The Atoz is a tall and wide city car that has one real world competitor, the Kenari. Similar in almost every aspect, this compact family car has found a loyal following with urban working Malaysians who are on a tight budget and looking for basic accessible transportation and willing to leave style for another day. The upright seating in the Atoz allows generous headroom and adequate legroom for 3 average adults in the rear. The narrow body helps when parking in Jalan Melaka or squeezing past tight spaces in Lebuh Ampang and Jalan Pudu.
Narrow old city roads are taken with ease in the Atoz as it nips through gaps and squeezes into car park spaces inaccessible to wider cars. The Atoz when new sold for just under RM45K and today its used values have dropped. Firstly when it was localized as a Innokom Atoz its selling price was just under RM39K and more recently with the the used market taking a negative turn. Running costs for this car can be very reasonable with typical fuel economy under a light foot at around 45mpg. Inside the Atoz you will find a basic functional interior. The interior door trim, other than upholstered surfaces, is finished in a textured grey plastic. New, it looks very nice but it seems prone to marks and scratches. The instrumentation is basic to a fault, without even a clock, but clear and easily legible speedo and a few very basic warning lights, while the front seats at least are spacious and comfortable, leaving the rear accommodation best suited to a couple of slim passengers or three teens. With the rear seat folded the rear of the body-shell becomes astonishingly spacious. The short-tailed shell has left the Atoz with a tiny boot behind the bulbous tailgate. It does, however have a low sill, which
helps, and lifting heavy objects into the cargo bay is no problem. The rear seat-back isn’t split, which limits your load options, but if you move the front seats all the way forward and unclip the parcel shelf the back-rest and
squab disappear into the rear footwell to reveal a cavernous load area.
On the road the hardworking 1.0 engine is lively enough in urban traffic but will start to sound angry and imposing at higher speeds. Ride deteriorates, too, particularly on twisty or undulating roads. Body roll is noticeable when cornering quickly. Atoz is well equipped for the money, with air con, central locking and electric windows. All models have power steering. The Atoz is motivated by a 999cc four-cylinder with a single overhead camshaft operating two inlet and one exhaust valve per cylinder.Most Atoz owners would not have used the car
for traffic light racers or highway runs to chase other motorists. Instead it would have been driven very decently and with respect. Therefore a used one would still be in relatively good condition and maintenance records should be up to date. Prices took a slight dip when the localized Innokom version arrived. Assembled in Kulim Kedah, the Innokom Atoz lacked the build quality and solidity of the Hyundai version. It is not all bad just slightly under. However its RM39K selling price forced values of the Hyundai version to take a dip. Looking for a used one today in our rather over supplied used car market is easy and it is a buyers market so shop wisely and you should be able to find a decent unit with a well looked after interior and engine for about RM13K for a 8 year old car.
