Perodua Ativa expected to cannibalise 5% of Aruz and Myvi sales – no disruption to Axia, Bezza production

The Perodua Ativa is poised to become a popular option among car buyers, but there are some of you that might be wondering to what degree the new B-segment SUV will cannibalise the sales of other models in the national carmaker’s line-up.

This situation is brought up because the Ativa is priced between RM61,500 and RM72,000, which places it within the ballpark of the Aruz that goes for RM68,526 to RM73,226. Additionally, the Ativa’s base starting price could also entice customers who were originally considering a Myvi to take the step to the SUV instead.

During a press conference following last week’s pre-launch drive event, the company said that it was aware that there will be some cannibalisation from the Ativa’s introduction. However, it is certain that this won’t be a huge matter, as the pricing for its new SUV was deliberate to minimise price overlapping. The national carmaker also explained that each model has a different customer profile attached to it, so their appeal is highly dependent on what the customer wants from a Perodua model.

Based on the surveys with customers, Perodua determined that those who are looking at an Aruz are primarily interested in the higher seating capacity that the model offers – two more than the Ativa – so that reduces the possibility of cannibalisation.

As for the Myvi, the company says the hatchback is targeted more towards family-oriented customers, whereas the Ativa’s customer profile are younger individuals with active lifestyles that want something more rugged in terms of design.

The Axia and Bezza are non-issues in this regard, given their respective pricing as entry-level models, while the aging Alza is only going to appeal to those that prefer size and practicality of an MPV, so there’s very little risk of the Ativa stealing sales away from said model.

In terms of percentages, the company is expecting the Ativa to cannibalise around five per cent of sales from the Myvi and five per cent from the Aruz, so 10% in total. For a carmaker that, even in a bad year, sells upwards of 200,000 vehicles annually, that’s a mere drop in a bucket – especially given the extra sales volume the Ativa will undoubtedly bring.

The Ativa is produced at the Perodua Global Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (PGMSB) plant in Rawang, Selangor, which is also where the Axia and Bezza are made. The company stated that despite the shared production site, the Ativa will not cannibalise the production of those models.

Our full coverage of the launch of the Perodua Ativa