Perodua Ativa Hybrid Spotted - Launching Here Soon?

The Daihatsu Rocky e:Smart Hybrid has been spotted once again - this time, however, it's wearing a Perodua badge, and there's more than one of them - so Perodua Ativa Hybrid? 

A set of peculiar-looking Perodua Ativa's on a trailer has been circulating around social media recently, and if you look closer, there's something more about them than meets the eye.

For those thinking that these are facelifted Ativas, you couldn't be further away from the truth-  as it's too soon for Perodua to be giving them a refresh as they were only launched a year ago in March 2021.

Perodua Ativa Hybrid - but not for sale! 

Yes, they might have different wheels and rear bumper similar to the ones found on the Daihatsu Rocky rather than the Perodua Ativa, but the story from the grapevine is that what you are looking at is the Perodua Ativa Hybrid.

Sources have informed us that Perodua has brought 300 units of these hybrid vehicles from Japan, but they are here for fleet leasing or subscription to companies and also selected individuals.

The data collected through GPS will be used by Perodua for short and medium-term studies on the Hybrid system's efficiency before being made available to the public.

Although the units feature a Perodua logo, the local car manufacturer has not changed any aspect of the exterior design as found on the Ativa. They are just like the Daihatsu Rocky Hybrid vehicle spotted in Bukit Bintang back in October 2021, but with Perodua badges.

Daihatsu Rocky e:Smart = Perodua Ativa Hybrid

In Japan, the Daihatsu Rocky e:Smart Hybrid features a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.2 liter NA (WA-VEX) Atkinson-cycle three-cylinder engine capable of producing 82 hp and 105 Nm of torque.

The engine mainly acts as a generator which is why power is not sent directly to the wheels. Instead it is primarily used to charge the 4.3 Ah lithium-ion battery pack before being sent back to the 106 hp/ 170 Nm electric motor.

According to Daihatsu, because it mainly uses the electric motor to move, the Rocky e:Smart Hybrid is able to offer a more exciting, quieter acceleration and can be enjoyed using the single pedal driving feature (Smart Pedal).

The Daihatsu Rocky e:Smart Hybrid can also return a fuel economy as low as 3.57 l/100 km, which is much more economical than the 5.29 l/100 km found on the Perodua Ativa 1.0-litre turbo.