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When Perodua launched the Kembara in 1998 as the first Malaysian SUV, it was a very bad time for the car market. The economic crisis had caused a massive downturn in sales and consumers were not willing to spend more than necessary. Nevertheless, the Kembara still managed to win the hearts of many Malaysians and as the economy recovered, its sales rose to the point where it was the most popular SUV in the market.

Popular as it was, owners had some issues with the vehicle, mainly to do with noise levels and fuel consumption. These were partly the result of the gearing which was deliberately low to provide sufficient nippiness, which is something motorists like to feel. However, in using low gearing, the engine speed tended to be on the high side and this meant that fuel economy was not as good as it could have been for a 1.3-litre engine.

Taking all this feedback into consideration, Perodua, with its technical partner and shareholder Daihatsu Motor, has come out with a mid-term upgrade which goes beyond the usual cosmetic changes.

There is an all-new K3-VE DOHC 16-valve engine which puts out more power, thanks to Dynamic Variable Valve Timing (DVVT), which is similar to the variable valve timing systems found in the Toyota Corolla Altis and Camry, Volvo S60/S80 and BMW VANOS engines. It enables the powerband to be broader and also boosts power output to 63 kW (85.7 bhp), 3.3% more than before. Torque is up by an impressive 14.3% to 105 Nm, peaking 1900 rpm lower than before. Claims by Perodua are 12% and 15% for the manual and automatic transmissions, respectively.

More power means that for a given engine speed, a higher road speed can be achieved and this has helped bring down noise levels. Previously, it needed about 4,000 rpm to cruise at 110 km/h (automatic version) but now the same speed is attainable with 3,600 rpm.

The reduction in noise is claimed to be significant enough that the cabin noise level in the new Kembara is close to the Toyota Corolla Altis and quieter than the Proton Waja and Wira.

The Kembara’s new front end has a bolder appearance, with sporty-looking twin-beam headlamp units. New alloy wheels are also fitted and it seems that the latest model is slightly lower although the ground clearance is still listed as a generous 195 mm. The platform is unchanged with a simple 4WD drivetrain using a lockable centre differential and no transfer case nor high/low gear ranges.

The interior is pretty much the same but having new fabrics and colours. It’s a bit compact but the nice thing is that you sit higher up than in a sedan and that makes a difference when driving in traffic.

The new engine certainly changes the character of the Kembara and has a smooth linear power delivery. The 4-speed automatic transmission has a good spread of ratios and ‘intelligently’ chooses a power or economy shift program according to driving conditions.

Handling is what you’d expect of a tall vehicle (the Kembara’s roof is 1715 mm off the road) so you can’t tear around corners like in a low-slung Kelisa. Ride comfort is good for a small vehicle and rear suspension re-tuning has taken away the harshness that some owners complained about.

The Kembara has always been a practical vehicle for today, great on urban streets and yet can be used for mild off-road activities. Now with the new engine, it also offers that extra zip in performance which makes it even more fun to drive.

Due to the new engine’s sophistication, the cost of making the new model is higher and retails for RM1,000 more. However, for a month after launch, Perodua is offering it with a special RM1,000 discount which makes it almost the same as the old price so if you want one, better place the order right away!
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