Well what do we have here? It appears that the soon-to-be-launched Daihatsu Rocky e:Smart hybrid has been spotted in Malaysia.

As seen in the Perodua Ativa中文交流区 (D55L) Facebook group, this particular Rocky was seen wearing minimal camouflage, covering only the emblems. The biggest clue as it being the Rocky e:Smart is the revamped front grille with honeycomb pattern. Look carefully and you'll also spot the 5-lug wheels, unique to the hybrid variant of the Rocky.

So what’s the soon-to-be-launched Rocky e:Smart doing in Malaysia? We believe that Daihatsu has requested their Malaysian counterpart Perodua to assist with adaptation work with tropical climate. It does not necessarily mean that Perodua will be launching a hybrid version of the Ativa.

The B3598A trade plate belongs to Perodua, and has been fitted to other Daihatsu models in the past.

What’s new with the Daihatsu Rocky e:Smart?

The e:smart powertrain mates a newly-developed 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine (codenamed WA-VEX) to an electric motor. Judging by the engine code, the base engine could be plucked from the Indonesian-spec Rocky. It's called the WA-VE there, and it makes 88 PS and 107 Nm of torque.

Descriptions thus far point to it being a full-hybrid (series) system, which means it accelerates from standstill via electric power alone but the engine does not drive the wheels. Instead, the engine only serves as an on-board generator, similar to the Nissan e-Power hybrid system.

Also Read: All-new 2022 Nissan Serena to drop S-Hybrid, switching to e-Power-only engine

As far as this e:Smart hybrid powertrain goes, there's still no word on power and fuel economy figures. However, Daihatsu says it can achieve 40% thermal efficiency.

Also Read: The Ativa's hybrid twin: Features of 2021 Daihatsu Rocky e:smart leaked before Nov launch

Daihatsu will launch the Rocky e:Smart in Japan in November, so stay tuned for that.

Photo credit: Alex Tung on Perodua Ativa中文交流区 (D55L)