Will the Perodua Aruz Still be Relevant Once the Proton X50 and Mitsubishi XPANDER Arrives?

Proton just had a short preview session of the upcoming X50 yesterday, where members of the press had an opportunity to finally drive the SUV and get a first-hand feel of its powertrain, the driving dynamics, and everything in between.

Does the Perodua Aruz stay on top?

Looking at all the articles published, the press has nothing but praises for the X50, thanks to things like the Proton-tuned suspension setup that has resulted in a vehicle that is more comfortable than the Geely Binyue it is based on, decent NVH level, a comprehensive list of standard features, as well as a refined cabin.

So, looking at all the hype revolving around the Proton X50 and the level of interest coming from the members of the public, there is no doubt that the SUV is going to sell extremely well, and even take a chunk off the market share of other segments with a similar price bracket, which got us wondering if the Perodua Aruz will actually be affected by the arrival of the X50?

Will the Aruz still remain relevant once the X50 arrives?

We belives yes, it will. While the Proton X50 is a five-seater SUV, the Perodua Aruz is actually a seven-seater SUV. So, it is safe to say that someone who is looking for an Aruz will probably ignore the X50 because there are two seats short.

Come to think of it, the main reason one would want to get a Perodua Aruz is due to the fact that it has 7-seats, and it is the cheapest 7-seater SUV in the market. It is a value for money proposition.  

And then we have the difference in price. While the Perodua Aruz is priced between RM72,900 and RM77,900, the Proton X50 is expected to be priced between RM80,000 and RM110,000, which indicates that the X50 sits one level above the Aruz in terms of pricing.

Now what if we also threw in the soon-to-be launched 2020 Mitsubishi XPANDER into the mix? Both the XPANDER and the Aruz are seven-seaters, both will be built locally, if we were to take the specs from the Mitsubishi XPANDER facelift in Indonesia, it will have 539L with the rear seats up and 781L with the third row down whereas the Aruz has 213L with rear seats up and 514L with the third row folded down. With regard to space, the XPANDER wins. Seeing as how the XPANDER will be a CKD we also expect it to be competitively priced to compete against the Honda BR-V and Toyota Avanza. We expect the XPANDER to be within the RM72-RM90k bracket.

So what do you think? Will the Perodua Aruz be able to not only hold its own but also retain its position as one of the best-selling models in Malaysia due to its affordability, and what it has to offer for its price, or will the pretender to the crown, the Mitsubishi XPANDER steal its thunder? 

Which one would you opt for?