Being a MPV, cabin packaging is of great importance and within a volume of 11.5 cubic metres, comfortable accommodation has been provide for seven persons on three rows of seats. However, as surveys revealed to Perodua product planners that many Malaysian buyers look for a MPV not for 7-seater capability all the time and many just want the extra space. So even though the third row is not exceptionally spacious, this is not expected to be an issue. What is good is that the middle row can move 150 mm fore and aft so legroom for the passengers on the third row can have extra space. Not all MPVs have this feature and it does make quite a difference.
Like most MPVs, there are many seating configurations for the Alza depending on requirements. Perodua shows seven different ones, two of which are only meant to be used when the vehicle is not moving. All the seats can be folded flat to create a floor area that is about 2 metres in length, 1.4 metres wide and 1.3 metres to the ceiling. Loading is also easy as the rear opening is unusually wide at 1.33 metres.
The dashboard has a nice stylish appearance, especially with the two-tone theme, with the deeply recessed instrument panel set in the middle. The instrumentation uses the bright Optitron meters with amber background illumination for the standard version and blue for the premium version. A multi-info display is set to the left side of the meters and provides information on fuel consumption, range on remaining fuel, fuel tank level, distance travelled and gear position (for the automatic). It seems a bit crowded on the display, though.
The shift lever for the automatic is mounted on a panel that extends from the middle of the dashboard just below the audio system. This is rather like some European MPVs and is quite convenient to reach.
The audio system is a custom-designed type and apart from playing CDs, you can also play mp3 files from a thumbdrive (a USB slot is provided). There’s also Bluetooth on the premium version, making it easy to connect the handphone. And if you need to recharge any portable device, a 12V socket is also provided. On the premium version too, there’s the convenience of operating the audio system from switches on the steering wheel.
Drivers in this class may not be familiar with the foot-operated parking brake for the Alza Automatic which liberates space between the front seats. It’s a simple operation – push to activate, push to release – and will probably need getting used to. For the manual version, the conventional handbrake lever is between the front seats.
Air-conditioning is very important in our climate, more so in a MPV with many people on board. The size of the Alza did not permit having a dual blower system so a lot of attention was given to ensuring the airflow would reach all the way to the back. The blower has been made stronger to 'throw’ cool air further and the ceiling guides the air to the rear.
Storage spaces are plentiful as would be expected and there are lots of cupholders (more in the manual version). In front of the steering wheel, where the instrument panel would normally be, there’s a storage compartment while for the automatic, an extra-large centre armrest between the front seats has a sleeve for a handphone. But it’s disappointing that Perodua left out the teh tarik hook – surely an essential item for our Malaysian lifestyle? Proton has it in the Exora, which was a relief for their MD as I did not ask why it was left out in a Proton again, but Perodua did not escape my well known query!
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