We’ve just attended the finale and winner announcement ceremony of the Asian Compact Sedan Design Challenge 2023 (ACSDC), co-organised by Perodua and the Malaysia Design Council. Asian Compact Sedan, Perodua, are you thinking Bezza? Yes, the next-generation Bezza was mentioned by Perodua VP Datuk Ahmad Suhaimi Hashim in his opening speech.
“As some of you here may remember, we announced the launch of the ACSDC 2023 on July 4, and during the event, we said that we would consider the design as inspiration for our future model. It would be an easy guess on what that model would be as we only have one sedan under our stable of vehicles,” he said.
That’s the Bezza all right. “It is true that we are looking for a full model change of our Bezza in the future and this design competition is part of the product development process as we consider various ideas to integrate into a full model change. However, this product development process is still on the ‘drawing board’ stage and would not materialise any time soon,” Ahmad Suhaimi added, bringing out the proverbial bottle of cold water.
This is possibly the first time that Perodua has explicitly mentioned the new Bezza, and it comes as a surprise as the market leader is typically tight-lipped when it comes to upcoming models, unless the introduction is just around the corner.
“I understand that for most of the media members here today, this announcement is unusual as we typically keep our future plans to ourselves until the very last moment. This change in tactics is because our designers are keen on hearing your feedback on what is on display today, and of course your kind coverage of this competition and the finalists as well,” Ahmad Suhaimi explained.
With that said, let’s look at the contest and the entries. The inaugural ACSDC drew 93 entries from seven countries including Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Iran and India. There were two categories – Student and Professional. Perodua’s chief designer Muhamad Zamuren Musa led the panel of judges.
For the professional category, Kenny Chan from Malaysia was named champion. “The design proportion show dynamic with a fastback silhouette, strong and stable body character makes the car well-balanced. The significant of details and other creative elements of style make the car among the best of all participants,” Zamuren said of the ‘Payung’ concept car.
Philip Samuel Tandio from Indonesia was the first runner up with his ‘Out Ride’ concept, while Muhammad Izhar Che Shukarno’s ‘Fastback’ was named second runner up. In the student category, Bryan Teh Yea Quan from Malaysia’s Asia Pacific University was crowned champion ahead of Alfred Han Wen Hao from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Muhammad Amin Othman from Universiti Teknologi Mara.
While the name of the contest says ‘Compact Sedan’, many of the finalists came up with what appeared to be large sedans, and some were even coupes! While Zamuren agreed that the entries could have been more realistic, he liked some of the design ideas applied by the participants, such as the profile surfacing on Chan’s winning entry. By the way, P2 owns the rights to all the designs submitted.
The challenge, as always, would be to incorporate as much design into the production car as possible, without affecting cost. That’s one constraint faced by Perodua, as it’s a maker of affordable cars and costs – especially for intangible things like design – have to be kept low to accommodate features that can be used and felt.
Another big hurdle would be the format of the compact sedan – to look good, a sedan needs length and good proportions, but that’s not a luxury that compact sedan designers have. Based on small hatchback underpinnings, they have to incorporate height (these are practical tools, good space is a must) and a boot. A car like the Bezza could well be the most difficult to design.
Ahmad Suhaimi said that while a sedan is seen as a practical mode of transport in Malaysia, the bodystyle a status symbol elsewhere in Asia (I can think of the compact hatchback in India or the MPV in Indonesia). “We want to bridge that gap as much as possible, equip this new car with the latest safety and connectivity features as well as within a price range that is typical of our products. This process will take a few years, but it is in the works,” he said.
A few years? The original Bezza surfaced in 2016, two years after the first Axia, and the all-new DNGA Axia was launched earlier this year, so it could be two, three more years before we see a new Bezza? Anyway, the Bezza is well on track to be Perodua’s best selling model in 2023, and P2’s No.1 is always Malaysia’s best-selling car, so it’s far from broke.
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Non practical on next Bezza Aventador as your grab driver’s car ok
Realistically, think the Bezza – given its constrained proportions would fare much better with a sportback/ liftback style shape (see the green concept in the article). Won’t have to sacrifice boot space. Production costs wise looks feasible too. Think Perodua Panamera.
With an all new Bezza some time away, could we see an upgrade to CVT in the mean time?
The red one is the best
Congratulation! Malaysia got lots of talent!
For a company that took so many months just to solve oil filter leaking issue, don’t put too much hope on them.
Just rebadge the vios, cut rm30k of the price, do some bumper tech engineering… there you go, a winning product right there.
Hmm, compact sedan. Yet all the the ‘winning designs’ seem to share a certain similarity. Congrats to the winners but what the designs lacked was – originality. A little Lexus, a little Hyundai, etc. Might as well leave the compact sedan designs to Italian and French designers. Sigh
So they have a car design which looks like a multi million dollar earner for a car company and they’re just giving it away for 20k?
If it possible, then why not? Even if it’s not possible, at least we get a better looking car for an affordable price. If just gonna think conservatively, then takkan ke mana lah kemajuan kita. No innovation and will always one step behind.
You’re not getting the point. The design will be a money printing machine for Perodua and yet these people are just giving it away for an amount which couldn’t even buy a base spec Axia. The reward should at least tally with the estimated amount Perodua is expected to take from this model.
Dont dream perodua will produce this car. With bezza price u wanna get this? Wake up malaysians.
Nxt bezza 1.3Tebo charged 147hp sloping Fstback
It’s an open secret la, then again what’s the point doing the competition when they’re settling for a baby Vios look. Bezza FMC – 1Q26
It might end up as a new myvi model. Looks awesome.
wth?where’s rendering hazard?theohasyphilis sud had swept clean all categories
nottheherowewant,
Then… where is Theohasyphilis right here…??? i really wanna see thus netizen call “designer” to produce design for this round…. his was “image manipulator designer” oni…..
Most of the designs are for the younger generation,what about for those who doesn’t like extreme designs? Be fair, not all these car design are people desires
Don’t worry, your taste will be favoured. None of it will be designed exactly the same. Just taking inspiration from the designers.
All the winning design did not have the current Perodua “X” face design elements. The 2nd gen bezza design probably not coming from this competition. They will stay closer to the current Vios.
But realistically, Perodua might take the red one into consideration for 3rd gen bezza. After all it just last gen Vios design with some mix of proton design elements.
Malaysians need to hold their expectation first. Yes, the proposed design is beautiful, but of course Perodua won’t be building exactly like it. As they said, ‘inspiration’. So at least there will be a design cue from the winner with probably most of current Axia design. But for us to judge that all of that designers is useless is to think that we never think forward. Let them have that futuristic design in mind and at least Perodua can make the new looking design inspiring from those winners, to make it looks beautiful and better than current Axia (Axia design is horrendous, specifically rear design)
To those who complaining, would like to see your own design if you can do better. I bet none of you would be conservative with designing and will go wild with your imagination.
Very few design concept cars make it as actual without changing as much, Mazda 3 fastback is an example.
P2 with this non-original design? Dream on really. Too costly to make, too angular, with the safety profile questionable, Building cars, profit first mentality. Slow slow wait la