Perodua has announced on their website that their first sedan, the Perodua Bezza is now open for bookings. This is a milestone for Perodua. Their first sedan and their first locally designed car. It is based on the Perodua Axia city car and it does not look like a hatchback with a boot screwed onto it. It looks like a proper sedan from what I gather. Especially from the leaked photo much earlier (below) and the special preview that three publications - Paultan.org, Motor Trader and Careta.my had published.
This is definitely something that will change the face of the local compact car scene. Perodua has been selling compact hatchbacks and compact MPVs but now they are entering the compact sedan market. From what everyone is predicting, this car with its decent looks, not like the ugly as hell Honda City from two generations back or the current Nissan Almera, will capture the hearts and minds of Malaysians who usually love sedans more than hatchbacks. Something which Perodua actually bucked the trend with their Myvi.
I initially thought Perodua were going to take the easy way out at borrow lock, stock and barrel the Toyota Etios sedan. But they didn't and actually the car is their own design. And rumour has it that it will be exported - Probably to Indonesia as we have actually done so with the Myvi as the Daihatsu Sirion.
Now, the Bezza is around and it now takes the fight to the budget compact sedan category. . You now have another sub RM50,000 option for a sedan (I predict this for the 1.0liter variants) instead of what Proton offers with their Saga BLM (soon to be replaced) and since its a Produa, you now get Toyota/Daihatsu build quality in a small sedan. A lot of Malaysians should gather outside Perodua's showrooms once it is launched (officially on the 21st of this month).
A lot of them will place bookings from the look of it. I think that Proton will suffer a lot from this. Especially if the new Saga isn't as good under the skin (mechanically). I also think that the Bezza will also take a lot of sales from those that are looking at the Toyota Vios and other affordable B segment sedans out there. I see it has that family resemblance to a Toyota sedan and it could steal sales from those looking at the J spec Vios. It may be a sedan based on an A segment, but sometimes people just want a reliable, decent looking car and the Bezza may just be the car for them. Personally, this was the reason that my wife still drives her Myvi 1.3 to this day.
I don't wish to say much about it. Five specs, the Bezza 1.0 (67bhp/91Nm) standard in manual and automatic the Bezza Premium X 1.3 (93.8bhp/121Nm) in manual and automatic and the Bezza Advance 1.3 in automatic. You get the same 1.0l engine in the Axia and a new 1NR-VE next generation 1.3liter engine. A 5 speed manual and a 4 speed automatic. The interior looks basic, and comes from the Axia and the rear bench looks like a bench especially the seat back. More of maximising packaging and Perodua/Daihatsu are good at it.
So, just wait a while longer if you want to see the car in the metal. If you cannot wait, you can place your bookings ASAP.
(c) 2016 motoring-malaysia.blogspot.com
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