Perodua Rusa Prices Go Up By More Than 100%

The prices of the Perodua Rusa - has now gone up by more than 100% as Malaysians find a new purpose for this once unloved van.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how some people approach vacations. Where it was once just about getting suitable accommodation at hotels or a bed and breakfast, people these days want to head out to places where it is less crowded and as far away as possible from others. Cue the Perodua Rusa! 

The camper van life...

The camper van life has seen a rise in families heading out to secluded locations where camping is possible. While traditional camping entails a rough-it-out approach, the new generation of campers wants comfort, where the whole family has a good time without the need to rough it in the woods.

Due to this, we have seen a rise in campervan conversions, which has seen prices of the Perodua Rusa going up more than 100% over the past year. 

What is a Perodua Rusa?

For those who are unfamiliar with the Perodua Rusa, the newly popular vehicle was Perodua's first-ever van, produced from 1996 to 2007. It was based on the Daihatsu Zebra, the Japanese marque's cab-over van.

Perodua Rusa variants:

• Perodua Rusa 1.3CX - 1.3-litre engine, two-seater
• Perodua Rusa 1.3EX - 1.3-litre engine, five-seater
• Perodua Rusa 1.3GX - 1.6-litre engine, seven-seater

The 1.3-litre Rusa had performance figures of 73PS/92Nm of torque, while the 1.6-litre Rusa pushed out 82PS/115nm of torque. All of them came with a 5-speed manual transmission, MacPherson Struts at the front and a rigid axle with a semi-elliptic leaf spring at the rear. It wasn't the fastest thing on the road, but it could carry many people or cargo, which was the appeal of the Rusa in the first place. 

But why the Perodua Rusa? 

Picture Credit: Journalist On Campervan

At one point, the unloved and unwanted Perodua Rusa could be bought for as low as RM2,500. Because of its low price, it was the perfect candidate for a campervan conversion, whereby most of the van's interior is gutted to be transformed into a mobile camping home.

Apart from being easy to maintain, the sliding side doors on the left and right of the vehicle made it a perfect vehicle to build your campsite around. With just a bit of tarp on the left and right side of the Perodua Rusa, you could practically have a luxurious campsite with covered shelter from which you and your family could enjoy nature.

Perodua Rusa prices go up by 100%

Because of its potential, the Rusa that was once available for RM2.5k is now being sold for up to RM13k. If you were to convert it into a campervan, it would cost you a further RM10k, but some creative Malaysians have resorted to a DIY setup that can lower the conversion cost.

If you're now interested in a Perodua Rusa, you can window shop here.

Campervan alternatives? 

Well, you could always buy the Kia Pregio or the Nissan Vanette with starting prices from as low as RM7.5k. The problem with these options is that maintenance costs will be higher, and we're pretty sure that the vans would not be as simple to fix up as the more rudimentary Rusa.