Proton Iriz Active? Here are five other hatchbacks disguised as off-roaders
It’s MCO time again and the internet is abuzz with spyshots of a brand new Proton. Correction; the online debate surrounds a new version of a car we’re already familiar with, the Proton Iriz. And based on what we’re seeing on social media, it’s quite an extensive cosmetic update featuring bold, SUV-esque cues reminiscent of the Iriz Active concept from a few years back. It’s no wonder people are calling it that before we’ve even had any official word from Proton.
The purported 2021 Proton Iriz Active won’t be the first hatchback styled as an SUV to be sold in Malaysia once it’s launched. Here are some other cars that have borrowed a few accessories from the crossover closet in the past in a bid to look more rugged than they actually are…
Perodua Axia Style
Rivalling Malaysian carmaker Perodua knows the crossover-styled strategy all too well, having executed it to good commercial effect when it facelifted the Axia in 2019. The Axia Style had everything you’d expect an SUV wannabe to have – black plastic cladding round the sides, roof rails and a bright, orange hue you can spot from a mile away. It’s a pity this package wasn’t offered in tandem with the range-topping AV specification, meaning no touchscreen interface or ASA 2.0 for ‘Style’-conscious customers.
Volvo V40 Cross Country
Although the precursor to the popular Volvo XC40 wasn’t exactly an SUV, Volvo Car Malaysia did sell its most affordable model in Cross Country T5 format. On top of its snazzy crossover-ish styling that drew inspiration from things like the XC60 and XC90, the V40 CC also packed one of the last five-cylinder engines to be offered in the local market. The turbocharged two-litre mill packed 213hp and 300Nm of torque, which should still give hotter hatches like the VW Golf GTI a run for their money on the straights.
Volkswagen CrossPolo
Speaking of Volkswagen, the German carmaker was one of the earliest adopters of the SUV styling trend. In its pre-TSI days, the company launched the CrossPolo based on the Mk4 model (one generation earlier than pictured) in Malaysia. Despite being fully-imported, it was competitively priced at about RM109k back in 2007, offering B- and C-segment shoppers a colourful, continental alternative to the usual suspects at the time. Compact crossovers weren’t the biggest thing back then, so it might have been a bit too early to a party that only started to boom here in the mid-2010s.
Kia Picanto X-Line
The short-lived third-generation Kia Picanto actually had a variant called the X-Line, which previous distributor Naza Kia Motors paraded in limited appearances before sales of the compact hatch stopped prematurely as the distributorship of Kia transferred over to Bermaz subsidiary Dinamikjaya Motors. While the GT-Line offered customers a sportier aesthetic, the X-Line could easily be told apart from its bright green accents paired with the mandatory black cladding along the sides of the car and chunkier bumper inserts.
Nissan Livina X-Gear
Without the ‘Grand’ in its name, the Nissan Livina was more of a hatchback than an MPV as it packed a shorter wheelbase that could only accommodate two rows of seats. This five-seat version of Nissan’s popular seven-seater was only sold here in X-Gear format, and you already know what that means by now: roof rails that are likely left unused, thick, black mouldings surrounding the perimeter of the car and nothing in the spec sheet to suggest that it’ll survive off-road.
Is another one of these superficial updates really what the market needs right now?
