The Toyota Raize (and its Daihatsu Rocky sibling) have proved to be a popular model in Japan, but can the Perodua-derivative achieve the same results?

According to data sourced from the Japanese Automobile Dealers Association (JADA), Toyota sold 10,220 units of the Raize (Daihatsu did 3,153 units) in January, putting it well ahead of the Toyota Corolla (8,480 units) and Nissan Note (7,529 units).

The momentum continued in February, as Toyota sold 9,979 units of the Raize (Daihatsu Rocky did 3,411 units), still ahead of the Nissan Note (9,913 units) and Toyota Corolla (9,898 units).

Closer to home, Perodua is expected to introduce its version of the Raize/Rocky later this year.

Codenamed D55L, the upcoming model will be Perodua’s first-ever model to be underpinned by the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform, much like the Rocky/Raize duo.

On top of that, the D55L is also said to feature a new 1.0-litre 1KR-VET turbocharged 3-cylinder engine mated to a CVT-type automatic, another first for Perodua.

With these ingredients on hand, the upcoming D55L could very well be another segment leader for Perodua, much like the Myvi, Axia, Bezza, and Aruz.