Perodua Bezza as a Mother-Friendly Car: Perspectives of Malaysian Women Drivers

Abstract

Women represent an increasingly important segment of automotive users, yet their needs and preferences remain insufficiently considered in car design. This study explores Malaysian women drivers’ perceptions of five local car models (Perodua Bezza, Myvi, Axia, Ativa, and Proton Saga) selected based on popularity, sales, and price up to 2023, to identify the most mother-friendly model and the factors influencing their preferences. An online survey using Google Forms was conducted with 106 Malaysian women drivers. Data were analysed using frequencies and percentages to identify patterns and compare the selected models. The respondents were predominantly mothers (70%), while 39% were aged 31–40, 46% were primarily workers, 33% had 16–20 years of driving experience, and 42% had used their cars for more than ten years. Affordability was the most influential purchase factor (59%), followed by comfort (46%), mother-friendliness (30%), size (27%), and child-friendliness (19%). Although Axia was most strongly associated with affordability (64%) and Ativa with comfort (54%), Bezza demonstrated the most consistent performance. It recorded the highest agreement as a mother-friendly car (69%), perceived mother-friendliness (42%), child-friendliness (28%), and mother-friendly rating (73%). The findings indicate that women drivers’ perceptions of suitable local cars involve interconnected economic, practical, comfort, and family-oriented considerations, highlighting the importance of incorporating women drivers’ everyday experiences and needs into user-centred automotive design within the Malaysian context.