Daihatsu ALZA, on Sale in Malaysia

Japanese carmaker Daihatsu announced today the availability of the ALZA compact car, built through a joint venture with Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua). The car is to be found in Kuala Lumpur since yesterday, retailing for a price of in between RM56,000 and RM64,000 (approximately 1.45 to 1.66 million yen).

The manufacturer hopes to sell some 3,500 units of the ALZA every month. The compact, based on the Boon Lumina passenger vehicle and the platform used for the Myvi, is equipped with a 1.5l four-cylinder engine and targets the MPV and 3-box segments on the Malaysian market.

The ALZA comes in four trim levels, EZi, SXi, EZ and SX. All can fit seven passengers. Daihatsu released this vehicle as a seven seater and not as a sedan based on the knowledge that this segment accounts for no less than 10 percent of all cars sold in Malaysia in 2008.

According to the manufacturer, the ALZA offers a stylish, streamlined body design, which hides a combination of a compact body with a roomy interior. The aforementioned seven seats come packed in three rows of seats with a flexible layout.

To show how confident it is in the success of the new compact, the manufacturer says it chose a name which, in Spanish (alzar), means to raise, boost, or lift, thus designating a vehicle that "enhances your lifestyle."