The first thing I thought about when I heard that the new Perodua Kenari
would have a 1-litre engine was that its performance would leave something
to be desired. I guess this was because it had been a very long time since I
had driven a 1-litre car and the last one probably didn’t have EFI so I
expected something uninspiring.

It was therefore a surprise to find the Kenari zipping off in a rather spirited
manner and then accelerating strongly up the gentle slope after the second
turn at the old Batu Tiga racetrack. And this was the Kenari EZ which had an
automatic transmission – plus another two people on board, one of which can
be described as ‘big and heavy’!

With three cylinders, the engine sound was the same as that of the Kancil -a bit like an outboard motor. But the power delivery was smooth with each
upshift occurring without any jerks. The only thing I found a bit odd was
what felt like a ‘flat spot’ when I was running in third gear.

Concerned that over-exuberant driving could result in some mishaps, Perodua’s personnel had put cones in many areas to slow cars down but for
me, the ‘chicanes’ provided more of an opportunity to test the manoeuverability of the car. The steering certainly showed precision and
responsiveness as I swung the Kenari sharply through the gap in the lines of
cones and then yanked the steering wheel to the right to get back on course.

I don’t know what my passengers thought of my driving (their first time with
me!) but I was a bit determined to see if the car rolled much, given its
height. But with the broad tracks, it appeared to be reasonably upright with
no tilt to cause alarm to the occupants. In any case, charging hard through a
corner would bring on a fair amount of understeer with the tyres scrubbing
along the ground. Lift-off did not induce any lightness at the rear end and for
the average driver, I’d say the handling is fool-proof and sudden swerving
left and right won’t cause any controllability problems.

Can’t say much about the ride comfort since the track is hardly bumpy but
with the wheelbase being generous enough, I would expect things to be
comfortable enough for this type of car.

One of the passengers noted that the Kenari cabin was quieter than the
Kembara’s at normal cruising speeds. The engine noise does intrude if you
drive it very hard but at a constant speed of 110 km/h, you can still have a
conversation without shouting. At the back though, the empty space where
the boot is allows noise to come through but it is not objectionable.

I also had a go in the Kenari GX with the 5-speed manual transmission and it
was equally enjoyable. The shifting quality is good and the throws between
gear positions are short. The seating position is very good for tall and short
people and those sitting behind will find a lot of legroom. But the most
impressive thing is the height… it’s got such a high ceiling!

The retail prices for the Kenari range from RM37,000 to RM42,000. For the
Kenari GX, buyers can choose non-metallic (2 colours) as well as metallic
finishes (6 colours) and inclusive of roadtax, insurance and accessories, the
Kenari GX with a non-metallic finish is RM37,874.00. The Kenari GX with
metallic finish is priced at RM38,446.00.

For the Kenari EZ, the top grade which is available only with automatic
transmission and metallic finish, the all-in price is RM42,555. Aluminium
alloy rims are included in the price.

The dashboard is set low with depressions on the top and above the glovebox which can be used for small items. The depression over the
glovebox is actually intended for airbag stowage if the safety device is
installed (mainly for export models where safety regulations require
airbags). 

The central section of the dashboard contains the ventilation controls at the
upper level and the integrated radio/cassette player on the lower level. Over
to the right side where the driver faces is the instrument panel with all
meters (made by VDO Malaysia) easily viewed. The steering wheel has three
spokes and horn buttons are situated on two of them. Besides the usual
warning lights, the reminder that the lights are not switched off when
leaving the car will be welcome.

The front seats are well structured with substantial side support and
adjustable head restraints. The plush fabric upholstery is two-tone with some
‘hieroglyphic designs’ on them, presumably to add visual ‘excitement’. The

two-tone colour scheme is also found on the door panels which have a
combination of fabric on the upper half and vinyl on the lower half. The use
of fabric on the upper section may not be such a good idea as this area is
where people will rest their arms or hold with their hands; over time, stains
are likely to appear.

The rear seats are as generously sized at those at the front and the
backrests are divided exactly in two equal halves. Adjustable head restraints
are also provided and to make things more comfortable, each backrest can
be reclined all the way backwards to an almost flat angle – great for having a
nap at the seaside! 

Alternatively, for carrying large and bulky items that need more length than
the boot space available, the backrests can be folded forward to lie flat on
the seats, either individually or together. Golfers will be pleased to note that
the length from the back of the boot to the back of the front seat is sufficient
to accommodate a golfbag.

The large rear door is hinged on the right side and side hinging makes more
sense than having the door open upwards because, in tight spots, at least
you can still open the door a bit to put things in. And with the low sill,
loading or unloading heavy stuff won’t be a chore.

Perodua’s product development team must believe that Malaysians are heavy consumers of canned drinks as there are can-holders on each front
door and also built into each rear door armrest. Those in front fold away
when not needed.

Another useful built-in feature is a coin-holder with slots for a few 1-ringgit
coins on the driver’s armrest, just behind the power window switches (only
the front doors have power windows).

Computer-aided engineering has been used in the Kenari’s construction with special attention paid to the effects
of impacts on the front, rear and sides. As a result, the Kenari can pass the latest crash test requirements in
Europe and Japan.

For the front and rear, the structures are designed to crumple so as to
dissipate the forces of the impact before they reach the occupants. On the
sides, the doors have beams welded inside them to reduce intrusion and the
centre pillars have extra reinforcements. The floorpan also has extra
transverse beams to help the lower sills resist deformation. In crash tests, it has been possible to open the doors after side impacts and that’s
important for rescuers.

An interesting safety feature in the engine bay is the use of a specially-designed frame which will bend
downwards in a vee-shape when the Kenari is involved in a direct frontal collision. The engine and transmission can then drop downwards instead of being pushed backwards into the cabin area
where the occupants can get injured. As with all modern cars, the steering
column is also collapsible upon impact, eliminating the danger of it being
propelled against the driver.

Such features are particularly important in a small car like the Kenari which
has limited length in its front end. By minimising intrusion of the engine into the cabin, the risk of injury to the occupants is lower.

Other safety features in the Kenari include vented front disc brakes with
boosted hydraulic pressure from a 203 mm diameter vacuum servo pump and large drum brakes for the rear wheels. 

Laminated glass is used for the windscreen and this type of glass – once
available only on expensive European models – will not shatter into tiny
dangerous pieces when hit by a stone. Due to its ‘sandwich’ construction, the
sharp impact force is absorbed more effectively and if it is very great, only a hairline crack will develop. This is important for driving safety as the forward vision will remain clear.

Three-point inertia-reel seatbelts are provided for the front occupants but no seatbelts are provided at the rear
at present (export models will, however, have rear seatbelts due to safety regulations in some countries). 

However, the rear doors are equipped with childproof locks. A standard
feature in almost all cars since the 1970s (but not known by many car
owners!), childproof locks, when activated, make it impossible for the door to be opened from the inside even if the latch is released. This will give the driver more peace of mind by not having to worry about a child accidentally opening the door while the car is moving.

The suspension of the Kenari is very straightforward and typical of many
front-wheel drive cars. At the front, each wheel has independent suspension
using MacPherson struts with integral coil springs and shock absorbers. The
rear wheels have semi-trailing arm location, coil springs and telescopic
dampers with a beam tightly maintaining the 1260 mm track.

Though it is in the minicar class, the Kenari has larger diameter wheels than
the Kancil – 13 inches instead of 12 inches. The Kenari EX and GX would
have steel wheels and wheel caps but the EZ comes with 7-spoke aluminium
rims (4-stud mounting).

The standard tyre size is 155/65R13, the aspect ratio being a good compromise for traction and comfort. Most of the cars shown to the press
during the preview had Simex tyres but it is understood that Goodyear tyres
will also be used.

Rack and pinion steering is used and other than the Kenari EX, the other two
versions have power assistance to lighten the effort when parking… not that
the Kenari is particularly heavy at around 845 kgs. Being small obviously
makes for ease of turning and this is enhanced by the exceptionally small
turning circle of 8.6 metres (at the wheels).

The Kenari is available only with a 1.0-litre engine and this is a new unit –
coded ‘EJ-DE’ – mounted transversely in the engine bay. The compact and
light long-stroke engine has three cylinders with four valves per cylinder,
one camshaft operating the inlet valves and another separate one operating
the exhaust valves. Such specifications were once found only in high
performance sportscars but are today commonplace in ordinary cars to get
more power without having to resort to larger displacements. Fuel efficiency
is also enhanced due to better combustion.

In case you wonder why there is a need for so many valves and two camshafts, the answer is to squeeze more power out of the 329 cc in each
cylinder. Two valves per cylinder, even though the valves are smaller, allow
for a combined valve port area that is actually larger than a single valve.
This means more of the air and fuel mixture can be introduced. The same
applies to the exhaust valves: the increased exhaust port area allows faster
flow of the exhaust gases. Incidentally, the intake ports are positioned
vertically and kept straight to allow the air-fuel mixture to flow smoothly.

Separate camshafts for the intake and exhaust valves enable the camshafts
to spin at higher speeds and complemented by the lighter weight of the
individual valves, the engine can rev more freely.

Electronic fuel-injection (EFI) is used and this makes for far more efficient
fuel delivery than the carburettor while generating less ‘dirty’ exhaust
fumes. With a computer managing the fuel supply, the needs of the engine
for a given driving condition are more precisely met and maintained consistently. In fact, with EFI, maintenance is less demanding because there
is no need to make adjustments as the air-fuel mixture will always be at
optimum.

Power output of the engine is 40.5 kW (about 55 bhp) at 5200 rpm, with
88.3 Nm of torque at 3600 rpm. The dyno chart reveals that the power
output curve is steep but the torque curve tends to fall sharply after its peak
at 3600 rpm. The latter characteristic is not unusual for such a small engine
and shows how a compromise has to be made with limited torque; in this
case, the focus was on the low to medium speeds where most driving is
done.

Because of the compactness of the Kenari, the catalytic converter is not
installed towards the middle of the exhaust pipeline as in bigger cars.
Instead, it is located next to the engine and occupies a space just behind the
radiator. The proximity of the exhaust-cleansing device to the exhaust ports
is actually better because it will enable the catalytic converter to heat up
faster (the catalyst works best when it is hot).

With EFI and a 3-way catalytic converter, the Kenari’s engine satisfies Euro-2 emission control standards and this is important for Perodua because it has
to stop selling the Kancil in UK as that model’s engine cannot meet the
new
emission control standards that will be introduced in that country from this
October. The Kenari will therefore take over from the Kancil for that market.

Both manual and automatic transmissions are available. The manual transmission is a 5-speeder with overdrive ratios in 4th and 5th gears and a
final drive ratio of low 4.266:1, while the automatic has four forward speeds
with an overdrive ratio in top gear. For enhanced acceleration at the low
end, the final drive ratio fitted is 4.438:1.

The Kenari’s styling follows the trends for cars in this class with the wheels
pushed right to the corners of the two-box shape to maximise interior room. 

Although conventional rectangular headlights were considered, the dual
headlight front end was chosen to give a sporty and unique image. At the
rear, the clean design of the large side-hinged rear door is flanked by high-
mounted rear light clusters (with large amber lenses for the signals) that
follow the style in the Kembara. Being mounted here not only makes them
more visible to drivers behind but also reduce the chances of damage in
rear-end collisions. The reversing lights are set in the rear bumper lower to
the ground. As such lights are not normally very bright, their illumination
would not be of much use to the driver anyway and serve more to alert
other drivers of the Kenari being reversed.

It is important to note that the Daihatsu Move which served as the basis for
the Kenari is not the original one which was introduced in Japan in the early
1990s but the newer one which has been sold since late 1998. The difference
is that the newer wide-body Move was designed based on the revised minicar regulations in Japan which were introduced in October 1998.
Basically, the revisions were made because of stricter safety requirements
which the original minicars would have difficulty meeting. The new minicar
specifications allowed an increase in overall length by 10 cm to a maximum
of around 3.4 metres and an increase in overall width by 8 cm to around
1.48 metres.

The Kenari, being a Malaysian model, is obviously not directly affected by
the regulations but as it uses the same platform as the Move, its overall
dimensions can’t be substantially changed. The important thing about the
increased dimensions permitted is that they have removed the ‘tall and
narrow’ profile that characterised most minicars and made them look like
they would easily tip over. The Kenari, in fact, has a low-slung look even
though it has 160 mm of ground clearance.

Just one month after Proton unveiled its new model, Perodua, the second
national car company today brings out an all-new addition to its range – the
Kenari. Unlike the Proton Waja, however, the Kenari goes on sale from today
and if you were among those who booked earlier, you could be driving this
new Perodua home this weekend.

The Kenari is Perodua’s fourth model and fulfills the company’s aim of
offering a model in all the popular segments – sedan, 4WD, van and now
MPV. But as with its description of the Rusa as a ‘multi-utility vehicle’
(MUV), rather than a ‘van’, Perodua calls the Kenari a ‘Multi-Usage Mini-Wagon’
instead of a mini-MPV.

The positioning of this somewhat unconventionally-styled model is at the
upper end of the compact segment. While the Kancil is basically a low-priced
entry-level model, the Kenari is presented as a premium model and aimed at
buyers who are in the 30 – 40 age group. Perodua is forecasting that there
will be slightly more female buyers (55%) than male buyers but expects also
that many buyers will be people with young families.

Perodua officials make no claims of “100% indigenous design” for the Kenari
and make no secret of the fact that it is based on the Daihatsu Move. Prior
to it being revealed, there was speculation that the Kenari would be based
on the Sirion or the Gran Move (a larger model). But the Move was chosen
because it has the newest platform, having been designed to the new minicar regulations in Japan which permit slightly larger dimensions than the
original minicars (or ‘Kei-cars’, as the are referred to in Japan).

The regulations were introduced in October 1998 and just prior to that
month, Perodua had decided it would adapt the new ‘wide-body’ Move for a
new model. The project code was ‘X680′ and it was supposed to be launched
in 1999. But the severity of the economic downturn forced the company to
reschedule its launch to this month and another model which was due this
year to be pushed to next year.

While development work went on, various names were considered for the
new model. The initial one which seemed quite appropriate was a Malay
phrase but after some surveys, it was felt that a more neutral name would
be better. The next choice was the name of a fish and remained high on the
list till last December when the X680 finally got the Kenari name. For those
who are not so familiar, ‘Kenari’ is the same bird as the yellow canary.
It’s a nice neutral and cheerful name which Perodua will also use for its
export model.

There are three grades offered – the EX, GX and EZ. Both the EX and GX
have 5-speed manual transmission while the EZ comes only with 4-speed
automatic transmission. In terms of standard equipment and features, all
three versions are essentially the same. However, the EX will not be
available initially and will only be introduced in late July.

The Kenari is built on the same line as the larger Kembara although the two
models do not share the same platform. With the surging demand these
days, Perodua has been using almost all its 120,000 unit capacity so
supplying enough Kenaris is going to be tricky. If this new model is in great
demand, the factory will have to cut back on Kembara production to make
more Kenaris.

“This is something we can’t do much about but after June next year, when
the factory capacity is raised to 150,000 units, then we should see more
balanced output of all the models,” said Perodua Managing Director Datuk
Abdul Rahman Omar.