Daihatsu Begins Sales of the New Compact Car ALZA in Malaysia

OSAKA, JAPAN – November 24, 2009: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (Daihatsu) announced today that it has, together with Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) its Malaysian automobile production and sales joint venture company located in Selangor, Malaysia, begun sales of a new compact car, the ALZA. An event to mark the launch of the ALZA was held in Kuala Lumpur in the evening of November 23.

The ALZA, based on the compact passenger vehicle Boon Luminas in Japan, was developed under an R&D project led by Perodua to meet the diversifying needs and higher demand for compact cars in the Malaysian market, targeting the MPV and 3-box segments that are not fully covered by the Myvi and Viva alone. The monthly sales target is 3,500 units and the manufacturer's suggested retail prices range between RM56,000 and RM64,000 (approximately 1.45 to 1.66 million yen).

Origin of the ALZA name

The "ALZA" vehicle name is based on the Spanish word "alzar," which means to raise, boost, or lift, thus designating a vehicle that "enhances your lifestyle."

Perodua is Malaysia's second national auto manufacturer and has expanded its product lineup, with a focus on compact cars. With the cooperation of the Malaysian government, Perodua has worked to raise its cost competitiveness and enhance quality, as well as that of its suppliers, and has expanded its business also through production of the Avanza under contract from Toyota and exported the Myvi to Indonesia.

The highest specification level of the Perodua Alza is actually a model called the Perodua Alza Advanced Version, which is basically based on the Alza 1.5 Automatic Premium and Manual Premium but with a few additional specifications. You can book this now but delivery will only start in March 2010.

You basically get a new bodykit which consists of front, rear and side skirts and a different rear spoiler. On the inside, you get leather seat covers for all the seats, but the leather treatment does not continue onto the door trim. Also provided is a 5 inch touchscreen LCD which has a Windows CE-based GPS navigation system with a SiRF Atlas IV chipset and 500MHz CPU. The LCD also displays a feed from a 150 degree lense reverse camera.

Finally, there is tinted film for all the glass in the Alza which Perodua claims is GPS and SmartTAG friendly. Perodua states the specifications as following: 95% IR rejection, 99% UV rejection, 70% light for the front windscreen and about over 50% light for the rest of the glass. This tint has a 5 year warranty against peeling, oxidisation, cracking, discoloration and fading. I assume that as an OEM option this tint is also JPJ-approved.

The Alza Advanced Version manual goes for RM66,490 for solid and RM66,990 for metallic, while the Alza Advanced Version automatic goes for RM69,490 for solid and RM69,990 for metallic. The S. Metallic option is missing because the Alza Advanced Version only comes in three colours – Ivory White, Ebony Black and Classy Purple, while the only special metallic colour is Pearl White.

I reckon you could probably get a good Garmin nuvi for under RM1,000 and add on a very good set of tint for about RM2,000 to RM3,000 or so maximum. If you don’t want the leather seat covers and bodykit you’re better off adding your own tint and GPS. Not sure about the cost of the reverse camera though.

Look after the jump for more pix of the Alza Advanced Version.

Click here to read the rest of Perodua Alza Advanced Version – extra equipment

HOT: Proton MPV 100% fully uncovered!

Fully undisguised shots of the Proton MPV – both exterior and interior – have found their way onto the internet, and they reveal to us plenty of details on the eagerly anticipated 7-seater MPV by Proton!

What we can see is one shot of the Proton MPV in white, another in an unidentified brown-like colour (may be something else altogether because of colour balance), and 3 shots of the interior. Here are what can be observed:

• A complete revamp of the Proton steering wheel design that is curiously reminiscent of the one Honda is currently using. There is steering wheel audio controls and also a phone button which could indicate some variants of the MPV are equipped with a Bluetooth hands-free system.
• Instrument panel features a two-meter design, with RPM on the left and an even-numbered speedometer on the right which tops out at 180km/h. The design of the meters are predominantly red with white text. They look like an evolution of the one in the GEN2 CPS facelift, but with modifications that somehow make them end up looking like the one found in the Isuzu D-Max, except the D-Max design is blue.
• A small storage and a card holder (Touch N Go?) located below the driver’s side aircond vent
• A door-open indicator in the middle of the two meters

• A redline of 7,000rpm for the RPM meter
• Two digital displays below each meter. The left one shows a digital fuel meter and digital temp meter as well as various other multi-info readings. I’m not sure what the right one shows.

• The gear lever is dash-mounted much like the Honda CR-V.
• Dashboard itself doesn’t seem to have any texture to it but it’s likely that this is a pre-production version, so the production version should have some texture in-line with all the recent Proton model launches.
• Center dash area design from top to bottom – clock, two aircond vents, 2-DIN CD player, various buttons including hazard light, manual air conditioning knobs, recirculation and air cond button.

• 5-spoke alloy wheels
• Bee-sting antenna at the front just after the windscreen.
• Signal indicator on side mirrors
• Reflector headlamps
• Foglamps on the front bumper
• In the photo of the white MPV you can see the rear hatch swings upwards, instead of the other method which is sideways like a fridge

The MPV looks really gorgeous from the outside especially the white one, with strong design cues from the Mitsubishi Grandis. The interior looks alright, except the air cond vents look really cheap. They’re better off reusing the ones from the Saga. There also seems to be an odd-looking spacing between the two center vents, like there was supposed to be a hazard light button there but somehow went missing.

PROTON TECHNOLOGY WEEK FULL OF EXCITEMENT AT SHAH ALAM PROTON FACTORY

2nd August 2008, Shah Alam - KDI Team makes a visit to the Proton Technology Week - The Journey Through Technology that full of excitement. We arrived on 3PM at Shah Alam Proton Factory (Kilang Proton Shah Alam) near the Proton Main Showroom and Office. Four of us tried to get the best and exclusive information about Proton and its technologies just for KDI readers.

The first attraction on the visits is about the stage show and competition. There are a lot of competition that you can join and get a chance to win great prizes such as Sony Playstation and Ipod Nano. Editor Azameel tried his luck to win that sony PSP but he is not lucky enough =p.

On that stage is the 3 millionth car produced by proton that is the new saga. Wow! Its already 3 million car produced by proton!

Beside that, there is a section where some proton car’s famous club such as v-sixers and satria club view their modified cars.

There are so many exciting cars and event during the exhibition. Below is the hot lists of articles that we will write about the proton technology week for you :

The Reality - Proton MPV & MSX Concept - Visit here!

waja rally
campro cps engine - Gen2 CPS
Proton Formula 3 with Campro Engine - Visit here!
Modified Satria Neo Desire & Symphony Bodykit - Visit Here!
Modified RED New Saga
Proton Satria Gemilang V6 2.0 - Visit here!

Proton Stingray - Classic Motorbike prototype - visit here!

Lotus Europa S - visit here!

Lotus 340 R -Visit Here!
Lotus Elise
Modified Gen2 & Perdana
Proton Waja Drifting - Visit here!

Savvy Fun Ride Promotion - Colourfull Savvy - Visit Here!

Proton V6 Prototype & Campro Turbo Engine

You will have a chance to take a look at how they produce the new saga in the Saga Production Line Factory from building chasis, doors, equipment installation and the dyno test. you will appreciate and proud to be Malaysian if you see how Proton could be National car maker with its technology and applications.

Beside that, you can take a peep of the new Proton MPV in a big box. We already seen the model and its interior inside the box but they didnt allow anybody to take a photo. There is a chasis of the new proton MPV that seems to be same with what already leaked in the TV3’s buletin utama. Near the Proton MPV is the Proton MPV concept car that they called Proton MSX. This car is the greatest design of MPV from proton and it is showed in clay model shape.

In the Research and Development (R&D) Building, you will see how they make a clay model by machine, the material used, Proton MPV, Concept car, Proton Engine Prototype and Satria+Arena mixed shape car while outside of it, you can take a look at the car crash test results for proton cars at about 35 km/hr and beside it is the test track.

Anybody will have a chance to be in the proton waja drift car and feel the excitement on drifting inside it. Beside that, you can experience go-kart neer the R&D building.

For those who have not visits the technology week in the first day (2 august 2008), you can go there tomorrow (3 August 2008) for full day exhibition. For those who dont have the chance to go there, you can view our special and exclusive post and articles about the proton technology week.

proton motorbike prototype using car’s rim

The satria neo + chancellor chasis = Satria gemilang