Set to be introduced in early-2021, the Perodua D55L is Perodua’s upcoming B-segment SUV that is expected to feature a number of firsts for the company.

Perhaps the most important change for Perodua is the possible introduction of a turbocharged engine in the D55L – a first for Perodua.

Codenamed 1KR-VET, the Perodua D55L’s engine is essentially a turbocharged Axia engine. The 1KR-VET was first fitted to the Japan-market Daihatsu Thor in 2016, before finding its way to the Daihatsu Rocky/Toyota Raize in 2019.

The naturally-aspirated 1KR-VE delivers 68 PS at 6,000 rpm and 91 Nm at 4,400 rpm. The turbocharged version, on the other hand, is capable of delivering 98 PS at 6,000 rpm and 140 Nm from 2,400 rpm to 4,000 rpm.

While the 1KR-VET’s power figures may not look impressive, it is more than enough for the Japan-market Raize/Rocky, as they tip the scale at 980 kg – considerably less than the Proton X50’s 1,370 kg kerb weight.

Apart from the new turbocharged engine, the upcoming Perodua D55L is also expected to feature a CVT-type automatic transmission – another first for Perodua, which historically has been fitted four-speed automatic transmissions to almost all their models.

Whether or not the D55L gets Daihatsu's D-CVT is another story altogether.