Proton Persona: Talking about its bright and unpleasant side

The Proton Persona was developed as a Honda City competitor. It is indeed holding its own against established competition like the Toyota Vios, Honda City, Mazda 3, Nissan Almera and the Hyundai Verna. It is priced the most competitively amongst the cars mentioned here and at the same time doesn’t leave safety equipment as optional. We like the fact that the Proton also brings in a powerful motor to the equation. At the same time, the interior doesn’t feel all that special. It is functional for sure but has hard wearing plastics which take away the premium feeling one expects from this class of vehicle. As is the norm with any vehicles, there are the good and bad bits of the Proton Persona as well.

Good bits

Safety kit on offer

Didn’t we say that the Proton Persona comes with high safety on offer? The kit includes six airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Hold Assist, dual pre-tensioner seat belts, ISOFIX as well as top tether and engine immobilizer. There is also the reverse camera as well as rear and front parking sensors on offer. Out of these, only the curtain airbags, reverse camera, front sensors and side airbags are optional. In ASEAN NCAP tests, the Proton Persona has scored four star rating. This is equal to the highest in its segment.

Proton has its mantra of making safety affordable to everyone. In this context, it makes sense and the Proton is one of the safest vehicles one can buy today in Malaysia.

Features on offer

The cabin of the Persona is all black. However, there are aluminium accents in the cabin that accentuate the look of the vehicle. There is also a stitching which runs across the dashboard and this looks nice. There is automatic climate control, height adjustable driver’s seat, touchscreen system with Bluetooth connectivity, rear AC vents, push button start, electric boot release, GPS navigation, DVD player and Eco Drive Assist. Rear USB charger, Proton infotainment system, smart E-link and leather upholstery. Auto lights with follow me home lamps are also part of the package.

Fuel efficient engine

Proton offers one engine option with the Persona. This is a proven 1.6-litre engine which has a 16 valve layout and four cylinders. It is a DOHC unit and a naturally aspirated one at that. Fuel is supplied to the engine through a multiport injection system. While this engine can be tuned to produce more power, in the interest of economy, Proton has used only a compression ratio of 10.

This results in a power output of 107 PS of power and 150 Nm of torque. Eco drive assist is also part of the deal and lets one know when to shift up or down depending on the torque demand. Proton offers a 5-speed manual and a CVT with this engine. The CVT especially has a reworked software logic that helps give excellent efficiency. The claimed mileage number for the manual is 5.6 litres per 100 km. This translates to 17.87 kmpl. For the automatic transmission, the number is slightly higher at 6.1 litres per 100 km. This in layman terms is 16.39 kmpl.

Ride and handling

The Proton Persona uses a MacPherson strut with stabiliser bar in the front and a torsion beam axle at the back. This set up has been tuned to be on the softer side. The result is the plush ride quality that each Persona accords its owners. The Proton Persona absorbs all the road bumps and ruts with ease. It also has a decent handling characteristic. This means if one doesn’t become over-enthusiastic or overcook things, the Proton maintains its stability.

As it is, with all these electronic aids, the Proton Persona is a hard car to upset. The steering surprisingly is communicative and points the car exactly where one wants to. It is nimble and while the electronic set up means it stays easy to maneuver, the unit maintains its composure even on the highways where a heavy unit is preferred. Proton has tuned the suspension to be also quiet in its operation. The engine too has been tinkered around with to ensure that NVH stays as low as possible.

Peace of mind

Proton has one of the lowest costs in terms of maintenance. The Persona comes with a five-year warranty. This warranty takes care of all the maintenance needs too. It includes the price of labour or regular wear and tears parts as well. Apart from the RM 200 that the company charges for oil change, there is nothing else that is usually charged to the customers. We like this approach by the company in gaining customer trust. It goes a long way in setting up the right pace. Especially given that the Proton Persona is up against strong competition from Japanese built cars.

Price

Proton offers the Persona in four variants - Standard MT, Standard CVT, Executive CVT and Premium CVT. This is a lone manual while the rest are automatics. Proton says that their research shows that most of the customers in this segment prefer automatics and hence the widespread CVT range. Prices are RM 42,742, RM 45,495, RM 50,999 and RM 54,669 for the aforementioned trims respectively. This is very economical given that almost all its competition is priced above this range except for the Nissan Almera that is.

Misses

Design

In terms of design, we loathe how functional the Proton Persona looks. It is but just another breadbox unit. The headlights are none inspirational to look at. Where others are adopting LED units, Proton still continues with a regular halogen set. The beam, as we are being told, is also inadequate for highway driving. The 15-inch wheels too are a let down as others in the segment offer 16-inches or 17- units. The tail lamps too aren’t LED. Overall, we feel that if Proton were to LED-ify the lights of the Persona, it would have made sense. We hear that a generation change is due soon and it is likely that Proton will go fully radical in its design. The partnership with Geely will definitely help. If you don’t believe us, look at Volvo. Under Geely leadership, the Swedish brand is now not only making safe cars but also desirable ones. We believe the next Proton Persona will truly live up to its personality derived name.

In all, the Proton Persona has very few things negative. It is one car which will achieve cult status in terms of reliability. Mark our words!