With 3 choices, what is the best variant of the Perodua Ativa for you?
Sanjay · Mar 3, 2021 08:10 PM
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The Malaysian car market welcomed a new competitor today in the form of the much talked-about 2021 Perodua Ativa. It's finally here, and boy is it feature-packed with eyebrow-raising price tags.
We'll say this - it's the good kind of eyebrow-raising, especially when prices start from RM 61,500. Oh, and did we mention Pre-Collision Braking (PCB) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is standard across the range?
Across the board, the Ativa undercuts the Proton X50's starting prices - but how much of it is good value? Which variant - at least on paper - is the best buy? These are questions you'll undoubtedly ask, so we'll answer them for you in this article.
Base X variant is worth a mention
The base variant of the Ativa (1.0 X) is definitely worth a second look. There's a few niceties in terms of LED headlights with automatic high beams (AHB), keyless entry with push start, as well as a 4.2-inch multi-info display nestled between its analogue instrument gauges.
However, it truly shines in terms of safety - there's 6 airbags, and it also comes with Perodua's Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 3.0 ADAS suite encapsulating these features:
Pre-Collision Braking (PCB)
Pre-Collision Warning (PCW)
Pedal Misoperation Control (PMC)
Front Departure Alert (FDA)
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
H variant adds on creature comforts
In the H variant, you'll get LED front fog lamps, sequential turn signals, and also upsized 17-inch wheels
The interior benefits from extra kit too - you'll now get a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system (there's phone mirroring, but not Android Auto and Apple CarPlay sadly), a snazzy 7-inch fully-digital instrument cluster, a multi-function steering wheel, and a set of USB ports for rear-seat occupants.
Safety-wise, the H variant adds on front parking sensors, a reverse camera, and adaptive headlights (Adaptive Driving Beam), making it the cheapest new car in Malaysia to do so.
The cream of the crop then is the range-topping AV. It retains equipment found in the H variant, but adds on dual-tone body colour options, leather seats, and 6 speakers (up from 4 in the rest of the range).
The headline-grabbing point with the AV variant is the bevy of semi-autonomous driving assistance features it gets:
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
Lane Keep Control (LKC)
Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (BSM, RCTA)
Braking is handled by a pair of ventilated discs in front, and a set of drums behind.
Conclusion - great value for money
Any which way it's cut, it's apparent that Perodua's knocked it right out of the park in terms of pricing. It's great that the base variant isn't depressingly kosong, but if you want something a little less spartan, something a bit more modern, we'd suggest you to spring for the H or even the AV variants.
But therein also lies the inevitable question: is it even in the same segment as the Proton X50? Technically, it is, and you can pitch them together as my colleague Shaun shows here.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.