Review: Perodua Aruz 1.5 AV, is it worth paying RM 77,900 for a Perodua?

(2019 Perodua Aruz Prices & Specs | Gallery)

With roughly 25,000 units sold to date since its introduction back in January, the Perodua Aruz has proven itself to be a popular model.

This is despite the fact that the Perodua Aruz is currently Perodua's most expensive model on sale right now, priced from RM 72,900.

Exterior – Looks like the Toyota Rush

Perodua Aruz looks like Toyota Rush, eh? At a glance, it's tough trying to differentiate the Perodua Aruz from the Toyota Rush, but there are some differences.

Separating the Perodua Aruz from the Toyota Rush include a different front bumper and grille, new wheels, and a revised rear bumper. The Perodua Aruz also makes do without the Toyota Rush's "R-Blade" body kit.

The build quality of the Perodua Aruz is reasonably consistent, with panel gaps deviating no more than 1.0 mm. Paint thickness is also rather consistent, as it ranged from 100s micrometer to 120s micrometers.

Interior – Sea of hard plastics

The dashboard design of the Perodua Aruz is different from the Toyota Rush.

In the Perodua Aruz, the dashboard features silver trim pieces and glossy black trim for the centre piece, which is different from the Toyota Rush's dual-tone design.

Furthermore, the Perodua Aruz makes do without the faux stitching, which can be found on the Toyota Rush.

Like any other Perodua model, the interior is mostly hard plastics – from the dashboard to the door trim.

Not that having hard plastics is a bad thing, as this material is able to withstand the test of time with relative ease.

With that said, the Perodua Aruz does get some leather wrapping on the door trim, which helps to improve the cabin atmosphere.

Some oddities we noticed in the cabin include the lack of physical volume controls on the head unit. Furthermore, the steering wheel audio controls lack a physical mute button.

Driving Performance and Handling – It’s all about workhorse duties

With just 102 PS and 133 Nm on tap, the Perodua Aruz is not the byword for performance.

The light steering also eases the maneuvering process in the Perodua Aruz, and couple that with the tight turning radius, makes parking much easier. 

Compared to the Toyota Rush's 360-degree monitor, the Perodua Aruz only gets a reverse camera.

A 4-speed automatic transmission is the sole option we get, and it does a decent job of shifting gears. Shifts are smooth, though kick-down could be more responsive. The transmission does take its own sweet time to downshift, so plan your overtakes beforehand.

Our tests indicate that the Perodua Aruz is able to complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in 15.7 seconds, while the 0-100-0 km/h test is completed in 19.3 seconds.

Ride Comfort – Decent enough, but the BR-V is better

It is worth mentioning that the Perodua Aruz's suspension is designed with a full load (7 passengers + luggage) in mind, so with just 2 people on board, the suspension was best described as "under damped" and ride comfort is on the firmer side of things.

Considering its body-on-frame construction, the Perodua Aruz's handling cannot match the rivals with a unibody construction, such as the Honda BR-V. The Honda BR-V, despite being an MPV, offers a more refined ride over the Perodua Aruz, exhibiting a car-like driving experience.

At 110 km/h, we recorded the cabin noise level to be at 70.3 dB. While the Perodua Aruz is idling, the cabin registers just 46.6 dB, with the air-conditioning switched on.

Fuel Economy – Good, but not great

After covering about 111 km through a mix of highways and urban traffic, the Perodua Aruz returned 7.5-litre/100 km, not too far from Perodua's claimed 6.4-litre/100 km figure.

Conclusion – Excellent choice for the salary man with a growing family

While the Perodua Aruz may lose out to the Honda BR-V in terms of ride comfort and overall refinement levels, it does claw back with superior safety equipment over the Honda.

Versus the Honda BR-V's 2 airbags and stability control, the Perodua Aruz further adds another 4 more airbags (side and curtain airbags), and Advanced Safety Assist 2.0 (ASA 2.0).

We are aware that cheaper options like the Proton Exora exists, but the Exora only has 2 airbags across the range, and its fuel consumption is mediocre at best.

As such, for those seeking an all-rounded family SUV, the Perodua Aruz is an excellent choice, encompassing practically everything that a buyer could possibly ask for, including a tall ride height, sufficient safety features, Perodua Aruz interior design and a proven powertrain.

And it is no surprise why almost 25,000 units have been sold so far.