How safe are cars sold in Malaysia for below RM 99,000?

We look at which car in this price range offers the best safety feature.

Remember three decades ago when the two biggest safety features in a new car were the front and rear bumper size and seat belts for the front passengers.

 As the years progressed, more and more cars were on the road and with increased accidents there was a need to increase safety features. The airbag arrived in Malaysia and it started with premium cars and soon it was a common feature in all cars. Still, car accidents were increasing with fatalities. So, more airbags were added and this pushed the selling price of new cars up. 

Today we have so many safety features in new cars that it adds to the selling price of the car and buyers complain of the rising car prices. Then when you remove a couple of airbags and electronic aids, buyers get upset, but it is a price issue and here in Malaysia with the high road fatalities, drivers, especially new, young drivers need these electronic aids as they are distracted every minute by their smartphones and their ‘music’ playlist. 

So, car manufacturers come up with fancy electronics to provide semi-autonomous driving on highways and also in heavy traffic jams. Features like EyeSight from Subaru allows drivers to get lazy and easily distracted, however it is needed to keep them safe and also the other vehicle from hitting them where possible. 

Yes, airbags and stronger body shells are welcomed, but allowing the car to work on its own while you dream, watch a movie, or just flip through your social media while driving should not be allowed.

Well, we cannot change this as car manufacturers want to sell more cars and buyers want to be ‘driven’ and not drive anymore. So, the race to get a safer car starts with a suite of safety features.

In Malaysia, if your budget is below RM 99,999, the choices are quite obvious. You start at the top of the game with the all new Honda City with ‘Sensing’. Sensing is Honda’s complete safety suite and it is the segment best. But this Honda City costs RM 85,561. 

Next you can look at the Toyota Vios which is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) which has 7 airbags and blind spot monitoring with HAC, PCS and LDA for RM 87,000. But this Vios is going to be replaced very soon with a new model.

Then you have the Proton X50 Standard variant which has 4 airbags and active safety features LKA, FCA and ACC for an asking price of RM 79,200.

Now, the abovementioned Toyota Vios has its hatchback sibling, the Toyota Yaris and it also comes with the same safety kit at a price RM 84,808. 

Now, the biggest surprise in this segment is the recently launched Proton Saga 1.3L facelift which has ESC, EBD, ABS and BA, but only 2 airbags are provided in this family sedan. Now at a price of RM 44,300 one would imagine at least 4 airbags will be provided.

This is why the latest version of the Perodua Myvi is so popular with Malaysians, especially parents buying a new car for their teenager kids. This latest Myvi has PSDA version 3.0 which has adaptive cruise control (ACC), Lane Keep Assist (LKS), Blind Spot Monitoring System (BSM) and the Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).

This means it is the first time in Malaysian history that a car company is offering an Autonomous Level 2 technology for a car costing between RM 53,900 to RM 58,800. 

 So, looking at the offerings above, it is clear that the latest Myvi and the Honda City lead in safety features and electronic aids that new drivers want and need. But the price gap from RM 53,900 to RM 85,561 gives the smaller and less powerful Myvi a selling edge. 

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