Even if you haven’t made your way to KLIMS13 yet, by now you’d have seen the Perodua Buddyz Concept sedan from every angle possible in our comprehensive coverage here. But, how much do you know about the car itself, other than how it looks?
The official video above briefly explains the thoughts behind Perodua’s new sedan concept. Still want more? That’s where we come in. paultan.org was granted an exclusive interview with the Buddyz’s Chief Designer, Muhamad Zamuren Musa.
We discussed the design study’s opinion-dividing looks, name, and underlying design principles. Read on to find out more about the Perodua Buddyz Concept.
For a start, do explain the concept’s peculiar choice of name: Buddyz.
It’s all about the car’s target market and character. The previous Bezza Concept was designed predominantly for Generation Y. While this new car is based on the same concept, it also caters to the younger Generation Z. So that’s Y and Z.
At the same time, we would like to build on the close relationship between the user and his or her car, which can be described as an on-going friendship. That’s how we decided on the name Buddyz – a buddy to generations Y and Z.
So you are targeting much younger customers than before, then?
Absolutely. The concept of this car is built on meeting the demands and requirements of the new age – the digital natives. Now, people are reliant on connectivity, while also having a more active lifestyle. The Buddyz features various connectivity options, and is both practical and versatile to suit their modern lifestyles.
It is a car that’s fit for young singles and fresh graduates, and will continue to be useful once they’ve moved up in life, get married and have a kid or two.
Let’s move on to the looks. It’s polarising to say the least.
People say this now, but remember, when the original Perodua Kancil was first introduced, many commented that the car was not good; not safe. The general consensus was rather negative.
In time, however, more and more accepted the design, size, height, and we proved that it was the right solution to local needs. As it turned out, the Kancil became hugely successful, and we sold over one million units of it.
It doesn’t look like a typical sedan. Wouldn’t a traditional three-box approach be more widely acceptable?
If we had followed the market trend, our sedan would be just another Honda City or Toyota Vios. But no, we wanted to make it different. Why? Because we understand that our customers prefer a tall interior, and that they put a heavy emphasis on interior space over everything else. This solution is ideal for those very needs.
All our cars have good interior space, but being primarily small hatchbacks, there’s always an issue of luggage room. Absolute boot capacity is small, so for long journeys, especially for balik kampung usage for example, the rear compartment may prove insufficient for some. This car fills that void in our vehicle range.
But it looks so tall. Some may not even consider it a sedan.
As Perodua’s first attempt at building a sedan, we want to play to our strengths, which is building compact cars. So the target was to make a sub-B segment vehicle of 4 metres long, and maximise it in terms of total interior length and height. We can make it longer, sure, but it won’t be as easy to manoeuvre, and fuel consumption and ergonomics will suffer as consequences.
We set out to get the best design and packaging we could. In order to get a good silhouette, we have to compromise on interior space. But we didn’t want to. This car’s interior is as big as a Myvi’s. We’ve achieved amazing results in terms of interior space. In terms of shape and packaging, the Buddyz strikes the right balance.
How far along is the development of this model?
Purely in terms of this design, we started earlier this year. But the development project started well before we showed you the Bezza Concept three years ago. We wish to venture into the sedan category, which is completely new to us, so it’s taking us a long time to complete.
We know hatchbacks well, but for this one, we really have to understand the requirements and expectations from our customers first. This is already our second attempt at a sedan (after the Bezza), so we will proceed once we get sufficiently positive feedback.
In terms of positioning, how will the sedan fit into Perodua’s current model range?
Perodua always has a lot of variants for each model: from low to high, plus the SE, so there will be some overlap in our range. When we do make the sedan, it will fit in between the Myvi and Alza.
Perodua showed the Bezza at KLIMS10, and now the Buddyz in KLIMS13. Will we see the production version at the next KL Motor Show?
We really do hope so. That is, if we do have a next KLIMS (laughs).
So there you have it, a closer insight into the workings behind Perodua’s new concept sedan. We have more coming on the Buddyz, though, so do stay tuned. For now, enjoy the fresh batch of pictures below, or go and have a look at the concept yourself at the on-going KLIMS13 in PWTC.
After all, this could well preview Malaysia’s hottest new sedan in the near future.
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Give me a real car, not fake one…
He probably need to scrap the car in another 5 years. Remember that the car is now 7 years old by the storyboard.
The Kancil selling good because the cheap price and not more choice during that period, it totally not due to market need.
And this car look like paper car that need to burn to “somebody”.
It is totally embarrassing to talk like professional but product is amateur!
Actually Proton now very scared, cannot sleep well at night that this cheap Perodua sedan means the end of Saga sales and sending Proton deep in trouble close shop…
The doors are thin as Milo tin..
That video is so awkward I couldn’t even bear to finish it. After all that, it’s still a damn big failure for me.
if target youngster, what bout the price ? could be 80k ? youngster nowadays are rich ?
for me, it’s look like hello kitty car…
that ass is a rip off!
if the color is pink, then can attract those hello kitty fans to buy.
blow water so easy la, i also can blow la.
bad concept is bad, bad design is bad, stop being so defensive, accept the truth, you failed to design something appealing.
bad acting aside. I’m surprised it’s a working concept car and not all show no go and is that a VW ‘inspired’ boot release? :p overall, get the proportions right and it just might be a hit. And maybe put a super efficient turbo charged engine or is that too much to ask?
yes too much i think unless to go and put proper safety kits..
its sad to see viva’s and myvi’s crash..the car just crumple until dont know what car is it
Yes it’s true, but Toyota Vios is nothing better as well. Try google “Yaris vs Camry crash test”, and you’ll see the Yaris (Vios in Malaysia) has the same result as the Myvi or Viva. But people still ignore that fact and say all Toyota are safe and tough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcTf78b8WfY
You young punks had better be rich or u just simply cant afford to buy a house or even a car like this.
LOL… Proton EMAS 2010 better than this anytime haha…
looks promising…wishing success.
it’s great if it a hybrid car since it’s look like futuristic and nowdays hybrid becomes a demand
what is that? a side mirror or antenna? LOL
He’s Buddyz with Wolverine?
What kind of story is this? He got a girlfriend and a steady job because of his car. A car that has not been launched? If he’s been using a prototype for 7 years, that means this car was designed in 2006 and therefore is an old design. But the feature I like the most is the info screen from future, as it displays news feed of KLIMS 2013, 7 years ago in 2006.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a Saga underneath. It has the same shape – quarter end area. Part of platform sharing between Proton and Perodua perhaps?
Saw what they did at the end? They put a Corolla next to 2 Perodua cars.
Having good interior space is one thing. But it also makes sense to have it with balanced proportions. For me, this feels like it was drawn with a ruler.
whats the point of creating this car ? its built by a corporation which cares about profit not about what it can do with that “concept Car’. pshhhh….. i can do that with a second-hand myvi. and the design doesnt shows innovation only copying ideas from other manufacturer. look at the front remind of the golf gti mk 7 ??
Go ahead perodua.. Give this car a character is good.. Max interior like myvi.. Want cramp interior go & get fiesta or mazda 2.. Buddyz is bot for you. Even Mazda 3 feel cramp inside… Buddyz can be the new Beetle icon!.. Make sure put Android with touch screen… Wifi.. Can connect with our smartphones.. You get my money… For sure.
now that is very awful..
the minus
1. video is cheaply made
2. car design has no flow
3. the upholstery, be honest guys it awful
4. lower front and rear side is a joke
5. apparently no idea to do for under the dashboard
6. door hinges taken from mama cup board
7. seat with ipad slot ? not a built in monitor
plus
1. nice blue console
2. cool steering wheel
why do i have a feeling this is actualy custom suzuki swift sedan
Perodua is good at doing this ‘we are developing our own car’ stunt at Malaysian car shows. I think the fact is their shareholders have decided its absolutely not required to do so as it is strategically not feasible compared to rebadging daihatsu compacts.
As harsh as this going to sound, this is a fugly piece of metal. Perodua, please get back to your bread and butter. There is no shame in that.
Claiming something that not produce yet as a failure, is damn stupid.. The fact is there are millions Myvi sold whether you like or not.. Buddyz is an unique option… Gen 2, Juara even Evo X are failure..Buick a failure.. Ignore all Ah beng wannabe here.. There are many other option for you.. Beli lah kalau mampu.. Tahu komplen here & there only.. Xde kerja lain.. Complain saja pandai.
oh wai, i can tell you by 100%, the Buddyz is just another thing made by Perodua to for nothing. It wont get into production. Evo X a failure? you smoke weed? beli lah kalau mampu? haha that’s funny, then why bother showing something to the public?
when you decided to show something to people, be ready for praise and bash. the way you talk is more stupid, a typical loser.
What a desperate move by daihatsu… This wont find place on this earth….
Kalo macam ni, I want to come up with my own car. I will call it MyKaki. I will use the Golf Mk7 GTi and the Swift sedan as my base. For sure dapat demo kat KLIMS.
the place looks familiar. is that P2 R&D?
on the other note, is it possible to get permission from daihatsu to allow push-start button at the center console, bluish LED, VW concept of boot release, lcd screen at both front seat?
who came up with the whole idea? fugly car, lame commercial story line..
are all our talent dead, or perodua putting the wrong ppl for the job?
Seriously, did they just use a Myvi chassis to create this concept? They should have just borrowed from the Etios like how Theo did it in the Jaguh prank. The video was a pain to watch and it felt awkward. The Suzuki Swift sedan probably look better than this.
the stupidest joke by pelodua… cheap car but try to look expensive.. better buy vios
it doesn’t look like a concept for me, exterior really looks 80s boxy car
He can’t even speak proper english.Still a tin car for me.The interesting part in the car is only the start button for my opinion LOL
IN my opinion.
Pot, meet kettle.
*Jaw Dropping* This car can guarantee getting a hit in 9gag.com, somebody pls post it there.
1st it’s unfair to compare buddyz with proton emas
(EMAS was designed by italian design firm called ‘Italdesign Giugiaro’) ofcoz at some angle we’ll see the EMAS could’ve performed better in our eyes.
2nd ‘fake one’??? no way. design is not simple to explained and having concept car is one of the best strategy to tell the public what is going on,.its new thing they’ve put an effort on compared to the last 3-5 years which our local don’t have anything like this (concept car)
3rd instead of just throwing a new model in the market, they need the concept be showcase first in order to get feedback then maybe we could see improvements from that, plus there might be a production scale and design be tuned later on if there’s real new model coming up.
4th yes maybe the overall shape is kinda ‘pelik’ but i do believe they’ve undergone RnD,(not simply done) just look at the Japanese car, their minivan shape(somehow wired) and perodua’s design is until now improvised from Daihatsu(ex:kenari, rusa)we can see how people still want it (even it is taller or what)
5th maybe the best results we can refer are from proton concept car back then ‘TUAH’, which after all it popped out as PREVE. concept does help them much. what they are out to offer us.
Lastly, what we’ve seen is what our people had tried hard, just see it as good approached they’ve come up with, quit ok what. KEEP UP PERODUA!!!
Well said. Good one.
Tall is ok, but make it wider, and lower the car’s stance.
OMG! What a design!!! It’s the worst design..
Well, the Kancil wasn’t safe, was it?
As for the Buddyz: If space is so important, why not make it a wagon? Simply stretch a Myvi. Look at all those gorgeous wagons, even in the B segment. It can be done, and it would give even more space than a sedan. Do Malaysians really reject wagons because they don’t like them, or do they sell badly because there are only a few (rather expensive) offerings in Malaysia?
lol kancil was bought by many people not because of its looks but because it was cheap. ask your friends who bought viva now…they all bought it cos it was cheap.
super lame commercial (i mean seriously, we have great tearjerkers during raya n whatnot n we still have this?) and super lame design. jesus christ.
Why waste time and money to design some ‘concept’ car, better spend that time and money design something realistic. When u got a sedan on the road then only u start on the ‘concept’.
And btw, pls… pls get someone like Theophilus Chin as designer or design advisor, the current design really awful, I’m sure any simple ‘touch’ by Theophilus will look much much better than this.
This fugly boxy design proves that perutdua is a failure and better go back to assembling daihatsu.
oi motohead, millions of myvi sold becoz the lower income Malaysians have no choice. we the rakyat are forced to buy p2 and p1 if we r not rich. put everything on a fair plate and p1 and p2 will fail… everyone knows this, so don’t say use sales from p2 and p1 as they produce good cars coz sometimes they r not good enough…
The only thing I liked about this car is how they integrate all the infotainment systems. If Proton can do that with their P2-30A/Savvy replacement/EMAS-production model (assume minimal design changes)..
even Toyota can bungkus
So its just a car which has a classy interior but not really sophisticated or luxurious and with a front looking like Suzuki Swift and the back looking like a full black Proton Saga BLM. And this thing don’t look like a Sedan at all
UGLEY.
Looks like the paper car during the Chinese “Cheng Beng” season.
It’s easy.. Don’t like don’t buy.. No money.. Buy saga FLX.. Ve a bit more money buy a city, or vios.. So rich, want a sleek car buy a BRZ, 86 or used Evo X.. What is your problem? Puihh.. So many negativity.
Go learn some marketing segmentation before bash like grumpy old people… No one will force you to buy it anyway..
Ugly hodoh buruk bad.
from the feature look like not a affordable price.
Perodua Buddyz – what it’s all about. Haiyaa…It’s all about ripping Malaysians’ money for the sake of Daihatsu/Toyota/UMW huge profit laa..
Rebadge complain, try to develop own car also kena complain.. It is just a concept.. Go away creative killer..
A wise man ve spoken..
This is an dangerous car. The driver doesnt has full control. Imaging the passenger able to stop the engine by pushing the button in the middle and the passenger’s leg can reach the pedals.
Sigh.. How old are you kid?.. Of course la.. It is a CONCEPT CAR… & You are lucky to see a concept car that really can move.. Most concept cars only for display.. Go back to school lah. This short video must be filmed under controlled environment.
just wondering, kancil sold one million units because of its look meh? sometimes there are many reasons people buy certain cars, so to use sales volume to answer a design-related question is really questionable. it’s like saying people are buying 2nd gen vios and the new almera because of their looks……
OMG!! unacceptable at all. This is totally a toy car!!! Stupid…
It looks ugly,that is my point of view. The back kind of remind me of saga.
start engine button at the center console?? Is that safe? Even nowadays the power window button is moved to the door trim, partially due to safety reason (easily touch by children) and p2 going few step towards disaster by placing the start engine button there??? Oh boy… more horrific traffic jam due to accident i guess…
don’t worry. the concept of push-start button won’t be available in P2 model for in the next 3 years at least.
In the words of Hammond and Clarkson:
“At one point, the designer must have stepped back and said yes, that’s my work done for the day!”
What an awful translation from hatchback to sedan, they could have at least tried to make it proportionate like the Fiesta sedan. Or scrap the design and make it from scratch like the Jazz/City or Saga/Savvy. Proton does a much much better job turning hatchbacks into sedans IMO.
20 years in automotive industries and you can only design this crap?
you are lucky because in selling in malaysia.. if outside malaysia, this company already buried since day 1
hnnn..i hope that the real into production model will no look like this one..really…
suzuki dzire
The backlight look like P1 Preve Concept design..This P2 concept really all copy and combine but at the end become Cat man car. Hope P2 will be more innovative
this looks like a parody video. har har har
How do you think if the chief designer go other car maker interview and show them this is my design when I was a chief designer at perodua?
It looks like a SAGA FLX already kena radioactive and turned into a mutant.
It’s nice but there’s something wrong on the backside
Can this car transformed into washing machine? If yes I will buy…
What a total crap….what a weird design…
What were you thinking?
I read all the above comments. More than 90% are negative. So, what are you going to do next!
everything….seems…wrong..here..
no bonus for the design department tis year~
The design is a downright oddity. ><
U got to have extraordinary taste to appreciate this car.
I only see Motorhead defending this weird concept car. Is he the ONE? Hehe.. C’mon ppl don’t be too harsh on him.
The concept design should be better if the designer use the golden ratio rules. If the golden ratio rules is used as by many leading designers in Japan, the buddyz should be pleasing for our eyes to see. Try googling golden ratio.
Just my 2 cents, no harm ok.. :>
1. Copy paste design: Front grill copy paste VW, side body contour imitates Suzuki Swift, rear light rip off from Proton Emas & Hang Tuah design. Interior mostly still represent Myvi except with full tech – which will increase cost and MSRP, plus expensive & costly if anything breakdown :>
2. Why they come out with concept car designs, when end of they day they will just redesign T or D car with Perodua logo?
3. What about safety feature? Yes, most car manufacturers nowadays focus on design, but its all safety feature packed.
4. What category this car segment falls into??? Perodua plans to crack the market trend by introducing a new car segment?
Fabulous! Amazing! Caught my interest at heart!
Looking forward to it!
As a students of transport.. i really feel proud.. to produce a car it is not easy thing as u have to plan it draw it test it research for it.. this car for me look great.. really hope to buy this car..
What is the price?
perodua bezza much more better design than perodua buddyz. my opinion perodua bezza is the best choice perodua sedan. perodua bezza with 1.6 boxer engine from subaru. sedan performance car from perodua.just suggestion.
New model Perodua Buddyz,is it same as Bezza.what is the c.c and pricing,launching date?
Sorry, this concept car is damn ugly, not proportionally designed.