Proton Persona Reviews

For Proton to be competitive the price needs to be $14,990 instead of the list $16,990 which is only a grand short of a Nissan Tiida.You can argue that it comes with more year than a Tiida until you're blue, but in the end most people would rather buy a Japanese designed car.THE GOOD:Built in Malaysia. Sedan version of the Satria hathback. 1.6-litre four cylinder Campro engine produces 82kW of power and 148Nm of torque from 4000rpm. Fuel economy is rated at 6.6 litres/100km (we were getting 7.3). Handles okay thanks to input from Lotus which is owned by Proton. A long equipment list includes two airbags, anti-lock brakes with brake force distribution, temperature controlled air, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking with boot release and 15 inch alloy wheels with Goodyear rubber. Asymmetric layout of centre instrument console shows some artistic flair. Bonuses include a biggish boot, trip computer and rear parking sensors.THE BAD:Comes out of a modern factory but the finish is not as good as competitors. Especially noticeable inside the boot where exposed speaker wiring could easily be damaged. Ticks all the right boxes but lacks even a hint of excitement. Boxing above its weight in terms of the engine department. Misses out on the cam profiling promised by the engine name. Performance okay but suffers from a lack of torque. Doesn't get going until you have at least 3500rpm on the dial. Takes pricier 95 RON premium unleaded too with no apparent gains. Steering wheel is rough on the hands. MP3 compatible CD sound with a handy 12 volt outlet but no AUX input for iPods. Only a space saver spare.THE DECISION:It's time Proton acknowledged its position in the market place and started to price its cars accordingly. How can it hope to sell more than a sprinkling of cars if it is not competitive? 

Malaysian car manufacturer Proton has pitched its new Persona at the budget end of the small-car market. At $16,990 for the four-door, five-speed manual Persona sedan, it is the cheapest in the segment, based on the superseded Gen.2 platform but slightly larger.A Persona hatch will arrive later this year, but the five-seater sedan arrives in one specification level for now.A second model is coming mid-2009, thought to be bringing with it stability control and additional airbags above the sedan's two front airbags.A four-speed auto adds $2000 and an after-market cruise control is coming and will cost $700 plus fitting.Proton has packed the car with a healthy list of creature features, including power windows and mirrors, 15in alloys, trip computer, Blaupunkt audio with controls on the steering wheel, reverse sensors and fog lamps. Under the bonnet is Proton's 1.6-litre four-cylinder CamPro petrol engine with claimed fuel economy of 6.6 litres/100km for the manual and 6.7 litres/100km for the auto, with emission figures of 157g/km (manual) and 160g/km (auto). But the engine is no dynamo, with 82kW of power and just 148Nm of torque available only at high revs.Proton Cars Australia managing director John Startari says the company is targeting young families, first-car buyers and retirees: “People who are looking more to running costs than power,” he says. “We believe we have the right compromise between power and fuel economy.”Mr Startari says Australia has been allocated only 600 Personas this year because of unexpected demand in Malaysia and limited production. Cynics rightly suggested that the Proton Persona launch drive from the top of Mt Hotham down to Melbourne might mask the engine's lack of power.Peak power is 82kW, which is respectable in this class and by no means the weakest, but it's at 6000rpm with the rev limit only a few cycles above. More importantly, peak torque of 148Nm only comes on at 4000rpm.In the real world where you will have to work the gearbox for even meagre results, the economy will blow out. On the launch drive, my Persona used fuel at a rate of 9.3 litres/100km.While the engine requires revs, it doesn't feel coarse when the tacho needle heads for the red line. The chassis, suspension and steering are capable of handling much more grunt.There is little body roll or pitch and the ride is compliant.There is a substantial amount of wind noise in the cabin, especially around the wing mirrors.The cabin is generally stylish and modern, and the interior fit and quality are good.