Review: New 2022 Perodua Myvi is better than ever, but the Iriz still wins at one thing

• The comprehensive facelift brings new D-CVT transmission
• Safety features and ADAS on par with cars costing twice as much
• Fuel economy even better than initial tests

The “King” has returned – if we had to sum up the review of the 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift in a single line – that would be it.

And by now, you will surely have heard that this is no ordinary facelift. The Myvi has received new engines in every generation, but stubbornly retained a four-speed automatic in all three generations, until the introduction of this ‘D51A’ 2022 Myvi facelift.

Taking on the new D-CVT transmission, first seen on the Perodua Ativa, the 2022 Myvi is now better to drive, more economical, and of course – faster.

You might ask, so many gains from just a change of the transmission? Yes, you best believe it, let’s dig in.

Also read: Launched in Malaysia: 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift - From RM 45k – 58k, CVT, PSDA

So, what’s new besides the D-CVT transmission?

Launched in November 2021, the 2022 Myvi introduced an array of aesthetic changes as well as styling updates to the interior. 

There are five variants to choose from, two 1.3-litre variants and three 1.5-litre variants with the following highlight features:

Elsewhere, Perodua’s Advanced Safety Assist 3.0 (ASA 3.0) now forms a subset of features under the newly minted Perodua Smart Drive Assist (PSDA) ADAS suite.

To simplify, PSDA is offered in four out of the five variants, and it starts with the ASA 3.0 suite which comprises:

• Pre-Collision Warning (FCW)
• Pre-Collision Braking (AEB)
• Pedal Misoperation Control
• Front Departure Alert

In the pre-facelift Myvi, the list of ADAS features ended here. Now though, Perodua adds Lane Departure Warning and Lane Departure Prevention – this then upgrades it to the new PSDA suite.

Further to this, the top-spec 2022 Myvi AV adds:

• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Lane Keep Control (LKC)
• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert 

Courtesy of the new features, the 2022 Myvi AV is now the cheapest car in Malaysia to offer SAE Level 2 autonomous driving - on par with the Ativa, and even cars costing twice as much.

Also read: Old vs New: 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift, is the updated King still deserving of its title?

Exterior – Do the headlights look squinty?

This might come as a surprise but the team’s opinions are somewhat split on the new aesthetic updates of the Myvi.

Some in the team reckon the new headlights’, though sleek, look a wee bit squinty-eyed, and that the vertically arranged DRLs would have looked better if it was flush-fitted within the bumper as opposed to being ‘tacked on' as one put it.

With that said, the changes do give the 2022 Myvi a more imposing look that sets the facelift model apart from its predecessor. 

Also read: Is RM 59k too expensive for the 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift?

Interior – Looks snazzy but not that great to sit in

There’s a lot of red, a bit more than we’d like, at least in the 2022 Myvi AV variant.

As opposed to the Perodua Ativa which has red trim highlights stylishly peppered around the interior to give contrast, Perodua’s choice to cover large swathes of the seats in bright red, looks a bit ah beng, for lack of a better expression.

Another common comment is that the front seats are not as supportive as before. Now, whilst the seat design has not changed, and besides the fact that it lacks thigh support – the seat material also feels a bit harder.

You won’t feel uncomfortable over short drives but if you spend more than say two hours at a time in the car, you will feel the need to get out and stretch.

At the back though, things are better, with ample legroom and headroom for two passengers, three is a bit of a squeeze. 

Also read: Rumour: Slight delay for all-new 2022 Perodua Alza, and it's the Myvi's fault

Driving experience – Ignore CVT haters, they can't argue with the speed

The 2022 Myvi accelerates to 100 km/h way faster than before.

And as we’ve said, that’s mostly down to the D-CVT transmission which features a combination of steel chain and planetary gear set, the latter is used to complement the steel belt to reduce a typical CVT’s rubberband response whilst giving it a more direct feel and less power loss.

This has resulted in a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 10.6 seconds in internal tests. To give you some context – the (GN) Honda City did it in 11.4 seconds, and the circa RM 100k Mazda 2 (with a sublime 6-speed automatic) just nips ahead of the Myvi with a 10.5 second sprint time.

Also read: We tested the 2022 Perodua Myvi 1.5L CVT 0-100 km/h time, here are the results

Within minutes of driving the 2022 Myvi, one gets the impression of how well-calibrated the CVT transmission is to the powerband of the 1.5-litre 2NR-VE engine – and this is a big point to note.

In my opinion, this was the main issue with the pre-facelift Myvi’s powertrain, was that it had a transmission that wasn’t suited to the engine.

Also read: Driving the 2022 Perodua Myvi facelift with new D-CVT – We tell you how it feels

The 2NR-VE isn’t as punchy as the older 3SZ-VE engine (from the Myvi Lagi Best generation) which worked well with the four-speed auto. It’s also less powerful at 103 PS /137 Nm versus the 3SZ-VE’s 109 PS / 141 Nm.

Where the Myvi Lagi Best was torquey and urgent, the pre-facelift Myvi always felt like it ran out of breath at high-revs or whilst trying to accelerate hard. It was as if the four-speeder didn't have the right gearing to fully exploit the engine's potential.

All of that has since disappeared. At speeds above 40 km/h, the transmission feels connected, intuitive and urgent, and there’s almost no “rubberband” feel as you slow down and accelerate in city driving.

It gets even better on the highways where the engine revs are kept low and at a point where the engine’s torque is readily available if you need to overtake.

Also read: S and B mode in the new 2022 Perodua Myvi's CVT shifter. What's S and B for?

At 110 km/h, the 2022 Myvi has its rev needle pegged at just over 2,000 rpm, and by the time it hits 2,500 rpm, you’re already travelling at around 130 km/h. Therefore, perhaps most impressively is the Myvi is now a capable cruiser on the highways.

In terms of the overall experience, the D-CVT offers the same smoothness as the conventional auto that came before it, only this time, it has a multitude of gear ratios to play with.

The only criticism I would have is the initial response of the transmission when starting off from a standstill.

During initial acceleration – approximately 0-25 km/h – the CVT transmission holds a rather low gear ratio which revs out rather quickly.

Thus, you could simply prod the throttle to slowly set off from a traffic light, and the car might lunge forward pretty abruptly. It’s no deal-breaker, but it will catch you by surprise sometimes.

Ride and handling – Good, but the Proton Iriz is better

There's no two ways about it, the suspension in the Myvi needs a touch more fine-tuning. As it stands, whilst it may be faster and more economical than the Proton Iriz, it cannot hold a candle to how the Iriz steers and drives.

The 2022 Myvi handles larger bumps and potholes quite well, but it’s clumsy on smaller, sharper road imperfections and highway expansion joints.

This is compounded when you’re travelling at speed.

Where the Iriz rounds off small undulations and settles quickly, the Myvi starts to jink back and forth as the ride quality starts to become crashy - almost as if the absorbers lack control of the springs in situations like these.

When coupled with the front seats that lack support and bolstering, you can imagine why driving for elongated periods can be a bit tiring in the 2022 Myvi.

Also read: Review: 2022 Proton Iriz Active – more tech, but has the CVT improved enough?

The steering also needs to be improved. On the roads, steering weightage feels a bit irregular turning from lock to lock, and our female colleagues also noted that it requires quite an effort (and feels heavy) when parking. 

Though we’re not saying the 2022 Myvi needs to steer like a Toyota GR Yaris, better feedback and more linear weightage will make it easier to point the car around corners and make driving the 2022 Myvi so much more fun.

With that said, cabin noise levels are pretty decent for a car at its price tag. But still loses out to the Iriz, especially around the 90 km/h mark where the Iriz is some 3 dB quieter than the Myvi.

Powertrain noise is mostly kept in check unless pushed hard during overtaking or when the transmission’s ‘PWR’ mode is enabled.

Tyre noise is audible without being overly intrusive, but it must be said more of this tyre and road noise comes from the rear where the Myvi noticeably has less sound insulation.

Elsewhere, wind-noise levels are pretty much non-intrusive at speed.

Fuel Consumption – Smashes the older Myvi and all its competition

Perodua claims a fuel economy of 4.7 litres/100 km for the Myvi 1.5L (and 4.5 litres/100 km for the 1.3L).

Though we didn’t hit those numbers, during our tests, the Myvi returned an overall fuel economy of 5.9 litres/100 km, thus it’s a superb improvement over the older 4-speed transmission which typically returned approximately 7.0-8.5 litres/100km depending on driving conditions.

Perodua claims an overall 5 percent improvement in fuel economy, though numbers suggest it's even more in the real world.

The test route included 60/40 percent highway/city driving in the searing afternoon heat and evening rain, plus we threw our 0-100 km/h acceleration tests in the mix for good measure.

Conclusion

Taken as a whole, the 2022 Myvi’s updates build on all the aspects that have made it the most popular and best-selling car in Malaysia.

The D-CVT has had a positive impact on fuel economy and refinement levels and perfectly matches the engine for better performance and drivability.

It’s not perfect though, seat support and ride comfort need improvement. When viewed objectively, buy the Myvi for its features and drivetrain, but buy the Iriz for the overall driving experience and cheaper prices.

One area where the Iriz cannot compete with the Myvi is its comprehensive list of PSDA features which has now made SAE Level 2 autonomous driving accessible for under RM 60k.

Thus, when you factor in the 2022 Myvi's package as a whole, you can surmise why the "King" of Malaysian roads has well and truly returned. 

Also read: 2022 Perodua Myvi - Great value but needs major improvement in ergonomics and comfort