A recent lucrative export deal to China involving the Proton GEN2 has been cited as one of the ways to spearhead Proton’s recovery, as most of you would know by now. Proton was to export 30,000 completely built up Proton GEN2 cars to China for Jinhua Youngman to rebadge under the Europestar brand, with a further possible 80,000 units to be assembled in China.
Thanks to spyshots by Chinese automotive industry website Cheshi, we now find out that the “localisation” of the Proton GEN2 by Jinhua was not just limited to a left hand drive conversion and swapping badges with the Europestar badge. The Europestar GEN2 gets a completely new front fascia that looks like the poor car has jaundice, and the rear crop circle lamps get a similiar treatment.
UPDATE: Some of you may remember the spyshots of the facelifted Proton GEN2 due to be launched very soon. It too had a larger grille, although not as over the top as the Europestar version.
More images including rear light treatment are after the jump.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
wah so funky
WTF..????? IMHO its fugly..!!
Hahaha, so fugly the front grill, but the back light was nice.
Oh no!!!! Rover grill! no!!!
GEN 2 lousy car……..not even 3 yrs in use the engine mounting can give way…what the hell ! even a 5 yr old wira is better with old technology !
proton to survive without partner in the upcoming challenge ! no wayyyyy man !
sure hell one !
Ferrari = Pranching Horse
Europestar = Pranching Tiger?
Ugly front grill ……..
at least gen2 holder can get half cut after this hehehhe
hoho, prefer in malaysia punya
Why the headlamp yellow? Market it in yellow skin country?
Yucks! The Chinese have worse designers than our local ones.
that logo looks like a copycat of peugeot…….
anyway chinese oredi famous for blatant copycats of other makes….looks like they screwed up this 1 as well.
whats with the “faded -like headlights!!?? r they blind?!@
it is so terrible… Will people buy a car like this?
most of proton here carry its happy gesture (cheerful) of lower bumper air scoop that one of Lotus car trade mark, (except proton arena n juara and late wira),
for china is the youngman way of designing stuff, for me local proton is of course in its composure,
ha ha who will buy this car?
Look at the seams of the front bumper. They are not properly aligned.
i never seem such a U G L Y car before, a waste of earth resource…
OMG…it is so damm damm fugly…what d hell is the China designer thinking?Yellow headlight some more,looks like it was put under sunlight for 10 years…But i bet POTONG dun even bother with what happen to their car,coz now,the main important thing in their mind is to clear Gen2 stocks.I wonder if anything goes wrong,will it be another “Merdeka cheap sales” next year? :p
Now gen2 look like its really made in China,hehe the yellow headlamp makes the car looked really sad,…but hey, it’s funky chinese style,no problems….the logo says it all…reminds me of a beer logo…
whats missing is loud techno music with interior disco lights and a big loud exhaust pipes!!!
aiyah…maybe chinese market will like it leh?
Aaarrrggghhh!!! Why did I ever click on this link? As if the tasteless redesign is not enough, check out the fitting of the front bumper! Now THAT is what I call quality! *pukes*
What the hell with yellow theme headlight? This is getting worst than the original. Sheesh!
The yellow tinted headlamp is a real disaster.If they really like it, at least try it with a matching body paint (grey??! yuck.)
And for all the funkiness or whatever it is with their design, they chose to stick with the original ugly sport rims. Are they on a mission to kill Proton or what?
Europestar and Proton = sama sama rubbish
LOL~
omg can it get uglier than that?
with the current quality issues of our Gen2, I wish our chinese friends all the best.
30K moron’s going to buy this car…
This is the first time someone has managed to make the gen2 look ugly. Kudos. Haha
I doubt the creation of another assembly line to manufacture a mere 30,000 units will help Proton on the long run. And last checked, Chinese localised international cars (VW etc) had a very low selling price yet with extremely good build quality. I’m sure this will be the only batch that will go over China. LAST.
The car is ugly…
yellow headlamp (???) works better on a properly RED car… Power to the People!!.. It is commie country afterall..
malaysians buy services or DIY liquids to crystal clear their headlights but Chinese are the opposite. haha. bungkus jugak la ‘europestar’
THE FINAL NAIL TO THE COFFIN
Ah Beng star not Europestar.
Now we know why Proton don’t even want to use the proton brand itself. It become uglier than before (than before). just like Michael Jackson after his plastic surgery. As long as it can bring and make money to Proton go ahead. The logo remind me to the Peaugot’s. Maybe some Ah Beng’s will bring in those ‘kits’ from china..Maybe..Or the Chinese will bring the original Gen-2 kits to there. Hey, we can sell our Gen-2 halfcut there right. Making more money. $$$
ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! It’s toxic to my eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think it is one off order if this car release into Chinese market!
“Rare species” like Ferrari is OK, but not “freak species” like this car!
wow! look at those gaps between bumper and fender, headlamp…
anyway.. hope dis car sells! if not….
Oh god. THis is will win the award for the most ah beng’s car in the world. So damn ugly!! I wonder whos the make up artist. he/she has to go back to designing school!!!!
After all the stupid pointless enhancements on the outside, they don’t seem to care just to add a glovebox inside.
at least our local backyard bodykit designer at sunway and kepong can do a better job to facelifted the car than this one…. sigh..
WTF~~
Some Chinese designer decided to fulfill his boyhood dream of creating his fugly toycar isit.
this car brings the definition of fugly to a brand new level…
so Ugly, look like Jembalang spesis, don like the grill donlike the teh headlamp …. uwweekkkk
Hehehe, the PAYKAN in Iran is also ugly, but it sells like pisang goleng panas…….
Admit it, the Chinese cars and guys are ugly, only the girls is the teaser…….That’s why they go for mamak guys like me……..hehehe, down to the throat + bau kari……….
Nice, now the average uncle can get a Europestar GEN2 to suit his tastes while the son can drive the Proton GEN2.
The only word….UGLY ! The normal Gen2 is more preferred.
Very soon, you will see a clone eurostar selling side by side with the ori eurostar.
And it can happen just within a span of 2-3months mind you..
What they look for in the car..lotus suspension system..mark my word, a clone of the suspension system will be flooding the market soon.
Anyway, what matter most to desperado proton is to get the numbers up regardless of what they think of protecting the copyrights etc..
Is this designed by Europestar or Proton? Everyone here seems to assume that Europestar designed it.
since when did Proton know how to ‘con’ the chinese???
It’s either Proton mgmt manage to pull the ‘deal of the century’ by selling Gen2 to China (its like selling ice-cream to an Eskimo),
or it may already have given too much money under the counter that they are willing to take the junks from Malaysia… (come to think of it, this is a good ‘smokescreen’ for the rest to think Proton is on a turnaround)….. ha ha ha…. all this is a JOKE…. just becos of the persona, Proton already think that it can survive…. the car have only been on the market for 3 months…. and there’s nothing that is genuinely interesting or worthwhile to come out from Proton after this…. BLM? Another sad saga in the making…..
I cannot believe this ‘beauty’ they create for china market…
The only reason that I will consider getting this car is Pricing ! without relatively low price it won’t be a hot cake to consumer !
Perhaps it has proven to be a successful low price leader in malaysia market, but what about china market ?!
I really thought Proton was going into China as Proton which would be brand building in what is acknowledged as the fastest growing ecomony in the world. This quick fix sales booster may benefit their coffers in the short term but what about in the long run, what about brand value? What happens when its China partner becomes ambitious (they really are) and then decides to stop localising Proton? As an independant carmaker (which wants to go it alone) Proton must have control over distribution, otherwise that’s how Proton cars end up being fugly . I guess it just testimony of the sorry state our 22 year-old Proton is in. They’re desperate so you can’t really blame them.
hey guys i think they want chinese to belive this car have feng shui cause one of my chinese friend said that next year the lucky colour will be yellow maybe they want the chinese believe taht yellow light bring more luck hehehehe i guess paul is it true next year colour is yellow wow mesti sakit mata next year when everyone change to yellow
“unique” hehehehhee
The market will punish Proton for their lousy design
thank god they didnt use the proton emblem….. did proton or europestar “designed” this?? if it’s europestar, then i understand why it’s so fugly. if it’s proton, then…..lol
Good man! YELLOW headlamps, WOW LOVING IT!
CHINESE is CHINESE, love unique Things. PROTON BOLEH, EUROPESTAR Mark tak boleh lah.
Well surprisingly, a lot of automotive site and forums in Chine reported Gen.2 as being Lotus Engineer and Lotus made. A lot of the chinese seem to like it. If they have watched top gear, maybe they will know what is Gen.2 suppose to be. So let them think it is european made la.
kehkeh..where are potong supporters here?no word to say at all?
Hohoho..we cant stop from ketawa la…one office ketawa….
Potong MD drive one la…round2 KL to JB.Complete dumb
Tq,paul T.
hehe. this topic is HOT. Anyone watch ‘Sudden Impact’ by Clint Eastwood’? Dirty Harry said.. Go ahead Europstar, make my day…
i saw there are many holes at the rear bumper. There is a centre hole specifically. Is that a reverse camera? pondering….
oooo nooo….they make d ugly car looks more ugly…uuurrrggghh….wonder y the lamp is yellow ar??pity to dis car
the body lines seems too sharp and edgy. not smooth. They should use honeycomb grill/crystal light. I bet our country ppl designs better than them. Bravo proton!
bro ray,
I think the light is tinted by flim. That is why it look yellowish.
bah!
lousy.. not really sure what they trying to prove. is the grill because they wanna make believe that the europestar really is from europe (as to have a rovers alike facia)?
maybe we could make money by exporting our bumper and headlamp to china..
or maybe we could sell Proton badges if they like Malaysian who fancy changing their wira/iswara/waja badge to mitsu…
TO MITLANEVO AND NMH,
some of u jz see at the scope of fast and handling but not overall…i do agree dat renault clio v6 is fast and handy…dun under estimate me bcoz i already drove dis car when i was in london…it is my fren’s with blue in color…i know what im talking abt…yes…i agree it is fast and handy…but in term of practicallity…and compare to the other hot hatch available in dis current time…4 me it is not affordable and useless…it still gt a lot of car i can choose and buy rather than choose dis beauty.i can buy an affordable sport car and better than dis one with d same price….so guys…DUN TELL ME I DONT KNOW ABOUT THIS CAR AND HAVE TO REVIEW IT IN THE YOUTUBE…I ALREADY DROVE IT……it is jz my opinion….and the other are not same like me…
This is not unique styling, its damn stupid and ugly design. Maybe designer+engineer in europestar do this for fun haha. Seriously 0 out of 10 marks.
Wah..the front looks ugly like the audi grill plus rover logo but the rear looks ok and proton facelift model should get that rear light.
Ugly..
However, as long as the Chinese like the design so why should Proton care?
I believe we saw this grille somewhere in one of the spyshots sometime ago… so THAT’s what it was… XD
stupidly ugly, the chinese guy must be a real idiotic guy to buy such a car in china when u can buy cars like voklkswagen and audi for cheaper prices
Not too bad. If you look at it really long it starts to look fine. But the bonnet garnish does not match the grille.
Whats with the holes at the edge of the headlamps?
For all we know, the chinese guys would have probably said, ” look at that stupid malaysian design, wonder how those morons could drive something that looks like that”. So they redesigned it to suit their taste, hopefully.
anyways i think it coulda been good cept dey got carried away mebbe trying to be different. honestly speaking, malays honestly not quite as good at QC like japanese one but one thing we do know is nice designs, proton usually nice looking at least. dey shouldn’t have changed the looks so much it so much maybe want to make like its their own design jus like we do with myvi etc. that way ppl who dun know will think its unique local car one.
well thats china design, china way and taste,
let put it this way, everything hasnt yet been put on straight, tapes and masks,
of course light isnt yellow of course, ..and peel off that black mask at the lower lip, ….let see,
(hope theophilus do some photoshopping just to see how it is supposed to be looked like, -clear the yellowish headlight and unmask the blacktapping)
aiyoyo, the front is ugly lah!!!!!!
theophilus must be laughing non-stop after seeing this @#$%……..
haha have to photoshop the production model olredi…actually shapes is alrite maybe dey just made it colored to fool everyone what…wouldnt it be funny if that was the case? proton shud do same one for blm, people wud talk for weeks about it so much interest!
and hameed, dream on, nobody wants ur little kari pau…
wah, suddenly Juara has got competition!!
Wo..wo..guys, don’t be too excited, I can sense some panic there due to what they have done to ‘our’ car! Yes…you do care about the car don’t you…Like the BMW 5 series, it took quite a while for the public to appreciate the radical design, now it is said to be the most macho looking car ever. Not bad actually once its on the road, the Chinese will love this car.
why they don’t name it uglystar, it the look like one
…and don’t be surprise if that hole on the headlamp is for the LED, wow…
made in china… lol
those 4 small squarish lubang in vertical order is for LED turn signal,
?
owh… the front is filthy
If they ever bring this over to Malaysia, only one place would sell it…
Kedai Dua Ringgit.
disgusting, i bring out my sledgehammer for this
well i think there were same comments from japanese people when they saw proton rebadge fiore (saga/iswara), lancer (wira), mirage (putra), colt? (satria?), Townbox (juara), eterna (perdana).
their car, they drive, our car, we drive. that’s it.
OMG, proton think they can con the Chinese with this piece of junk…pls lah, Proton think Chinese are kampung apek???
to raybrig85:
thats your problem…… if u don’t like it, then don’t mention about it…..
Anyway, Clio V6 is still in my favourite list…..
is it powered by the LMG hydoxene technology??
Last time Proton sold it car at UK under the tagname of “Japanese Technology, Malaysian Style”.
For this car in Bolehland, the tag name aheeeem, “Lotus Technology, Chinese Style”. In the IT age, you can bluff through your teeth but internet enable other to detect your cock talking in split second.
hydoxene technology?? The one show room at Old Klang Road for LMG also so, so, so only? I think no biz.
So much for proton’s turnover plan…
malaysia “boleh” man, keranam malaysia by ap kings and queens and empress
Hi Paul, just registered. I can’t help to notice this webfind on the new Waja Campro 2007. Just click on the link. I can’t help to notice the sentence is not finish and this would be a shame for Proton they didn’t see this in their website.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l253/zullina2/Wajaweberror.jpg
This couldn’t have been worse!
to nmh…
4 me it is still a hot hatch…and if u said so…btw…it is jz my opinion…wut is ur rite to correct me???coz i hv a family…4 me i enjoy to ride in the hot hatches wit my family…so..still gt other hot hatches 4 me to choose…dats jz my opinion…if u like it…go ahead…who am i to say no to u….
to mitlanevo..
if u gimme a choice of 3 er, c-class and evo..i’ll go for evo…4 me…it is practical…so….wuts ur prob??we are talking about clio here…not evo…all ppl noes evo is an amazing sport car…it is a moron who compare the evo wit the 3er and c class…
i dun care wut u like and plz dun under estimate other ppl’s knowledge n the way u said like other ppl dunno abt dis car…so…plz mind ur word…yes…i agree wit u…same goes to me..i like the alfa so i dun care of wut other ppl said and i luv it…same goes to u too….dat is jz my opinion abt clio v6…i already drove it and dis is jz my word…4 me it is not worth 4 me to buy…so..if u want it…go ahead…y shud i care…dats ur money…
Seriously speaking, that’s a *!%king ugly car…
i like the gen.2 better even tho’ i hate proton
raybrig82 needs to go back to school to learn spelling and English usage all over again, if he or she isn;t a young chap who is in school now. nobody can make head nor tail what the fork he or she is blabbing about…
Gen2 has always been a forking ugly car… the yellow tinting just make it uglier.
raybrig85, heis writing is “simplication”. I can understand his meaning.
this car is stupid, may it be banish in hell
The car has engine but no brain, so it is “stupid”!
who gonna buy this car must got some eyesight problem, or maybe down-syndrom. this car must only use for 1 purpose, i.e. kereta keranda accompanian
deepthroat..
if u dunno wut im talking about..plz dun interupt it…btw…im jz using a simple english here…if u dunno wut i mean…its ur problem…peace…
btw…if ure good enough in english…plz go to school teach the student to be like u…expert in english…done??
at first glance, it looks horribly fugly.
but after awhile, it sort of grows on you.
the front grille is ok-ish (despite the rover resemblance), but it could definitely do without the yellow headlights’ tinting.
the rear lights are a breath of fresh air.
looks good.
its bad
No wonder we got Ah Beng Jinjang in Malaysia. It’s inherited by their ancestors from the mainland.
Ah Beng is typically Malaysian, can’t find in Dragonland?
Same to Bak Kut Teh invented by Malaysian (Klang), you can’t find it in Dragonland.
#
adibmuhammad said,
November 25, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
at first glance, it looks horribly fugly.
but after awhile, it sort of grows on you.
the front grille is ok-ish (despite the rover resemblance), but it could definitely do without the yellow headlights’ tinting.
the rear lights are a breath of fresh air.
looks good.
__________________________________________________________–
Eh? You sure you’re feeling well?
im surely not going to ask that guy on fashion tips
truly unique, should i say
can’t imagine gen-2 can be upgraded until this level
this car should be awarded as the most unlogical car design and yes, it is the first in the world!!!
Why this PROTON ah design a car not even up to the standard and not even the customer needs? STUPID betul punya kompani….
if customers in China like it like that, why not?
malaysian taste doesnt necessary be the same as other people’s taste
not like u guys commenting here gonna buy it
chinese ppl have more taste than malayan people
Jeez, they totally MUTILATED Gen2!!! This is the reverse of plastic surgery!!! Hahaha!
ku terluka
(heart broken!)
banish this car in hell
arghh… my car.. who did this to you..
eurostar..wat a name, damn “european” la this car
arghHHhHhh…is this what they call facelift? this is somewhat we call mutilated surgical. I think they are making fun with proton cars as we know, the proton has lost it’s tiger fangs in designs. look at satria neo..ok..it’s a newly designed car from scratch-as they told us…but compare it to old satria..do we have a similiar look alike? then we have to look at waja latest facelift…what the F! how about persona…the sedan of GEN-2. they just dragged the wheelbase and the ‘bontot kereta’ a bit and TADA..we have persona-to me it is ‘tergamam’. Then we will have these cars marketed in about 5 to 10 years until they have accumulated their profits. CAMPRO…reported to have great heat excessive and some technical issues rise. Seriously to me, the PROTON esp the R&D and those designers have lost their credibitily to design car. They are best at ‘facelifting’ the cars. I hope PROTON engineers can design and create a car that other people call it is a car-not some design experimentals. With LESS problems or technical issues. The tiger has to leap far to stay ahead or forever it will be left behind. I would like to suggest a competition – designing a national car.
just stop this car
wtf?? kuning! macam kereta lama!
i tot the gen2 was ugly
but this looks more like a faggot !
love the front grill (front grill only).. Looks like more VIP to me. It make statements there. I’m no to sporty look.
chinese more suck from malay! i believe..very2 ugly car.
gen2 is good car..
What the fuck with the name 'Europestar'? (EuroStar sounds better.)
Not even europe, you know?
The name, the clones (name, design, & model)…..
Sure are reflecting the 'stereotypicalities of the commies', aren't they?
wan, careful with your word arrangements. Write a wrong / unproper arrangement, and you will become racist just like BN.
I'm not saying that you are racist. No. But your [incomplete] words might end up being misinterpreted by the others.
By the way, I'm a Malay.