Despite many reports and rumours of its demise, it appears that the Perodua Aruz will soldier on for another year or so. This is because national automaker Perodua has unveiled a teaser via its official Facebook page, showcasing a special version for this beloved MPV crossover model.
Although no specific names were given by Perodua for the teased model, the automaker did mention that this ‘special’ Aruz will come in a black colourway, so perhaps we can expect the automaker to slap a special name such as ‘Black Edition’ for it.
The impending arrival of this model also marks the first time Perodua has given the Aruz an update since the last one back in 2021, where the revision saw the MPV getting a new Passion Red colour option, on top of some minor equipment upgrades. Key highlights include bigger 17-inch alloy wheels and auto LED headlights for the top-spec AV variant, keyless entry and ignition, and many more.
Powertrain and mechanical specs, however, remain unchanged, as the 2021 Perodua Aruz still employs the same 101 HP and 131 NM-rated 1.5-litre 4-cyl 2NR-VE engine primed since its original debut back in 2017. Said engine is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission that facilitates power delivery to its front wheels (FWD), making the Aruz one of the two current Perodua models that are still offered with a 4AT unit instead of the D-CVT gearbox.
As of now, it remains to be seen whether this new black hue will replace any of the current colour options offered to the Aruz, which includes the new Garnet Red, Electric Blue, Glittering Silver, Ivory White, and Granite Grey.
Given the stellar success of the second-gen, DNGA-based Alza MPV, plenty of rumours have suggested that Perodua is planning to discontinue the production of the Aruz MPV, given that both models now overlap each other in terms of both pricing and size. On top of that, the production line for the Aruz was also reported to be replaced by the upcoming Perodua-badged version of the DNGA-based Toyota Yaris Cross, which is also slated to become the marque’s first mass-produced hybrid model.