Proton Inspira

Highlights

Proton is the most prominent car maker of Malaysia. It has manufactured a car, Inspira which is a 4-door C-segment sedan. This car is a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Lancer, which is a combination of Mitsubishi and Proton. Inspira is available in four variants in the Malaysian market. All the four variants are equipped with a 1.8 litre MIVEC DOHC 4 cylinder petrol engine. This engine delivers good fuel economy. In terms of power as well as mileage, this car outclasses its competitors. The exterior part gives a classy look to the car, which is enclosed with a full body kit so that the customers can be easily attracted towards it. The interior part is made in such a way that it can accommodate many passengers easily. For safety purpose, many features are equipped like reverse sensors, dual SRS airbags, 4-wheel ABS system etc.

Overview

Proton is undoubtedly the top indigenous car manufacturer of Malaysia. Against all odds, Proton since 1983 has competed head to head with bigger international names in the Malaysian market and for a vast share of time has maintained its zenith position on the top of Malaysian sales chart. One of the bestsellers from the company, Proton Inspira is a 4-door C-segment sedan. Sold exclusively in the Malaysian markets, as a re-badged version of Mitsubishi Lancer which is a result of the much acclaimed collaboration between Mitsubishi and Proton. The word "Inspira" is taken from Spanish dictionary which means "Inspire".

Proton Inspira is offered in 4 different variants namely Proton Inspira 1.8 Manual Transmission, Inspira 2.0 Executive CVT, Inspira 2.0 Premium CVT and Inspira Super Premium (Auto Transmission). The full body kit appointed in 2.0-litre variants add immense aesthetic value to the drive. On the outside, automatic headlamps, solar and security tinted film and anti-trap power window form the most striking set of features. Aesthetic quotient is raised another notch once you open the door of your drive, with decently organized wooden paneling on the contemporary dashboard, leather seats, reverse camera and a large touchscreen, there are enough provisions provided for your ornamental and comfort needs.

All the four variants employ a petrol engine. The 1.8-litre MIVEC DOHC 4 cylinder, 16 valve engine with manual transmission generates a maximum power worth 140 PS at 6000 rpm in line with a maximum torque of 177 Nm at 4250 rpm. For the 2.0-litre engine the figures turn out to be a little better with a maximum output power of 150 PS at 6000 rpm alongside a maximum starting torque measuring 197 Nm at 4250 Nm. The fuel of all the variants of Proton Inspira fills up to a capacity of 59 litres of petrol.

Mileage and Fuel Economy

You cannot be deceived by the ordinary numbers of power attained by Proton Inspira, because where it matters the most, this engine outperforms much of its competition. The entry level manual transmission 1.8-litre variant delivers an impressive mileage consuming 6.3 l/100km of fuel. Whereas, the auto transmission 2.0-litre variants do not disappoint either delivering an out-of-ordinary mileage consuming 6.8 l/100km of fuel. Proton Inspira is an overall winner when it comes to both power and mileage.

Power

The petrol engine employed in all the four variants i.e. Proton Inspira MT, Proton Inspira Executive, Proton Inspira Premium and Proton Inspira Super Premium is a MIVEC DOHC 4 cylinder, 16 valve engine which with a 1.8-litre configuration and manual transmission generates a maximum power worth 140 PS at 6000 rpm in line with a maximum torque of 177 Nm at 4250 rpm. The 2.0-litre CVT transmission engine just betters this, providing a maximum output power of 150 PS at 6000 rpm alongside a maximum starting torque measuring 197 Nm at 4250 Nm.

Acceleration and Pick Up

This MIVEC DOHC engine not only delivers a very efficient fuel economy in this C-segment sedan but also helps the acceleration and pick up of Inspira drastically. The manual transmission variant reaches 0-100 km/hr mark from a halt in a very impressive 10.0 seconds reaching a maximum speed of 202 km/h. These figures drop down just a little, and understandably so in the auto transmission variants which reach 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds, the maximum speed which can be attained is 198 km/hr.

Exterior

The exterior of Proton Inspira looks classy, everything from the front grille to the tail lamps are filled with panache to increment the aesthetic beauty of the drive. Accompanied with a full body kit (R3 customized option available for Super Premium variant) Proton Inspira gets a sportier edge over its competition. The automatic headlamps turn on/off automatically synced with the battery to reduce power usage. In what turns out to be a very innovative feature, Anti-trap Power Window technology ensures safety of passengers on the inside and outside as well reversing the direction of closing windows in case any object comes in path. In addition to these electric door and mirror adjustment, auto light sensor, auto rain sensor, front fog lamps, front and rear power windows are appointed in all the variants of Proton Inspira.

Exterior Measurements

With a big wheelbase measuring 2635mm, there is enough room for the front and rear passengers to extend their legs. The overall dimensions of all the variants of Proton Inspira measure 4570mm x 1760mm x 1490mm (L x W x H) with a ground clearance measuring 150mm.

Interior

If you were impressed by the dynamic exterior of Proton Inspira, the contemporary styled interior are going to impress you even more. The dashboard seems clean and has been provided with a wooden paneling with all the tech-functionalities on the right place. With the 2.0-litre variants you get hold of a big in-built LCD screen with a reverse camera accompanied by super ornamental leather covered seats, these seats are given R3 customized styling in the Super Premium variant. Full auto air-conditioning control ensures that ample amount of compressed air reaches all the passengers sitting in the drive. For the auto variants Paddle Shift Control at column shift is also appointed.

Interior Comfort

Keeping your and your family's comfort as a prime responsibility, Proton Inspira provides decent comfort options for its users. Front Anti-Trap windows and rear power windows alongside electric door and mirror adjustment make the whole IN/OUT corollaries electronically controlled. Welcome Home and Coming Home light system is employed in top variants while the Auto-Cruise functionality is appointed in all the auto-transmission variants. The steering wheel itself is employed with Audio control switches.

Interior Measurements

As mentioned before, with an extended wheelbase there is enough room for all the passengers sitting inside to extend their legs to comfort. The headroom appointed in the drive is decent too. Ample boot space is provided in the rear to fit in your entire luggage with the exact volumetric capacity measuring 420 litres.

Engine and Performance

All the four variants Inspira Standard (MT), Executive, Premium and Super premium get hold of a a MIVEC DOHC 4 cylinder, 16 valve engine which with a 1.8-litre configuration and manual transmission generates a maximum power worth 140 PS at 6000 rpm in line with a maximum torque of 177 Nm at 4250 rpm. The 2.0-litre CVT transmission engine just betters this, providing a maximum output power of 150 PS at 6000 rpm alongside a maximum starting torque measuring 197 Nm at 4250 Nm. The engine performs decently under manual transmission but with the 6-speed Continuous Variable Transmission (Auto) with INVECS-III the gear shifting becomes immensely smooth. The 6-speed paddle shift appointed on Premium and Super Premium variants ensures a much smoother drive.

Wheels

The base variants Proton Inspira 1.8 MT and Proton Inspira 1.8 Executive come embedded with a 16 inch alloy rim taking the tyre size to 205/60 R16. Proton Inspira 2.0 Premium ensures slightly stronger grip with 17 inch alloy rims, the tyre size measures 215/50 R17. The top variant employs 18 inch alloy wheels (R3 optional stylised), with this the tyre size measures 225/40 R18.

Stereo and Accessories

The base variants Proton Inspira 1.8 and 2.0 Executive employ a standard in-built music system which comes with a 1-DIN CD-Player, Radio, MP3 Player and Bluetooth. The top end variants (2.0 Premium and Super Premium) employ a much better AV system with a large touchscreen with CD, DVD, MP3 player, USB, iPod connectivity and in-Built GPS.

Braking and Handling

Across all the variants, in the chassis upfront MacPherson strut suspension is applied with stabilizer bar, on the rear Multilink Coil Spring suspension is appointed with stabilizer bar. When it comes to braking, ventilated disc brakes find their space on the front with solid disc brakes making its way on the rear.

Safety and Security

For safety and security purposes dual SRS airbags, 4-wheel Anti-Lock Braking system, alarm system with immobiliser, ISOFIX child restraint system, Child lock on rear doors, reverse sensor, reverse camera, key-less remote entry, auto-light sensor and auto-rain sensor are appointed across all 2.0-litre variants. The disappointing part however is that most of these safety and security features are absent in the 1.8-litre manual variant.

Pros

Auto Transmission Engine performance
Very economical
Good acceleration and mileage

Cons

Base variants miss safety features
Interior quality lacks
Manual Transmission gear shift issues