2016 Perodua Bezza: A game changer for Perodua!

Since I was rushed to the workshop to do something major to my car, I had no time to bring my camera for the launch, and I'm really sorry for the crappy shots especially at night time like the launch event last Thursday.

Perodua Bezza eh? Hmm....excellent.

Listen up students, co-workers, second car buyers, and StanceNation hobbyist! If you think the Saga is the norm on the road and engineering-ly outdated, say no more with the first, locally-designed sedan by Perodua, the all-new Bezza. If the name giggles your brain, you might remember it when it was first introduced as a pseudo-dwarf-Prius-looking concept car back in the year 2010 at KLIMS. That car attracted tons of people over that 6 Hang heroes by Proton in that day. However in this year, the nameplate goes to an entirely different car which is meant for urban-friendly driving and practicality.

The Bezza is not just a typical sedan made by the second national manufacturer, it is one of the first sedan that involves ZERO rebadge with any Daihatsu or Toyota as they are designed entirely by Perodua engineers, albeit some of the components are shared with the neighbouring partners and it based on the Axia platform. All engines in each trims are actually redefined for torque and fuel economy, lightweight and high-tensile strength steel body frame for better protection in a crash, bigger room and bootspace, and for the first time in history of Perodua, keyless entry with push button start, electronic stability control system and idle stop function are introduced, however it is only available for the high-end ones. For this such kind of small sedan, this is considered a value-for-money car and a game changer for Perodua.

Last Thursday, I went to one of the largest Perodua dealership which is around Petaling Jaya instead of going to One World hotel for the launch. The launch was actually made in every Perodua dealers nationwide. I came to the showroom earlier like about 8 P.M. if I guess it right, and waiting for an hour for the Perodua staffs to bring the car in.

An hour later, there were about 4 Bezzas arrived at the showroom.

Here's the Premium X 1.3,

The full-fledged Advance 1.3,

Another Premium X 1.3,

And finally, the no-frills Standard G 1.3.

Before getting the things started, let's talk about the outlook. Judging from the side profile itself, obviously you might wanna say "Well, it's just an Axia sedan.", but actually, no, period. The only thing that really close to the Axia is the front doors, while the rear doors have a reminiscence of the first or the second-gen Toyota Vios. Think of it as a tiny Vios with Malaysian pride.

Every sharp angles and lines surrounded to this car makes the Bezza to be one of the most aerodynamic car in the Perodua line-up. With the addition of lines at the side mirror base, undercarriage covers as well as etched-up tail lamps, this makes them as the ultimate key points for fuel efficiency.

The 14" wheels for the base model to the mid-range Bezza are taken straight out of Axia. The one with added seasoning and spices features its own 14" wheels with spiral design. Nevertheless, both rims look really match to it.

Now it's time to flick a page and get to know about the engine. The Bezza has two engine variants according to its trim levels. There's a 1-litre inline-3 KR-VE engine for the Standard G, and 1.3 litre four-cylinder 1NR-VE engine for the other trim levels. As we all know, these engines are also used in the Axia and Avanza respectively. However, the 1.0 litre engine has been optimized with VVT-I (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence), making it to be one of the most smoothest inline-3 engine by Perodua and adding a single number to the horsepower and the torque compared to the ones in the Axia (67 hp at 6000 rpm and 91 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm).

As for the 1.3 litre 1NR-VE engine, which is way better than the 1.3 engine from the Myvi, it is only available for the Premium X and the Advance version. It implements Dual VVT-I and create 94 hp at 6000 rpm and 121 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. 

Both engines make the Bezza to be recognized as an energy-efficient vehicle (EEV) like the Axia and both are either paired with a 4-speed E-AT automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual. Speaking of the 5-speed manual, with an exception in the Advanced trim, double synchromeshes are added for the gear ratios, making it smooth to change the gears and less rubbery feel, as what Perodua said. Too bad there's no manual transbox for test drive so I really can't comment on that first.

Moving on to the interior, the Bezza gets the most conservative and mature looking dashboard over the cheap and easy-looking one in the Axia. The one in the Standard G has hard plastic all around, and might gonna make your eye uncomfortable to look at. Move along to the Premium X variant and the Advance trim, you will see a gloss black finish panels across the dashboard. As for the top-of-the-line model, the climate control switches are very upmarket too. The gear shifter does reminds me of the Suzuki Swift. Bear in mind too that only the Advance version has leather seats all around and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Plus, the double-DIN head unit does not have a CD player for the base model to the middle range, because who needs CDs these days? The head unit for the Advance version which is also used in the Axia, does have Smart Link, or maybe known as MirrorLink so you can plug your Android smartphone to display the screen to the unit.

Another important feature of the Bezza is the boot space. Since this car is meant for daily use in urban roads or long journey, this pocket sedan has the biggest capacity in the segment. It has 508 litres of space, which is 2 litres more than the Vios. Not even a Saga can compare to this right now.

When it comes to safety and fuel-saving gizmos, the Bezza gets the most, albeit the Advance version has all the things for it. ABS with EBD is standard for all alongside 2 airbags...wait.. 2 airbags?! Nevermind. ESC is only available for the high-grade model so you won't spin out of control easily. Next, a hill-hold assist (only for high-spec Bezza) is also featured so you can stop the car without holding the brake at an incline hill or bumps, and finally an idle-stop system (also only for Advance version), so the car can turn off the engine by itself when you completely stop the car in traffic while holding the brake and turn the engine on again when you're ready to go. Thus, it reduces CO2 emissions and better fuel consumption.

Since the test drive list was fully packed till last weekend, I went to Perodua of Glenmarie yesterday to try out the Bezza in both 1.0 and 1.3 variant.

Here's the Standard G 1.0, with the autobox.

And then I moved along to the Advance 1.3 variant, the best looking Bezza to own.

Without further, let's go for a drive with these two!

The Drive

Since the new Bezza is based on the Axia, the drivability is way identical. Turning radius is really small, and that is exactly what a city car should be. The NVH level has been updated and quieter than the Axia. Like every Perodua, the whole surrounding view is flawless, even with a reverse camera in the Advanced version, I don't really need to move my head to look at it because it is really easy to park.

Performance wise, both 1.0 and 1.3 litre engines are not really that disappointing even though the acceleration isn't supposed to be as fast as Vios or Iriz, but it is a little bit quicker than the unappealing Saga. Just because it uses a 4 speed slushbox, it does not give a horrible feedback like a CVT trans. The 1.0 inline-3 is really smoother than the one without VVT-I and the 1.3 is essentially a bonus. Both engines are really economical compared to its enemy. No hassle at all since Perodua extends the service interval with the new engine so owners do not need to send the car frequently for service.

There is a number of body roll too, however with the ESC on in the Advanced version, the car limits to amount of it when it comes to hard cornering. With ABS as standard (EVEN FOR A LOW SPEC CAR WITH THAT KIND OF PRICE), you don't need to worry about hard braking anymore and you can steer the car easily when trying to avoid any obstacles.

Next up is how comfy the car is and how big is the interior. Hmm... the Bezza is surprisingly spacious. When it comes to seating position, it is not really as close as the Almera, but you still have plenty of room for that. The Advanced trim does get leather seats, while the normal doesn't so you better get the GearUp kit for it so Perodua give you a beautiful looking seat covers with the Bezza name on it.  

 

The Verdict

So what do I think of the first sedan made by the second national car maker? Overall, the Bezza is definitely a perfect car to own for younger generations or maybe when you have a new family. It is spacious, economical, really safe to handle and easy to taking care of like other Peroduas are.

Pricing of the Bezza is shockingly cheap, with all the equipments that we all need on the move. For the base model Standard G 1.0, the Bezza costs RM 37,300 and RM 39,300 for the manual trans or the slushbox respectively. If you want to live easier, get yourself the Premium X for just about RM 42,800 and RM 44,800 with respect to the transmission that I previously mentioned. Wanna go hype and complete, the Bezza Advance is the right choice. All safety features and fuel-saving gizmos are all thrown in for the upmarket ones and really worth to buy.