2021 Perodua Ativa SUV – spec-by-spec comparison

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would’ve known about the biggest launch of the year, the Perodua Ativa. The compact SUV debuted yesterday to much (virtual) fanfare and sets new standards for the national carmaker in terms of technology and safety.

Perodua has made it easier for customers to pick the car they want, with just three variants and one engine and gearbox option. Still, it’s important to know what you get at each price point, and that’s where our spec-by-spec comparison comes in.

First, let’s talk about pricing, which starts at RM61,500 for the base X model and rises up to RM66,100 for the mid-range H and RM71,200 for the top-spec AV. These figures are on-the-road without insurance or the sales and service tax (SST), inclusive of a five-year/150,000 km warranty.

As you can expect for a full-fledged SUV priced just over RM60,000, the X variant looks fairly bare-bones, with small wheels, no fog lights, a plain black interior, a button-less steering wheel, fabric seats and a basic head unit. Even so, you do get most of what you need for your money, such as LED head- and taillights, keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity and a digital air-conditioning control panel with memory buttons.

Better yet, Perodua isn’t skimping on safety. Even the base model comes with six airbags and stability control, plus a new version of the carmaker’s Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) system. This includes autonomous emergency braking (now with cyclist detection and a higher operating speed of up to 120 km/h), lane keeping assist, lane departure warning and automatic high beam.

It’s with the H variant where the company piles on the tech. Aside from the larger 17-inch wheels, the car also gets matrix LED headlights, which turns off parts of the high beam to avoid dazzling other road users. Inside, the biggest differences are the nine-inch infotainment touchscreen and a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, replete with multiple themes and novel birthday and anniversary reminders.

But if it’s tech you want, you really have to spring for the AV. This one adds Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability, roping in adaptive cruise control and lane centring assist. You also get blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert as part of the package. Visually, the AV is set apart by flashy faux leather and suede upholstery, with lots of red trim.

No matter which one you go for, the powertrain is unchanged – a new 1.0 litre 1KR-VET turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 98 PS at 6,000 rpm and 140 Nm of torque from 2,400 to 4,000 rpm. All that is sent to the front wheels through a D-CVT (another Perodua first) with seven virtual ratios.

For more details on the new Perodua Ativa, check out our full launch report and our first impressions review. You can also browse full specifications and equipment on CarBase.my. Without further ado, let’s get straight to the variant breakdown in detail.

2021 Perodua Ativa 1.0T X – RM61,500

Gets as standard:

Mechanicals

1.0 litre 1KR-VET VVT-i DOHC engine
998 cc turbocharged three-cylinder petrol
98 PS at 6,000 rpm, 140 Nm of torque from 2,400 to 4,000 rpm
D-CVT with seven virtual ratios
Front-wheel drive
Automatic engine stop/start
18.9 km per litre fuel consumption
Ventilated discs brakes (front), drums (rear)
MacPherson strut suspension (front), torsion beam (rear)

Exterior

LED reflector headlights with automatic high beam
Silver upper grille bar, chrome lower bar
16-inch silver alloy wheels with Goodyear Assurance Triplemax 2 205/65-section tyres
Power-adjustable black door mirrors with manual fold
Body-coloured door handles
Black A- and B-pillars
LED taillights
Shark fin antenna
Silver tailgate garnish
Glittering Silver, Granite Grey and Cobalt Blue colour options

Interior

Keyless entry
Push-button start
Urethane steering wheel with Power button
Silver centre air vent trim
Black door pulls and grab handles
Digital air-conditioning controls with memory buttons
Centre door lock/unlock buttons
Fabric upholstery
Analogue instrument cluster with multi-info display
Radio with Bluetooth connectivity
Four speakers
Two front USB ports
60:40 split-folding and reclining rear seats
Two-step boot floor (303 to 369 litres)
Full-sized spare tyre

Safety

Six airbags (front, side, front and rear curtain)
ABS with EBD and brake assist
Stability control
Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection (now up to 120 km/h)
Lane Departure Warning and Protection
Pedal Misoperation Control (PMC)
Front Departure Alert (FDA)
Front and rear seat belt reminders
Rear ISOFIX child seat anchors
Rear parking sensors
Five-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating

2021 Perodua Ativa 1.0T H – RM66,100

Adds on:

Exterior

Automatic LED headlights with sequential indicators, cornering lights and Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB)
LED front fog lights
Dual chrome grille bars
Silver front and rear skid plates
17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels with Bridgestone Turanza T005A 205/60-section tyres
Automatic power-folding door mirrors
Chrome tailgate garnish
Pearl Diamond White and Pearl Delima Red colour options (RM500)

Interior