CarBrandLogos archive · Perodua · 2021

PeroduaAtiva

The first turbocharged Perodua, and the first on Daihatsu's new architecture.

Photo: Andra Febrian · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Perodua history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Perodua Ativa, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Osaka Motor Show 2017 - Daihatsu DN TREC

Origins

The Ativa is Perodua's version of the Daihatsu Rocky, a subcompact crossover in production since October 2019 and sold by Toyota as the Raize. The Malaysian car is assembled at Rawang and arrived in 2021, taking over from the Nautica in the company's line-up.

Osaka Motor Show 2017 - Daihatsu DN TREC · Tokumeigakarinoaoshima · CC BY-SA 4.0

Design and engineering

Two things made it significant for Perodua. It was the first model built on Daihatsu's new global small-car architecture, a platform designed around lighter structures and better crash performance, and it was the first Perodua sold with a turbocharged engine: the 996 cc 1KR-VET three-cylinder driving the front wheels through a CVT. For a manufacturer whose entire reputation rested on naturally aspirated simplicity, that was a deliberate step.

2021 Perodua Ativa H interior · Automachi · CC BY 3.0

2021 Daihatsu Rocky 1.0 TC R ADS Package front view

In production

The exterior was drawn by a Daihatsu team under Jiro Matsueda, with Ayumi Kadota and Kenji Aoki responsible for the interior. Perodua's contribution was the specification: the Ativa launched with a driver-assistance package well beyond what its price class in Malaysia had previously supported.

2021 Daihatsu Rocky 1.0 TC R ADS Package front view · Andra Febrian · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance