Proton Suprima S: Buy or skip?

The Proton Suprima S is basically the hatchback version of the Preve, and was launched in Malaysia in 2013. Just like its sedan sibling, this C-segment hatch also rides on the automaker’s P2 platform. During its release, Proton was facing a rough patch - some of its cars weren’t really gaining much traction among the masses. So, in effect, the Suprima S was meant to help the marque to step back into the limelight. Clearly, whatever happened after the debut of the Suprima S over half a decade ago seems to have worked. Today, Proton is one of the most respected and liked brands in Malaysia, while the sporty hatchback is quickly fading into obscurity. With that being said, should you get yourself a Suprima S or just look the other way? Well, let’s find out.

Exterior design

Since its launch, Proton hasn’t really made any styling upgrades to the Suprima S. Much of the exterior styling of the Suprima S is identical to that of the Preve, save for the rear end. That’s not exactly a bad thing, especially when you consider that the former’s design was a result of Proton’s collaboration with the Italian design house Italdesign Giugiaro. However, that was all well and good in 2013, though quite irrelevant now. Of course, the Proton Suprima S is in no way an ugly duckling, just that it has now started showing its age.

The front fascia features dual-barrel headlamps with a thin strip of LED daytime running lights (which aren’t bright enough), a mesh upper grille with shiny chrome garnish and the company logo, and a raised bonnet with subtle creases. Finally, the smooth yet well-carved bumper houses a gaping air-intake dam and circular halogen fog lamps. Along the sides of the Suprima S, you’ll straight away be drawn to the sporty 17-inch alloy wheels with thick 215-section tyres that fill the wheel well. Then there are the flared wheel arches, sharply rising shoulder and belt line, and an aggressively-sloped roof.

The rear is where one can tell the hatchback apart from its sedan sibling. However, the styling back here can neither be called beautiful nor distasteful - it just is what it is. There’s a large roof-mounted spoiler, followed by a heavily sculpted rear tailgate which wears the Proton insignia and the model name. It’s flanked by stubby tail light units which sit almost flush with the body of the car. The back bumper, meanwhile, is almost entirely shrouded with black plastic with a little sporty design on it. But there’s nothing groundbreaking here. When we talk about size, the Proton Suprima S is easily larger than a Toyota Yaris and almost as long as a Honda City. It measures 4,442mm X 1,694mm X 1,477mm X 2,600mm in its length, width, height and wheelbase, respectively.

Interior look and feel

Step inside the cabin of the Proton Suprima S, and you’d be taken straight back to circa-2010. Proton did try to break the monotony of this dull grey interior by injecting some silver bits of trim about the place, but it has not been entirely successful. While everything works alright, the design is purely functional and the hard plastics look and feel quite cheap. The Blaupunkt-sourced 7-inch touchscreen features navigation and can multiple connection options. However, it’s an old-school resistive display which is cumbersome to use, and it doesn’t get bright enough, either.

The front seats are large and supportive, though if you’re tall, you might struggle to find the perfect driving position. The rear bench can feel a tad dingy as the windows aren’t large enough, and the sloping roof cuts into the usable headroom. Otherwise, there’s enough knee and leg room for everyone to go around. Proton has equipped the Suprima S with keyless-entry with push-button ignition, leather seats, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, electrically-operable door mirrors, automatic climate control, cruise control, and leather-clad multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters among others. As for safety tech, there are six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, hill-hold assist, electronic stability and traction control, and a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

Peppy engine

The Proton Suprima S sports a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-popper that produces 138hp and 205Nm of torque. It’s mated to a CVT that drives the front wheels, and can take the hatchback to a top speed of 190 kmph, whilst the tonne-mark is tackled in 9.9 seconds. The motor is tractable enough, even above 80 kmph. However, the CVT’s annoying whine will get to you if you try to be too aggressive with this powertrain. However, this is a good handling and well-sorted chassis, and even the steering is well calibrated.

At the end of the day, the Proton Suprima S just feels old. It’s also lacking in a few departments such as build quality, refinement, modern gadgets and of course, its design simply isn’t appealing anymore.