Drop everything and make a beeline for the nearest Perodua showroom because they’ve just opened the order books for the company’s upcoming compact SUV. Codenamed D55L, the new vehicle is based on the Daihatsu Rocky. The pictures are taken from Daihatsu Japan’s website, but it gives a glimpse of how the D55L might look. Might.
As for the specifications, Perodua claims that the D55L will be the company’s most advanced vehicle to date. All variants will come standard with the latest Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) that is operable at higher speeds and can detect two-wheeled vehicles. All D55Ls will also be fitted with the Lane Departure Warning and Prevention.
The top-spec D55L comes equipped with Lane Keep Control, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Adaptive Cruise Control. This makes the D55L the first Perodua to satisfy Level 2 Autonomous Driving standards.
Another first for Perodua would be the D55L’s turbocharged engine paired with a CVT. Perodua claims its drivetrain is efficient enough to be rated at 18.9km/l.
All D55L will come equipped with LED headlamps. Only the H and AV variants will get the additional Adaptive Driving Beam, a seven-inch multi-info display and a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system with voice recognition.
The X and H variants are painted in Glittering Silver, Granite Grey and Cobalt Blue. The H variant also offers Pearl Diamond White and Pearl Delima Red paints. The top-spec AV variant gets all colours except Cobalt Blue, and the Pearl Diamond White and Pearl Delima Red is paired with a black roof. Did you get all that?
In case it’s not already apparent, the D55L will come in three variants — X, H and AV — for now. The SUV’s price is estimated to be in the range of RM62,500 and RM73,400 and comes with a five-year/150,000km warranty.
But the real question is this: will Perodua revive the Kembara nameplate, or will the D55L get a name starting with the letter ‘A’? We think it will be the latter.
Photo source: Daihatsu