It’s the MPV season again, as Perodua brought out its brand-new 2022 D27A Perodua Alza into the MPV segment, reviving a segment that was stagnant for a period of time.

And reviving the segment it certainly did, as more than 51,000 Malaysians put their money down for one, cementing itself as one of the most popular 7-seater MPVs in the country today.

Also Read: 51k bookings of 2022 Perodua Alza in 3 months; production to increase to meet demands, so shorter wait times?

But the Alza will soon be joined by the equally-new 2022 Honda BR-V, slated to debut here in Malaysia later this year.

Like the Alza, ASEAN NCAP also awarded the BR-V with a full 5-star rating with a near-perfect score for its Adult Occupant Protection (AOP). But with tentative prices of the BR-V in Malaysia likely to start from the RM 100k mark, how much safer is it compared to the Perodua Alza?

Also Read: All-new 2022 Honda BR-V to cost more than RM 100k. Bookings opened in Thailand, price up 22%

Kicking things off is the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) rating. Here, the Honda BR-V scored 26.98 points out of a maximum of 32 points, while the Alza scored 28.96 points.

ASEAN NCAP noted that the BR-V provided adequate protection to both the front occupants’ chests, but the front occupants are at risk of suffering from injuries to the chests and lower legs in the Alza. Nonetheless, the Alza clawed back at the BR-V with a better Head Protection Score (HPT), thus pushing its overall score ahead of the BR-V.

Also Read: All-new 2022 Honda BR-V scored near-perfect score for AOP, nets 5-star rating by ASEAN NCAP

As for Child Occupant Protection (COP), the Honda BR-V scored 44.53 points out of a maximum of 51 points, ahead of the Alza which did 43.04 points.

Here, ASEAN NCAP tested a range of child seats in both MPVs and rated the BR-V ahead of the Alza in terms of installation and child detection. Child Presence Detection (CPD) is defined by a notification system at the end of a journey that alerts the driver via audio and/or visual display (Check Rear Seat). The BR-V offers this feature, but the Alza doesn’t.

In the Safety Assist (SA) category, the Alza clawed back at the BR-V, scoring a total of 19.50 points out of a maximum of 21 points. The BR-V, on the other hand, scored 16.50 points.

The Alza’s win in this category can be attributed to its ASA 3.0 ADAS suite, which includes autonomous emergency braking as standard fitment. The Alza also offers Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) across the board, which bumped up its score. 

The main reason why the Honda BR-V scored lower is because it lacks rear seat belt reminders and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) isn't offered as standard across the range. 

Also Read: 5-star ASEAN NCAP rating for all-new 2022 Perodua Alza, scores higher than Toyota Veloz

Lastly is the Motorcyclist Safety (MS) category which sees the BR-V scoring 8.1 points, ahead of the Alza’s 8.0 points.

The overall score for the Honda BR-V stands at 77.02 points, while the Alza did 81.64 points, netting both MPVs the full 5-star rating.

With that said, no matter how many stars a vehicle gets for a crash test, it’s vital to have proper child seats, moreover in a family MPV.