New Perodua Bezza or Myvi coming in 2025, as next-gen full model change is confirmed for this year

Amid the flurry of news coming out today, Perodua has confirmed that a full model change (FMC) is expected this year. This comes as the national carmaker aims to nearly double its capital investment into ensuring its self-reliance in terms of production capabilities, particularly the development of new models.

Note that the FMC term denotes a wholesale redesign of an existing model, rather than an all-new model – one of those has already been confirmed for this year in the shape of the company’s first electric car. As such, one of Perodua’s current nameplates – Axia, Bezza, Myvi, Alza, Ativa and Aruz – will be up for renewal.

Leaving out the models that are still relatively fresh (Axia, Alza and Ativa) and one that appears to be on the backburner (Aruz) and you’re left with the Bezza and Myvi as the prime candidates. Both these cars are fairly long in the tooth – the Bezza was launched in 2016, the third-generation Myvi in late-2017 – and, most importantly, both generate the most sales and are thus top priority.

The Bezza will surely be the one next in line for a redesign. It’s based on the previous-generation Axia, looks rather dated and lacks the airbag count and the more advanced driver assistance systems found elsewhere in Perodua’s lineup.

It’s also almost certainly the easiest to redesign, given that the Axia was given its own comprehensive redo in 2023 and only needs a separate boot. Then again, continued strong sales of the existing Bezza – the car is by far and away Perodua’s best-selling model despite its age – means the company has little incentive to renew it.

The Myvi, on the other hand, was the first of the vanguard of new models that ushered in a new era for Perodua, particularly in terms of safety with up to six airbags and available Advanced Safety Assist (ASA). Since its launch seven years ago, it’s been steadily updated with new features but is showing its age, still based on an older Daihatsu platform rather than the latest Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA).

At this juncture, we should point out that Perodua has previously said it only has the capacity to introduce one new FMC per year, which means that only one of these two models will be renewed this year. The increase in capex, however, does bring scope for a commensurate jump in its capabilities, although the company will already have its hands full with its EV – its first fully in-house effort.

It’s interesting that these two cars are up for renewal at a time when Perodua is looking to increase its self-reliance in product development. Both the Bezza and Myvi marked a datum point for the company’s design and engineering capabilities, using in-house-designed “tophats” (upper body shells) atop existing platforms. This was a clear break from Perodua’s modus operandi at the time, which was limited to rebadging and performing minor redesigns on Daihatsu models.

Expect either the Bezza or Myvi to be DNGA-based, again with a new tophat. This would be the first time Perodua is doing such extensive in-house engineering on the latest platform, as previous DNGA models were still heavily based on their Daihatsu/Toyota brethren.

As for powertrains, expect the new Bezza or Myvi to continue utilising the proven 1KR-VE 1.0 litre three-cylinder (Bezza only), 1NR-VE 1.3 litre four-cylinder and 2NR-VE 1.5 litre four-cylinder (Myvi only) engines, mated to the latest Dual-Mode CVT (D-CVT). The latter would be a first for the Bezza, which currently still uses a four-speed automatic transmission.

There’s also the possibility of a hybrid option being offered, something that Perodua has long hinted. The company even offered the Ativa Hybrid – essentially a rebadged Rocky e-Smart Hybrid – through a subscription plan back in 2022, but there has been no news on that front since then.

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