(2020 Perodua Bezza Price & Specs | Gallery)

The first local car launch of the year is the 2020 Perodua Bezza facelift and being their best- selling (and only) sedan, it is an important model for the second national carmaker.

Perodua has trimmed the Bezza facelift variant line up to 4 variants, dropping the 2019 Perodua Bezza 1.3 Premium X (MT) citing low uptake rate from the public.

The Bezza facelift is a stunner in the metal and its extensive list of features are mouth-watering to showroom shoppers. Compared to its direct rival, the 2020 Proton Saga facelift, the Bezza clearly has the upper hand.

However, there is one major concern for buyers which is the asking price for the Bezza facelift. Prices have gone up across the board with the Bezza 1.3 AV (AT) now pricier by RM 2,190. To some, it may seem like a small sum to pay for the features you’re getting, but for many shoppers of this segment, the 5% price hike may mean being out of their reach.

Which is why our pick of the range is the Perodua Bezza 1.3 Premium X (AT) that we think comes with all the important necessities whether you’re looking for a family sedan or a workhorse for e-hailing duties.

Eh, Safety is Crucial!

Perodua has now expanded ESC (electronic stability control) to the 1.3 Premium X which is a vital active safety feature to help drivers regain control of the car during an unexpected loss of traction.

ESC is especially helpful during driving in rainy conditions and long-distance journeys, giving you an added layer of safety net. We would never recommend a vehicle without ESC.

However, do note that the 1.3 Premium X is only awarded 4-Star ASEAN NCAP crash safety rating. Only the range-topping model with A.S.A 2.0 (Advanced Safety Assist) driving assistance system is awarded 5-Stars.

Premium X marks the spot for the Bezza facelift

In the Bezza 1.3 Premium X facelift is generously equipped with front fog lamps, 15-inch dual-tone alloys, semi-bucket fabric seats, front parking sensors, keyless entry and start and a 4-speaker audio system with Bluetooth & USB connection.

Those are more than enough toys to impress your passengers that it’s money well spent for a relatively premium vehicle.

No Eco Idle = no expensive battery = more savings

Despite using the same 1NR-VE 1.3-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder DVVT-i petrol engine (95 PS/121 Nm) as the range-topping 1.3 AV variant, the Premium X does not have the annoying fancy Eco Idle auto start-stop feature.

This also means you don’t have to pay more for an auto start-stop compatible battery unit which is generally more expensive (up to 50% more) to replace.

Even without Eco Idle, the Bezza 1.3 Premium X facelift still returns very good fuel consumption of 4.8L/100 km (claimed) vs 4.5L/100 km with Eco Idle.

Acceptable price of RM 43,980

It’s impossible not to draw a comparison with the Proton Saga facelift that is priced between RM 32,800 to RM 39,800. All things considered, the Bezza facelift is still more expensive than its competitor.

The range-topping Bezza 1.3 AV priced at RM 49,980, is RM 10,180 more expensive than the facelifted Saga 1.3 Premium. Even if you argue that the Bezza has A.S.A 2.0, it is frankly still a very significant price difference.

Which is why the Bezza 1.3 Premium X, all things considered, is a much fairer price to pay and a closer competitor to the Saga. This is also the biggest contributing factor as to why this is our pick of the range.

In summary, the 1.3 AV (AT) is too expensive and the 1.0 G doesn’t come with ESC. Which is why the 1.3 Premium X is our pick of the Perodua Bezza facelift range.

Regardless of which variant you pick, every Perodua Bezza facelift is covered with a 5-Years/150,000 km warranty.