Detail Comparison Between Proton Saga CVT and Perodua Bezza Advance

Introduction

This could be the first ever such a comparison has ever been done in Malaysian history. A battle between two A-segment sedans which is the Proton Saga and Perodua Bezza which are both made and assemble in Malaysia.

Exterior Comparision Between the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza

Lets starts with the exterior, in terms of appearance the Saga and Bezza looks nothing like each other. It seems that they are design to appeal to a different segment of audience respectively.

From the side, I would say that the Bezza looks a tad better as compared to the Saga due to the placement of the sharkfin antennas on the rear. However in terms of accessibility, the Saga would be a much roomier option as the rear doors of the Saga have been stretch slightly allowing a bigger rear access to the cabin.

In terms of wheels designs, both Proton and Perodua has adopted a ‘turbine’ inspired design rims accordance with their own interpretation.

However in terms of wheel size the Saga would be the clear winner as the top Spec Premium CVT variant comes equipped with 15 inch wheels as compared to14 inch wheels found in all variants of the Perodua Bezza.

In addition, the front of the Bezza face is more focus looking with sharper drawn headlights and a 2 piece grill for the top and bottom. The upper grill does get a single chrome line treatment to jazz things up. However, I would personally prefer the headlamps of the Bezza to look sharper to give it a more distinct look like the 2nd generation Honda Jazz which was first introduced back in the year 2007.

In terms of appearance, the Saga displays more of an aggressive look due to its slightly rounded headlights, sporty looking bumper and twin chrome lines treatment on the grill.

Eventhough the Saga is one of the most affordable car that is offered by Proton. Proton

came up with a brilliant idea to give the sage an upmarket feel by placing the small ‘PROTON’ word badges located on the side of the headlight. This is a nice touch especially for an A Segment car in the market.

The rear view of the Saga becomes more apparent due to its slightly wider body .

As For the rear view of the Bezza, the first thing that comes to most people’s mind is that it looks like the previous ninth generation Honda Civic but way thinner. Below is picture comparision for reference.

Bezza Rear Headlamps

Civic’s Rear Headlamps

One aspect of the Bezza that most people would not like is that the rising side character lines of the Bezza’s rear upper trunk seating really high. This gives it and awkward look as it feels really out of place as compared to the Saga.

Thankfully, potential car buyers of the Perodua Bezza can equipped the Bezza with the optional , bodykit set called ‘Gear Up’ using genuine Perodua accessories. The Gear Up Accessories from Perodua consist of a front lip, rear skirt, side skirt, trunk lid and sound insulation enhancement to help address the less than appealing looks. Once fitted it gives the Bezza a more refined and premium look as compared to its original design.

Bezza Gear Up Accesories 

As for the rear headlamp of the sage most car fans would agree that the rear of the all new Saga looks similar to the BMW E90 3 Series that was first introduced back in the year 2004. Although the one’s on the E90 looks much more stylish and sophisticated due to its sharper and thicker taillights. Below is the picture comparison for reference.

Saga’s Rear Headlamps

BMW E90 3 Series Headlamps

Performance Comparison between the the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza 

At the heart of the 2 cars we have the engines. The Bezza comes with 2 engine option which is either a 1.0L 4 cylinder VVTi engine which makes 77 Hp with 91 Nm torque or a larger 1.3L 4 cylinder Dual VVTi engine that makes 94 Hp with 121 Nm of torque. Both engines can be paired by either a 4 speed automatic or 5 speed manual depending on the variant you choose. The Bezza has 3 variants overall with the upper 2 (Premium X and Advance) getting the bigger engine and only the Advance solely mated to an Automatic transmission.

As for the Saga, it only comes with 1 engine option which is the 1.3 4 cylinder VVT engine that has an output of 94 Hp with 120 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a CVT gearbox on all variants. A 5 speed manual is available but only on the based variant Standard Saga.

In terms of performance both the Bezza and the Saga’s engine produces 94hp, the only difference is that the Bezza engine produce 1Nm of torque as compared to the Saga.

Bezza 1.0 VVT-i Engine

Bezza 1.3 Dual VVT-i Engine

Saga 1.3 VVT Engine

Drive-ability Comparison Between the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza

I would say that the drive-ability of both cars feels really different in terms of day to day driving.

The Bezza’s acceleration is really responsive as the throttle responds the moment you step on the pedal. It is quite surprising that the 4 speed automatic has very smooth gear changes as well. With that being said the changes was rather lazy and I do find myself from time to time wanting slightly faster downshifts.

In the Saga however things are much different as compared to the Bezza. When accelerating on the highway I kinda feel that there is a lagging ‘numb feel’ for about a second or two before the CVT gearbox kicks in and responds when you step on the pedal. This gives the feeling to potential car buyers of the Saga that the car is weak in responds as compared to the Bezza.

In terms of wind noise on highway speed,the wind noise in both cars are equally as loud when reaching speeds of 80km/h to 90km/h on the highways/ Though I feel the wind noise in the Saga is a tad louder.

An important to point out is that the Saga feels a tad safer to drive on the highway as compared to the Bezza. This would be mainly due to the kerb weight different of the both cars, the Premium Variant of the Saga has a kerb weight of 1070kg as compared to a kerb weight of 930 kg for the Bezza Advance.

Eventhough both cars are affected by crosswinds, the Bezza seems to be more affected in a way. This is because when travelling on the highway with speeds of 80km/h to 90 km/h, you would feel the car will start to sway sideways at times.The swaying would also occur when heavy vehicles drive pass or even overtakes you on the highway.

Fuel Consumption Comparison Between the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza

The Bezza is slightly more economical with 22 km/l consumption over the saga’s 18.5 km/l. This is due to the Saga’s heavier weight at 1075 kg as compared to the Bezza’s 930 kg.

Boot Space Comparison Between the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza

It is worth mentioning that in terms of Boots Space the Bezza triumphs over the Saga as it comes with 508 Litres of Bootspace as compared to 420 Litres of Boot Space in the Saga.

This is an astounding difference of almost a 100 litres of bootspace which would make a significant different especially when travelling on roadtrips with your friends or family members.

Interior Comparison Between the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza

The interior of the Bezza features leather seats with a quilted pattern and a touchscreen head unit with navigation, and reverse camera.

Entering the interior of the Saga I would say that is an improvement as compared to the 2nd generation Proton Saga.The interior features multifunction steering wheel controls, a gloss grey gearlever, a double-DIN head unit from the Exora and a reverse camera that feeds the view to a small display on the rear-view mirror (also from the Exora)

In terms of interior design the Bezza has an all-new dashboard and the infotainment display helps add a premium feel to the interior of the car. I personally prefer the interior design of the Bezza much more than the Saga as it feels more premium and refined as compared to the Saga. This is mainly because the Saga lacks the infotainment display unit that is found in the Bezza. It is even more disappoint to note that even the premium version of the Saga doesn’t come with keyless entry or push start stop button as compared to the Bezza. The leather seats on the Advance version of the Bezza feels much comfortable as well when compared to the fabric seats found in the Premium CVT version of the Saga. This is an important feature to have especially for potential car buyers that commutes a lot for their day to driver as the leather seats would offer much more support and refinement as compared to the fabric seats found in the Saga.

Bezza Advance Interior

Saga Premium CVT Interior

Safety Comparison Between the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza 

Another area of improvement for both cars is safety. In top spec form The Saga and Bezza are equip with dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, BA, TCS, ESP, Hill Start Assist (HSA) and ISOFIX. Immobilizer and alarm are also standard.

However it is a shame that safety features such as the ABS with EBD and brake assist is only available on the Executive variant upwards. This would ultimately place the Saga as major disadvantage as compared to the Bezza. In addition,the Bezza overtakes the Saga’s 4 Stars rating with 5 Stars from the ASEAN NCAP program.

Safety Features of the Saga Premium CVT

Safety Features of the Bezza Advance 

Pricing Comparison Between the Proton Saga and the Perodua Bezza 

In terms of price the Bezza is a much more pricey car as compared to the Saga. The Advance Variant of the Bezza is price at RM 47,990 versus RM 41,847.59 for the Premium CVT Saga.

Summary

In a nutshell, both the Saga and Bezza are examples of what modern entry level sedans have become.

In my opinion it is worth the extra money spent as the Bezza offers a wide range of equipment for an A Car Segment in the market.This is because it is well equipped with the bells and whistles of a modern day car which is pratical for day to day usage.

If you’re a type of consumer that is more concern with the technology features that comes with the car at a decent price point, then the Bezza would be the car for you.

However if you’re a type of consumer that is more concern with the ride quality of the car, then you should opt for the Saga instead.