Daihatsu to Launch All-New ARUZ Compact SUV in Malaysia

Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Daihatsu”) announced today that Perodua, an automobile production and sales joint venture located in Selangor, Malaysia, will launch the ARUZ national car on January 15th.

Perodua is Malaysia’s second national car manufacturer, and possesses a vehicle line-up that focuses on compact cars. After the Axia, Bezza, and Myvi, the newly launched ARUZ—a compact and stylish SUV—marks the fourth stage of the company’s structural reforms. The popularity of SUVs is growing around the world, and demand for SUVs is likewise increasing in the Malaysian market; for this reason, Perodua, the national car manufacturer, has developed the new ARUZ as an affordable SUV for its Malaysian customers. The ARUZ is based on the Terios compact SUV, which underwent a complete redesign in Indonesia in November 2017; however, the vehicle’s interior and exterior design, as well as its utility equipment, have been optimized for the needs of the Malaysian market. The Smart Assist crash avoidance system (known locally as Advanced Safety Assist), which was fitted to the Myvi, has also been further developed. In line with its approach of making advanced technologies available to everyone, the Daihatsu Group is accelerating initiatives aimed at promoting advanced safety equipment in Malaysia.

Perodua will supply the ARUZ on an OEM basis to Toyota Motor Corporation (hereinafter “Toyota”), which will sell the vehicle as the Rush. This is the first time that Perodua has supplied Toyota with OEM vehicles.

Going forwards, Daihatsu will continue to use the technologies and knowhow it has cultivated through development of its Japanese mini vehicles to support car-making; in this way, the company intends to contribute to industry, human resources development, and the promotion of cars in the ASEAN region.