There is always an air of excitement when testing any new model and with a Proton, it is often even greater. In part, there is curiosity about how much further down the road Malaysia’s national carmaker of 22 years has come and also whether the new model is better. For reasons most people know, Proton has been badly hit by poor quality and other issues for many years now so there is scepticism whenever talk of a new model surfaces.
So the new Persona was a model which everyone was waiting for to see if Proton would finally wake up or not. This time round, according to Proton MD Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin, the development schedule was followed and the model is on time with everything that needed to be done completed properly. So there would be no excuse of a ‘rushed job’ resulting in poorly built product reaching the showrooms.
As usual, the preview was held at the Proton test circuit behind the Shah Alam factory. However, due to upgrading of the facility, the oval could not be used but this was not missed since the inner tracks are more twisty.
The first car I went in has a manual transmission and I didn’t actually feel any real difference in the low-end acceleration, not surprising since the engine is the same as the Gen2 with its drawbacks. The top-end performance has always been impressive but unless you are blasting along the highway, that’s not something the daily driver wants. I must say, though, that the feel of the manual shifter was better than what I remember and more positive, more solid.
Proton did not provide comparisons to the Gen2 but offered factory data on straightline performance compared to the Wira 1.5 and 1.6. The Persona Manual does 12.5 seconds for 0 – 100 km/h while the Wira did 12.1 seconds and the Wira 1.6 did 10.8 seconds, so if a Wira outruns you off the line, it’s to be expected (although more than a few Wira owners have modded their engines). In consumption, Proton’s own tests show that the Wira 1.6 is 10% less thirsty than the Persona but this would depend on driving style and conditions too.
Handling was as taut as the Gen2 and I think the Persona might have an edge too because of the better weight distribution. It felt less frisky in tight turns and the stability was more apparent on fast sweepers. It would be interesting to do an A-B comparison with the Gen2 to see if this impression is entirely correct.
Jumping into a Persona Auto, I expected to feel something ‘different’ and I am happy to report that I was not disappointed. The reprogramming does change the character of the engine and though it’s a bit like ‘cheating’, there is a sense of stronger acceleration on take-off. The kick-downs were a bit abrupt but not so much that the car would lurch, something which is evident in some cars and makes driving unpleasant. From half-throttle to kick-down, the shifting is smooth and propels the Persona forward with more authority, which will certainly make a driver feel more confident when overtaking.
Ride comfort should be okay though on the flat surface of the Proton track, little could be discerned. The damping rates are well chosen and there is no jarring over bumps. But then again, ride and handling have never been a criticism of Proton’s own models since the Satria GTI when Lotus Engineering came into the picture.
The other notable improvement in the Persona over the Gen2 is the reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). This is always important as it has an influence on how the occupants feel about the car. The Persona is fairly quiet at even higher speeds, with the engine noise being less annoying. Low NVH will also go a long way to giving the impression of a well-built car.
The driver’s seating position is unchanged from that of the Gen2 which would be hard to do as the ‘hard points’ (the carefully chosen measurements relating to the position of the body) cannot simply be altered. So you still get what is meant to be a ‘sporty’ seating position that, in daily use, may not be appealing to everyone.
With the past few new Proton models, we have given praises for a good new product only to find that before long, the same old issues seem to afflict the new car. The same high marks can be given to the Persona and it certainly has the feel and looks of a well-built car. Hopefully, the high quality we saw in the cars tested is what customers will get and not just the first batch but every customer.
