MPVs worth buying
By Naveen Victor | Motor Trader Malaysia – 22 hours agoRELATED CONTENT
- The Alza is a very popular mini-MPV due to its practicality and versatility
MPVs, an abbreviation for Multi Purpose Vehicle, are bought because of necessity. They aren't something you lust after but needed because of their practicality and people carrying abilities. Whether its 10 seats or a more modest 7, MPVs are the chosen vehicles to haul your family on cross country journeys as well as trips to the malls. But which should you buy? Today we are going to highlight three of the most affordable MPVs that are currently on the market and are good value for money.
Starting price: RM52,413.50
To some, its a pseudo-MPV, for others an elongated hatchback. Call it what you will, the Perodua Alza is a decently sized vehicle that can function as a hatchback as well as a mini MPV. It has place for seven and when the third row seats are folded, a decent sized boot. Though many scoff at Malaysian automakers, what they don't realise is that Perodua is under Daihatsu, and Daihatsu is under the mighty wing of Toyota. As such, for many years, Perodua has enjoyed some pretty decent tech as a lot of the equipment has filtered down from Toyota to Daihatsu and then to the Malaysian automaker.
At the moment, the base model Alza retails for RM52,413.50 and for that you get a a 1.5-litre engine that puts out a meidocre 104bhp and 136Nm of of torque. Its nothing to shout about but is up to the task of handling daily commutes. There's also decent equipment but the top spec; the Alza Advanced is lavished with top level kit such as a flip down monitor for rear passengers to watch their dvds on.
Toyota Avanza
Starting Price: RM66,323.00
Toyota's Avanza has been the vehicle of choice for many as not only is it able to seat seven comfortably, but its virtually unmatched when it comes to versatility, practicality and reliability. It's available in a number of variants with engine choices being either a 1.3-litre or 1.5-litre four pot mill. Granted, like all Toyotas, the Avanza won't offer cutting edge tech, but you do get goodies like a 6 speaker sound system and a music player with a USB port.
The Avanza also comes with dual blower air conditioning - meaning rear occupants get their own AC vents to help to keep the cabin cool especially during hot and humid afternoon drives. As for security, you get an alarm system and an immobiliser, which isn’t anything special but helps provide piece of mind.
Nissan Grand Livina
Starting price: RM86.893.50
It's not perfect, but having driven it, I can report that the Grand Livina is a darn good alternative especially if you want a jack of all trades MPV. Nissan recently launched a facelifted version of the Grand Livina, compared with the original, it looks and feels a tad more car-like. Where this MPV really shines is in the interior department as its able to offer one, which feels far more premium than it actually is. In fact, at a single glance, its easy to mistake it for more expensive Nissans such as the D-segment Teana.
The Grand Livina is being offered with either a 1.6 or 1.8-litre engine. Opt for the 124bhp 1.8-litre variant if you are looking for an all-rounder as the leather seats, smooth-shifting transmission, flip down lcd monitor and touchscreen infotainment system as well as the ability to seat seven, will definitely offer a better experince than the 1.6-litre car.
Out of the three, the Toyota is probably be the better choice but before putting your name down for one, do yourself a favour and take a look at the Grand Livina as well. Nissan aren’t new comers to the MPV market as the Grand Livina is no bargain basement MPV.
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