[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Proton Prevé - First Driving Impressions
- Wednesday, April 04, 2012 By KON
Interest in the Proton P3-21A continues to build, and after attending a
preview test drive held for the media today, we can confirm three things
about the car - its name is Prevé, it is scheduled for launch middle of
this month, and it is rather good, significantly improved from existing
Proton cars.
Motorists driving in the vicinity of Putrajaya
today might have seen a convoy of taped up cars on the road led by a
black Inspira. Behind the wheels of those cars were us and our friends
from a few other publications. We were asked not to bring our cameras
with us, so until launch date, the teaser photos provided by Proton that
you see at the top of this page will have to suffice in terms of visual
stimuli.
No pictures to show, but as far as info is concerned, Proton personnel shared plenty with us. Read on...
The Name - PrevéIt's
pronounced 'prae-vae', though it was originally meant to be pronounced
'preef', as per the English word that means 'to prove', and Proton
certainly has a lot to prove to the Malaysian public after 25 years of
misgivings. Noble as the name may be, however, a name pronounced preef
is not likely to inspire buyers. Try telling the world you drive one.
Happily
for Proton, the Spanish word for envision is spelled Prevé with an
acute é at the back and pronounced 'prae-vae'. It was then decided for
aesthetic and acoustic reasons that the Spanish take on the word will be
adopted as its official designation, although Proton remains to stress
on the English origins of the name. Oh, and if you think pronouncing it
is difficult, try typing it... with the acute é.
Where it standsOnline
rumour mongers have been speculating for a long time that the Prevé is
developed as a replacement model for the Persona. That notion is true in
some markets, but as far as Malaysia is concerned, the Persona will
remain on sale, but only the entry-level B-Line spec. The M-Line and
H-Line trims are being discontinued to leave a comfortable gap between
both models. Some of you might recall a similar strategy back in 1993
when Proton continued selling 1.3-litre variants of the Iswara after
launching the Wira.
Proton's immediate product strategy places
the Prevé in between the Persona and Inspira in its model line-up. So,
to further separate the top-spec RM75k Prevé from the Inspira, the
latter's 1.8-litre variants will be discontinued, and as a very
interesting side note, we were informed that
an Inspira 2.0 manual is in
the pipeline. What you can expectFrom
earlier announcements, Proton will be offering the Prevé in three model
variants.
Pricing starts at an estimated RM62k for the base line
1.6-litre manual going up to the top-spec turbocharged CVT variant at
RM75k. In between sits a naturally aspirated CVT variant at an estimated
RM65k. Preliminary bookings show an overwhelming preference for the top
model, which has accounted for more than 70% of orders thus far.
As
expected, the Campro CFE engine introduced in the Exora is offered here
as the headline engine paired exclusively to a CVT with 7 virtual
ratios and a pair of paddle shifters. What shocked us a little, however,
are the lower-spec variants, which get the 108hp Campro IAFM+ engine
from the Saga FLX rather than the 125hp CPS unit. Proton was frank to
admit that there were cost considerations behind this decision, and it
was felt that the IAFM engine allowed the company to give the Prevé a
competitive starting price while still offering decent performance.
Zooming
out from the engine room, however, and there are a few things that
impress in the Prevé, and we shall start with its chassis. It is
developed from the Exora's platform, but the MPV's torsion beam rear
suspension has been substituted for a proper multi-link setup.
Proton's
architecture even features a trailing arm that resembles the Ford
Control Blade design, although unlike Ford, Proton has maintained a
coil-over spring strut layout.
Bootspace is measured at 508
litres, with the use of a space-saver spare tyre undoubtedly
contributing a few of those litres. Take nothing away, however, from an
impressive packaging achievement considering Proton's use of a
multi-link rear suspension setup. Anyone who tries to sell you the idea
that the torsion beam is a space-efficient setup is clearly talking
hogwash. If Proton can come up with a sufficiently compact multi-link
setup, bigger manufacturers have no excuse.
In terms of
equipment, Proton is arming the Prevé to its teeth. Some goodies are
restricted only the CFE model, but everyone can expect
rear disc brakes,
ABS, EBD, seat belt pre-tensioners, active head rests, trip computer,
and remote boot release. Exclusive stuff to the top dog would be
push
start button, auto folding wing mirrors, auto wipers, and stability
control. One item that particularly caught my attention was
rear fog
lights, offered in a domestic market Proton for the first time ever,
standard for all three variants.
Driving ImpressionsIn
the preview drive today, we had the opportunity to drive all three
variants of the Prevé over a distance of nearly 160km over a variety of
roads. The CFE version was naturally the pick of the range thanks to its
strong mid-range torque that allowed for effortless high-speed
cruising. The entry-level manual version, which featured a five-speed
'box from Getrag proved to be the most fun, but the IAFM CVT version
turned out to be the biggest and most pleasant surprise.
We
tested the IAFM-CVT combo in the Saga FLX SE last year, and whilst the
car was mostly pleasant, its was plagued by a very serious three-second
throttle response lag. That lag was pleasantly missing in the mid-spec
Prevé, and although it did not have the pace of its turbocharged
sibling, it was still commendably quick, reaching 150-160kph without too
much effort, though with a lot of noise.
Speaking of noise, this
is one area that Proton has made great strides with the Prevé.
The CFE
variant was pleasingly quiet at high speeds, although the IAFM versions
threw up quite a racket when the engines were worked. Nevertheless, it
was impressive to note that other sources of noise, namely the tyres and
wind were impressively muted.
We are also pleased to report
that the Prevé keeps up Proton's promise in delivering cars that ride
and handle with the best of them.
Suspension setup is indeed world
class, with a spot on balance in terms of ride quality and handling
sharpness. Stability at high speeds, up to 200kph, is beyond reproach,
and amongst C-segment competitors, only the Ford Focus will have nothing
to fear from the Prevé in terms of ride and handling.ConclusionImpressions
gleaned from our pre-production test cars suggest that the
Prevé is by
far Proton's best ever product. Ride and handling is its stand out
quality, and the amount of kit bundled into the package is similarly
praiseworthy. We still have reservations of its build quality, and there
is still work to be done in terms of overall powertrain refinement.
However,
it should be remembered that at its price point of below RM75k, one
can't expect German levels of quality. The Prevé is a huge leap forward
for Proton, and is a properly competitive package. A launch date of 16
April was mentioned in today's drive, but not confirmed. Official prices
will be announced then, but expect them to be lower than the estimated
figures.
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Hitskin.com
tapi ramai kata lampu belakang nampak lagi cantik kalau pandang depan2.
