2020 Perodua Bezza - Things that could have been better

Did you know that the Bezza is Perodua’s first sedan ever? That’s right. Perodua worked hard to come up with this car and fulfil the demands of many Malaysians. No wonder the Bezza soon became one of the best-selling cars of its segment. Perhaps, keeping that in mind, we now have a new and updated Bezza among us. Launched in January 2020, the new 2020 Perodua Bezza created quite a buzz and is selling in pretty good numbers.

We have talked about the new Bezza’s features that we like, compared it with cars like the Iriz and Persona, and whatnot. This time around, we thought why not have a closer look at the Bezza and find out what are the things that could have been better.

Safety features

You might be shocked to see us talking about improving the safety features of the 2020 Perodua Bezza because it already has a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating.

Well, we don’t disagree with that but we think Perodua could have done things better, at least in the base models. The Bezza comes with only dual-SRS airbags. There are no side, curtain, or knee airbags present. If we go down in the trims, the basic 1.0-litre variants don’t even have vehicle stability control.

No LED DRLs

Perodua indeed updated the looks of the new Bezza by adding a bunch of new features like a sportier front bumper, new LED headlights, new grille, etc. However, it still didn’t give the Bezza a set of LED daytime running lights. We just don’t get it. Even Proton Saga comes with LED DRLs even though it doesn’t feature LED headlights.

Disproportionate design

The Perodua Bezza has always stood out but not because it has a great design, rather a disproportionate one. Don’t get us wrong, the Bezza is a good-looking car, however, we can’t ignore how weird it looks at the same time, especially from the rear. In the new model, Perodua has added a bigger rear bumper which makes the car look bulkier than before. Things just don’t gel together.

Non-adjustable steering wheel

The steering wheel in the Bezza is non-adjustable which means finding the best driving position for yourself could become a tedious task. Although the driving position and height of the car is pretty good, still, Perodua should have given an adjustable steering wheel.

No built-in toll reader

Perodua also skipped adding a built-in toll reader in the latest Bezza. We all know how good a convenient feature that is and Malaysians appreciate it to be there in their cars. Unfortunately, it isn’t present in the all-new 2020 Bezza specs sheet.

No rear AC vents

Perodua addressed the rear seat inclination issue in the new Bezza and made things comfortable. However, there are no AC vents present at the rear. This shouldn’t be a big problem as the cabin itself isn’t that big and thus, the front AC vents should be capable enough to cool the entire interior space.

Decent fit-and-finish

Talking about the cabin, we found the fit-and-finish and quality of materials to be pretty decent in the new Bezza. And we are not complaining but if we have to nitpick then we would say that Perodua could have improved things in the area.

Touchscreen user interface

Yes, the Bezza comes with a touchscreen display, however, we found its user interface to be a bit dull. It isn’t that engaging and feels pretty basic. Also, sometimes it is slow to respond to the touches. Some of the basic controls which we would have liked to have separate buttons are missing, for example, volume.

No manual gearbox

2020 Perodua Bezza specs list two engine options - 1.0-litre 3-cylinder that puts out 67 bhp and 91 Nm and a 1.3-litre 4-cylinder engine with 94 bhp and 121 Nm of torque. While the former is available with a 5-speed manual transmission, the more powerful 1.3-litre variants don’t. Although it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker, enthusiasts would have loved to have it as an option.

So, these were some of the aspects of the new 2020 Perodua Bezza which could have been improved. However, considering that it is an entry-level sedan, many of the aforementioned points could be avoided as price also plays a major role here. Talking about price, 2020 Perodua Bezza price starts at RM 34,580 for its base 1.0 GX (MT) variant whereas the range-topping 1.3 AV (AT) model will set you back by RM 49,980.

Also Read: #10YearChallenge - Perodua Bezza 2010 vs 2020