Perodua Kenari RS

“Times are tougher”, acknowledges Perodua MD, Syed Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar even though the company has managed to increase its sales volume this year and even moved past Proton to become No. 1 in the market. However, Perodua has not been one to stay in idle and become complacent about their success. Over the years, they’ve maintained very close contact with the market to understand what customers want and develop products that meet those requirements.
One approach which has maintained interest in their products has been ensuring variety of versions for each model. Though entry-level products, they still know that their mostly young customers like something more than basic cars even though they can’t afford to pay a lot.
With the Kenari, of which nearly 108,000 have been sold since its launch in 2000, the challenge has been getting the right positioning and image for the car. The ‘tall boy’ looks, popular in Japan, have not been so accepted here and various styling ideas have been attempted. One was the Kenari Aero version which gave it a sporty image and that attracted a lot of under-30s buyers.


Headlight/foglight arrangement is different from other versions, grille also unique to RS

Now, after studying market needs further, they have found that ‘bold and outstanding’ are what customers want and finding that a large proportion of Kenari buyers have been single males, a new version known as the Kenari RS has been created which will become the ‘image leader’ for the model.
When asked what ‘RS’ stands for, the Perodua people say that there is no specific meaning and suggest that it could be ‘Really Stunning’, ‘Really Sporty’, ‘Really Sensational’ of whatever else you want to imagine! For enthusiasts, ‘RS’ may bring to mind the sports models of Ford which was probably the first to use the letters on its Escort in the late 1970s. The Escort RS was a legendary variant which gained fame through victories in world rally events but Ford has never claimed exclusive ownership of the ‘RS’ badge.

Reprofiled front and rear bumpers are a bit shorter

So what does the Kenari RS offer? For sure, eye-catching looks with a more aggressive style. The front end is new with a revised headlight/foglight arrangement – instead of overlapping, the foglight is below the headlight in the bumper – and a new slatted dark chrome grille. The bumpers have been re-profiled while the alloy rims have a new 7-spoke design. Like the Kenari Aero, there is a roof spoiler at the rear and also extensions to the door sills.
Rather surprisingly, the specifications chart shows that the Kenari RS is 50 mm shorter than a standard Kenari and this is due to the bumpers being shorter. It also sits low, with 20 mm less ground clearance at 140 mm and it is the heaviest Kenari at 880 kgs.
This is a purely cosmetic exercise so don’t expect any technical changes. The engine is still the same EJ-DE 3-cylinder 12-valve EFI unit with a displacement of 989 cc. Only a 4-speed automatic transmission is available for the Kenari RS, which is unusual because one would think Perodua would offer a manual transmission since younger drivers like it. However, their studies have told them that the Kenari sells the most in the Klang Valley and generally, people in this area prefer automatics due to the congestion.

Like the Kenari Aero, the RS version also has orange coloured meters

If you must have a manual transmission with your Kenari, then the only one available is the Kenari Aero. The range has been rationalised to have just four versions now – Kenari EZ automatic, Kenari Aero manual and automatic, and Kenari RS automatic. Of course, you could also buy a Myvi 1.0 which has a manual transmission for less than the Kenari EZ.
Prices for the Kenari EZ and Aero remain unchanged, starting from around RM41,100 while the Kenari RS carries a pricetag of RM45,930. The Kenari has averaged around 1,200 units a month this year and the RS version is expected to account for 300 ~ 350 units a month.
Commenting on future developments, Tuan Syed Hafiz said that Perodua will launch one new model a year from 2007 and next year promises to be an exciting one, product-wise. He didn’t say which model will be changed or whether there will be another new one added but emphasised that the company will remain focussed on the A-segment (below 1000 cc) and also provide some offerings in the B-segment (Myvi). By the end of 2007, the factory capacity will be raised to 250,000 units a year in anticipation of increased demand.
“We have been fortunate not to be hit as badly as many other companies because a large number – at least 60% - of our buyers are first-time buyers or are buying an additional car for the family, “ he revealed, adding that the success of the Myvi was also partly due to the timing where those who owned Kelisa and Kenari are ready to move up. Up till the end of October, over 100,000 Myvis have been sold and with output boosted, the waiting period has now been cut to two months, he added.

The other Kenari versions are the EZ (2-tone colour scheme no longer available) and Aero and only the Aero has a manual transmission among the three versions