Should you wait for the 2023 Proton Exora or not?

Yes, there is a revised Exora on its way to Proton showrooms.

This is probably the most profitable vehicle for Proton after the Proton Saga. Why? Well the Exora has been on sale for 13 years already and it has had just facelifts (five at last count) over the 13 years with little technical changes. This means all the vendor parts and technology costs have already been paid up and it is just minor tweaks that a small number of vendors need to work with to get a new model in showrooms.

 Plus, there is NO actual price rival for the Exora. Today, the nearest is the Mitsubishi Xpander and Honda BR-V which are priced 50 percent more. Years ago we had the Honda Stream (costing twice) and the Honda Freed on sale. Then you could opt to buy a reconditioned Toyota Wish for about 50 percent more. 

So, the Exora has enjoyed sales success over the years without any real interference and even when the Suzuki rebadged Ertiga arrived in Proton showrooms, there was little rivalry as the Exora was larger and somewhat evergreen in its design language allowing it to continue to be popular.

So, is there finally going to be an ALL NEW Proton Exora this year? Well at the recent Proton Saga facelift launch, the management team hinted of three new models being released this year and we are guessing an all new Exora will be one of these new models.

 Proton’s 49.9 percent business and technical partner, Geely Auto has a mid-sized MPV in their stable and it is called the Geely Jia Ji. Looking very similar to the Exora in terms of silhouette and design language, the Geely Jia Ji is rumored to be arriving this year to replace this 13-year-old MPV.

The Geely Jia Ji has four powertrain options and it is the 1.5L turbocharged 3-cylinder model that we guess will be coming to Malaysian showrooms as this is the same engine currently being used in the Proton X50 crossover and the same engine that will be introduced in the soon to arrive Proton X70 facelift. The Jia Ji has a hybrid powertrain, but we are sure it will not be introduced yet as an expensive hybrid powertrain will push the launch price up.  

Proton will need to launch the car at a selling price that is close to the current Exora which is priced between RM 59,800 and RM 66,800. So, we are guessing a 2023 Exora selling price of between RM 69,800 and RM 78,800. Let’s wait and see. 

 The Geely Jia Ji is reasonably sized with a wheelbase of 2,805 mm and it is 4,706 mm long, 1,909 mm wide and 1,690 mm tall. The cabin of the Jia Ji will have three rows of seats and rear passengers will get their own climate control and safety features. The driver gets a 12.3-inch central screen and you can expect all the comfort and entertainment features from the Proton X50 to be shared in the latest Proton Exora (Jia Ji). 

Also read: 2022 Proton Saga vs Perodua Bezza: The better compact sedan