2008 Proton Persona Sedan First Steer
May 7, 2008 by Matt Brogan
2008 Proton Persona Sedan First Steer
Prudence Persona-fied
Models Tested:
- 2008 Proton Persona Sedan 1.6 litre manual – $16,990 (RRP)
- 2008 Proton Persona Sedan 1.6 litre auto – $18,990 (RRP)
Options:
- Metallic Paint $350; Cruise Control $700 (plus fitting)
Ride & Handling, Equipment Levels, Practicality, Price Tag
Performance, Brake Pedal Feel, No ESP or Side/Curtain Airbags
CarAdvice Rating: 
- by Matt Brogan
Following an extensive two day drive program through Victoria’s picturesque alpine region, CarAdvice is pleased to announce inspiring news that Malaysian manufacturer Proton may finally be on track to shake up the lower end of the small car market with an impressive new comer, the Persona sedan.
The all new single specification Persona shares only its name with the superseded model and is more reminiscent of the GEN.2 hatch on which the Persona’s platform is based. It’s a simple, yet elegant small sedan not too dissimilar in looks to the current Mazda3.
Smaller, recessed avian-esque headlamps and restyled grille with new black and silver corporate logo flow downward to a narrow air intake beset by standard front fog lamps. From the rear, a high boot line with bold chrome accent brings memories of Chrysler’s Neon of some years back.
Representing tremendous value for money, Persona offers an expansive array of standard equipment including ABS, EBD, dual front airbags, auto locking doors, climate control air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, rear parking sensors, alloy wheels and a single disc MP3 compatible Blaupunkt audio system.
Inside the cabin is similar to the GEN.2 in many respects boasting red back lit Lotus inspired instrument binnacle with inset white faced fuel and temperature gauges, door mounted power window switches, and centre stack under dash ventilation controls, which as nice as they look, can be a little difficult to reach.
The re-designed centre console houses two front and two rear (fold down type) cup holders, a small enclosed storage area under the armrest and two mobile phone/sunglasses trays to each side of the gearstick, further complimenting the in door map pockets, glove box and small under dashboard (driver’s side) mounted shelf.
Tags: Proton Persona, Proton Persona Sedan
*****PRIMO!*****
You can buy a proper brand and car for that sort of coin.
Soon as My. GovCo pulls out of Proton the company is dead.
Wonder who will buy brilliant Lotus when that happens?
Cheers,
F-0
i cant beleive that it got 4 stars in the looks department!
“brings memories of Chrysler’s Neon of some years back.”
THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING!
If this car looked better they would sell a tonne of them.
It looks absolutely hideous!
While I wouldnt want my kids and immediate family in any of these, I do admit that for a relative ‘newcomer’ they arent half bad for their mentioned target market. U just hav to compare them properly. Like for instance, instead of matching the GEN2 to say an equivalent Mazda, Honda or Fiat, it looks tempting next to a Hyundai Getz. The Lotus suspension is yummy but maybe Proton should get an engine that actually breaks 100kw.
You’re spot on Andy, it’s the old “apples to apples” equation. Run this up against an Elantra and suddenly it looks pretty good, though perhaps a tad slower. I’d probably still take it over a Barina sedan or Yaris sedan too.
I feel dirty saying this, but I think that the latest Protons are actually quite nice looking cars (at least compared to what Korea is throwing at us). The problem though, as it has always been, is quality. Dodgy plastics and panel gaps that you could park a truck in are reminders that Proton are still off the ball.
This looks pretty good and better than most small sedans on the market. Like the Gen-2, the engine isn’t great, but good to see build quality appears to have improved even though this wouldn’t have been too difficult to achieve.
Proton need a 2 litre then people would look at them
Terrible looks
Terrible quality.
Terrible depreciation (you know it will)
10 years behind it’s time…
Again the Malaysian-Government-supported maker produces a crap car. And they wonder why their other “offerings” have failed.
Anyone know what the tariff an Australian made car gets slugged in Malaysia?
I don’t understand why a car like this is spec’d to run on 95RON minimum fuel?!? Most buyers of this car probably won’t realise until they fill up for the first time that its going to cost them an extra 7c a litre compared with the typical Japanese/Korean rival.
Low rent, poor quality car gets 3.5 steering wheel score? The same score as the Peugeot. I don’t understand Car Advice system???????
Good value for money but the diesel i30 will go further on a litre but for a small premium er $3K? That would get my money.
add 3k and get the civic or corolla. you’ve instantly made that money back or more once u drive it off the show room.
proton=value for money?? hmmmmm
Hey Harry,
Yeah isnt it 100% at least? Malaysia has one of ASEAN’s most prohibitive import regimes and even with the latest round of FTAs within ASEAN, they’re only going down to 15% or soin a decade. pathetic
to have an idea of how much malaysians pay to keep this proton alive.
just take the australian car price and times it by 4. also keep in mind the average wage earned in malaysia is the same as the australian average. give or take. but just in malaysian ringgit. so buying a camry in malaysia is like buying a BMW M3/new GTR in australia. and both with cash to spare.
that is the level of commitment or more appropriately…sacrifice that they have to put up with to keep the white elephant alive.
You are so stupid.
Go search for M3 prices and factor in OTR costs. No, even if proton died tomorrow you will never pay so little for a M3.
Its the old saying, good things arnt cheap and cheap things arnt good!! you get what you pay for.. Unless its an overpriced euro brand then you pay for a badge..
1.8/2.0L money for a 1.6…?, not my idea of good value.
This car is rubbish, like all Protons.
This car sells for around RM55k in Malaysia…what the? And the avarage wage over there for a high school leaver is about RM20k to RM25k per year? Go figure…
Car Advice – you are losing credibility by giving this car three and a half stars. That is all that needs to be said.
Iamthestig -
LOL
Tusskkkkkk!
C/A gave it 3.5 stars in NEGATIVE! :-) “-3.5″
Cheers
F-0
“Iamthestig” – I think I agree
Yeah, apparently this is better than a Corolla which only managed 3.25 stars in a recent review… LOL !!!
Just another rubbish comparitively unsafe car on our steets.
Although I dont think id say hideous, I generally agree about the looks. Its not good looking. I dont think that CA are losing credibility because it probably is a genuinely good car. The problem with Proton is that they keeping hiding the fact that they are under powered with the “Steering By Lotus” badge. If they did have a 2.0L in this it would be focus money. I dont care about Alloy wheels or foglamps. Id prefer almost anything. But then again 20 years ago nobody wanted a Japanese car and they got good then nobody wanted a Korean car and they are getting good (Hyundai i30, Kia Cee’d) and maybe, if the company can stay alive that long, It will be Malaysias time to shine by 2028. Hmmm – Doubt it though. I just wish they would sell Lotus so they dont become an indangered species. Also – that steering wheel is NASTY!
The steering wheel (or star system you refer to) is a balance of all aspects of the vehicle combined in to an out-of-five score. Build quality, fit and finish, looks, drive, ride, comfort, space, braking, handling performance, economy, safety, etc…
It is also important to realise that this includes and is relative to price, hence why a $30K car may get the same rating as this $17K car.
If you’d prefer not to have the steering wheel system or would instead prefer an out-of-hundred system like some other publications, let us know your thoughts. We’re always open to suggestion.
As to anyone who “bags” the car on what Proton was, or what their arm chair ideals of the company may be – go and drive one. Keep an open mind, judge it on its merits and be honest. You may just be surprised.
Exterior looks good but the interior isnt perfect and it is a bit slow.
its funny how so many people who have never even driven or looked at one up close are so willing to give the car a spray after someone who has actually had an extended drive in one is saying “no hang on, this car isn’t actually all that bad!”
look up youtube for top gear and fifth gear episodes relating to the proton savvy, they actually say that it’s actually an alright little car!
The thing i like to always point out is that it wasn’t all that long ago that subaru’s where considered in the same light as hyundai’s, daewoo’s and even proton’s! Times change as do car manufacturers. Look at hyundai and how far they have come in recent years for evidence
I agree with crouchy on the style of this car[or lack there of]. It brings back bad memories ff the chrysler neon.
A hyundai Elantra with ESP drive away for $19990 excites me more than this offering.
Matt, for me personally, no disrespect intended, I merely observed some contradictions. For example: The Peugeot 0-100 in 10 seconds. The Proton 0-100 12 seconds. The Peugeot was too slow but the Proton was recommended as a leisurely drive?
I like it except for the ugly front end. Lotus tuned suspension means this would offer more enjoyable dyanmics than a Kia Cerato or any other similarly priced offerings ( except maybe Mazda2, Fiesta)-I’m sure theres a number of people with that high on their shopping list, and I’m one of them.
Interestingly, the CAMPRO (Cam Profile Switching) engine lacks the CPS system it was designed with, so there is a gaping torque hole between 2000 and 4000 rpm- this is apparently in the pipeline though.
Does anybody know if we are getting the new Saga? It looks like a brilliant little car and has the CPS system equipped. If it came here a sub $13k price is a must though.
a hyundai barely excites me. no matter if it was i30 or kia ceed. after 6 months to 1 year nobody is going to be bothered with it.
a measure of a good car is not whether you like it or not….but rather if you would buy it or not…with your own money.
topgear or fifth gear might give a quarter of a thumbs up for proton. but i doubt they would actually buy one or recommend thier family/friends to buy one. i suspect it gets some positive reviews mainly coz lotus is involved.
PoisonEagle, the Saga will be here early 2009.
Does anyone in Australia buy Proton cars? Resale values must be awful, provided you can find a buyer. What happens when this car company goes broke? Any resale value is totally gone.
The Top Gear show in UK blew up a Proton car with a bomb to say how bad it is.
LOL…
So first we get a very cushy review of the car, now we see the banner adverts.
You are losing credibility by the day…
It’s boldly priced. Who would want this thing over a proven Jap that costs the same? If Proton were to establish a name beyond Malaysia, they need to come up with a dramatic change quickly. When Korean cars came to be known, they were poorly made and goofily designed. Despite having drastically improved over the years, this first impression is probably a scar that will never vanish from the eyes of some buyers.
i just clicked on an advert from this website: http://www.newsedan.com.au, Proton dare not even put their badge on their advert – and all of a sudden we get a car advice article on how good this car is?
Come on car advice – don’t sell us out. This was a bit see thru and I’m not impressed
Not pretty BUT much better looking than the hideous new elantra!! damn they are uglheee!!!
a friend has a proton gen2 hatch in black, with the factory 17″ wheels ( they won it lol ) and i have to say, they love the thing!
T
proton jumbuck should be renamed a hairy goat as for the mechanics and safty forget it what aheap of crap!
Alert!
This crap needs RON95, repeat.. It demands a PREMIUM diet $$$$
Speaking of which when was the last time you saw a Proton outside of Malaysia
All the comments above are based on pure speculation. Has anyone driven this new Proton? Fair go mate! Give it a shot, then comment. I think it is great value for the buck. Will petrol at sky-high prices, I think the mileage one gets from this Proton is simply earth-friendly!
my friend has it.it is a nice car.it similar to a toyota vios.maybe better. it is equipped with Intake Air Fuel Module (IAFM) to boost its engine performance and to reduce the fuel consumption. it has been named Best Model of the Year for Malaysia in the 2008 Frost & Sullivan ASEAN Automotive Awards. for me, it is a perfect car. most of the people are overshadowed by their experience with previous proton cars. they should test drive this new car first before making any assumption.
Has anyone driven this new Proton? it is equipped with Intake Air Fuel Module (IAFM)or Variable Intake Manifold(VIM) technology.
The IAFM system solves the infamous torque dip of the barebones Campro engine, and should be alot better to drive around the city now, as you do not need to rev very high to get sufficient torque for acceleration.
“Variable air intake is nothing new to current engine technology. It is present in many engines from other carmakers.
I wonder if Proton Campro IAFM technology is expanded to other country?. But already done in ASEAN(maybe also in UK) market.
I own a Proton Campro(gen2) 1.6 CPS. Similar to VTEC & VVTI, the performance is satisfactory.
Yeah Malaysia car look crap…no quality poor just right..
Proton cars are gearing up (2 new models) by the end of 2008, 3 more in 2009; export to 27 countries and proven good reliability and satisfactory in uk car magazines. Proton are among car manufacturers still surviving, other manufacturers sold to others….Opel to GM, Rover to the Chinese, Kia to Hyundai and many others who have been sold! Give Proton a break! Even Holden a re-badge of Vauxhall, at least Proton makes their own engines, in-house R&D and together with Lotus (which Proton bought in cash!!) and manufacturing their own cars. Thanks Mate!
agree with u fazri..just let them say what they want to.they aren’t going anyway bro..
These cars are so crap that they sold 20,000 in the first 3 months in Malaysia and they almost ran out of stock in Australia soon after they were released with more having to be ordered i really cant see how that is so bad.
Why are people not looking at all the standard features reverse sensors, EBD, electric windows, seat belt pretensioners, ABS breaks, front fog lights, Alloy wheels, dual airbags, and then compaire it to a corolla. The corolla what a borring car and not to mention how many are owned by rental compainies and govt fleets so how can that not effect the resale value of them.
Yes proton are at the cheaper end of the market cars but as per any new car you have new car warranty this and road side assistance i really believe that most of you who bag out these type of cars have never owned one or can afford to own a new car so you just bag them out.
Proton cars are a company as you have stated that are here to stay they will continue to grow and will one day end up as large as the Hyundai Brand cars built to a price and to what the markets are demanding ie. great fuel consumption plenty of standard features for not a big dollar figures. Far out what are you negative people going to say when the chinese cars hit our shores next year cheaper cars at under $10,000 drive away prices.
kalau banyak duit , beli kereta yg mahal, kalo tak cukup duit pakai proton pun ok.
bravo proton
I see some patriotic malaysian friends here.
If it was a Hyundai, I might understand you saying ‘This car is not like the old one should give it a try!’ as the maker’s reliability has been on par with Japanese makers in some aspects recent days. But definitely, not for a Proton. As far as I experienced No Proton deserves a ‘try’ yet.
I know Proton is a ‘proudly Malaysian owned’ carmaker, but be fare all of you, look at the market objectively. By global standard any products the maker offers are well out of competiton. Rather than just prasing whatever they make, be tough on your beloved carmaker. Show your disapproval to it if they have done substandard a job, that is the environment it needs to grow properly. Toyota and Honda could be there as the wolrd’s most successful and reliable carmakers today because we Japanese consumers were harsh on them.
Test Drive!! Then get back here and give comments!!