,400 to 4,000 rpm.

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Drive will be sent to the front wheels through a new D-CVT that adds gears and a planetary gearset for high-speed driving. The transmission will feature a new sequential shift mode with seven virtual ratios, while a Power button on the steering wheel remaps the engine and gearbox for quicker response.

Safety kit will be high, with six airbags, stability control and even autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and automatic high beam coming as standard. The range-topping AV variant will get several Perodua firsts such as adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, plus matrix LED headlights.

Prices are expected to range from RM62,500 to RM73,400 on-the-road without insurance. As such, the entry-level model will undercut the larger seven-seat Aruz by some margin, but will be more expensive at the top of the lineup. However, the car’s significant advantage in terms of equipment should provide recompense.

Now that you’ve gotten your first look at the new Ativa, what do you think of the design? Sound off in the comments after the jump. You can also read our man Danny Tan’s first impressions review here.

Our coverage of the 2021 Perodua Ativa D55L SUV