Although the Proton Iriz was introduced in September 2014 to go head-to-head against the Perodua Myvi in the B-segment market, its sales performance has been a little lacklustre by comparison. Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah, CEO of Proton commented on the relatively slow start of the Iriz, saying that, “market acceptance of the Iriz is growing, but not as fast as we’d initially liked”
He attributed the slow sales of the Iriz to the loan approval rate, which is described as relatively low. Harith said, “that’s something that Proton is working on with the financial institutions now.” He added that the national carmaker’s initial sales target for the Iriz was between 4,000 to 5,000 units monthly, although the model currently averages just 2,500 units monthly.
With Proton set to introduce a slew of new models in the future, Harith also mentioned that improvements may come for the Iriz as well. “For our current models running today, some need completely new replacements, which are all in the pipeline. Some will be out this year.
“As for the Iriz, it’s still very new, so perhaps we’ll give it a facelift or new technical improvements this year.” In the rumour mill, Proton is said to be working on improving the Iriz’s NVH with new engine mounts, as well as updates to the CVT gearbox. Even a turbo variant could be introduced, given what we saw at the Alami Proton event last year.
What improvements would you like to see should an Iriz facelift be introduced? A turbo with a six-speed manual, perhaps? Or how about one with an electric powertrain? Let us know what you think a refreshed Iriz needs or can do without in the comments below.
GALLERY: Proton Iriz
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Ya ya, always something to blame for except Proton itself.
What a big liar. Last year he said orders were so much. Long line until even Proton cannot keep up. Go and google and see what the CEO said. Now, complete opposite.
Why is car prices getting higher and higher? Very simple. It is because of Songlapping. Malaysia is actually a very rich country IF there is no songlapping. Malaysia is far richer than Singapore because we got oil, gas, tin, rubber, gold, bauxite, iron, kelapa, kurpum, copper etc. Singapore has ZERO. Why is Singapore richer than Malaysia? Again, very simple, it is because of Songlapping.
One man can songlap RM2.6 billion is just one news we know. What about the other times he songlap that we don’t know about? I think it runs to hundreds of billions.
Taib songlap US$20 billion (RM84 billion) also nothing happen to him. Infact he was rewarded for his songlap and made Governor and given a Tunship. In Malaysia, you are rewarded for songlapping.
What about the songlaps by the other Menteri and Government officials?
It all runs to hundreds of billions per annum the Songlap.
This is why we get higher car prices every year. Our guardians are more interested in Songlapping than fighting for the rakyat to get lower car prices.
First before Iriz launch says “must complete with world standard”… After launch says “completing local production”… Now says “low loans approval”… CEO Harith say Iriz still new??? Why HRV demand more then Iriz even it more expensive and newer then this Iriz??? So much excuses from Proton CEO !!!
See below and you will know why Proton is a failure. We have given enough support to Proton for 30 years now. Every family has at least bought a Proton in their life.
We supported the company so much from 1985. Now it is doing badly because their workers are MALAS.
Japanese workers :
“We must work hard. We must focus in our work. We take pride in our products and must deliver excellent quality. Only then, we can enjoy our remuneration for the hard work done. We must aim to be more hardworking than our other Japanese car plants”
Proton Malaysia workers:
“Rilak lah bang, buat apa nak keje ni. rilak lah, nanti boleh buat. Letih lah ni, mari meh tido sekejap kat bilik stor, boss takde ni. Eh tengok awek kilang cun tu, bess lah dapat kongkek dia. Syok. Jom lah, mari pegi kantin minum teh dan makan kuih lapis. Tak payah keje kuat ni, kerajaan nanti tolong. Buat apa keje kuat ni?
Have to loan higher due to your overpriced
Our vios more expensive but sales still a lot. No loan issue.how to explain?
Proton you 10 years too late to jump into. Myvi bandwagon. Now people like small crossover, still want to wait 10 years to produce a HRV?
Anyways the outdent on the Iriz door is horrendous.
If Proton is bleeding so much of money, why pay Mahathir Millions in remuneration just to be figurehead Chairman? I hear it runs to over Rm1 million plus a fancy office, plus unlimited entertainment allowance, plus driver, plus car etc.
Proton should show their sincereity by asking Mahathir to do free work with no remuneration. After all, Proton was Mahathir’s baby and he should be doing it for free.
Also, tell Malaysians how much CEO is also earning. He should be taking a pay cut instead of enjoying 6 figure salary per month and fancy company car. He should be given a Wira as company car to drive.
Pay high to buy Porsche car lah.
How to trust a company when the CEO himself lies? That lone shows, the whole company has a culture of lying.
Proton Iriz diskaun RM14,444 bagi ahli DUMNO
Sadly you are 100% correct!! 1965 Singapore Malaysia same, now Singapore better than Switzerland!! Malaysia just so so! Why? You provided the answer!!
Have to loan higher due to your overpriced
Now Malaysians need to gang up and withhold from buying cars and properties. Let those greedy GLCs go bust.
And yes car taxes need to go down even at the expense of those uncle and aunties’ government pension.
Power to the rakyat!
At least no longer blame Perodua Myvi or rakyat.
OMG…what a joke joker ….ur Iriz more expansive than Merc? Low loan approval…what the Fxxx excuses. puihhh…lol
OMG…i really want to see any comment from Tun M abt this joker CEO.
OMG Mr.CEO, pls blame urself before make such idiot statement.. puihhh
P1 need some kind of financial package for their customers without dependent on bank loan approval.
Eee pandai blame low loan approvals.
Go and google this. Few months ago the CEO said that Iriz sales were too much for Proton to handle. The waiting list was 6 months and long long long long long long line to order.
Typical UMNO crony. Know how to lie
this means people fed up with your car la…
2016 Excuses: Disappointing Iriz sales due to low loan approval
Actual reason: It’s due to Axia
2017 Excuses: Disappointing new Saga, Persona sales due to low loan approval
Actual reason: It’s due to Axia Sedan
I know it might be too much, but if you could include any of these safety features in the new Iriz: Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Pre Collision Breaking (Low Speed/High Speed), that would be awesome. Just my 2 cents of opinion.
emm…your opinions sound too over for a compact B-segment car for this price even though Iriz has quite completed safety features. And most of Malaysian didn’t care about safety features, just look at those uncountable myvi on the road…Lol
Just reduce the price.
Low loan approval? Probably he’s right. You can imagine the profile of the buyers. Low pay job, low education, dubious occupation.
I’m a fresh grads with electronic eng degree and now working in intel and i bought an iriz.
Low pay job, low education, dubious occupation?
think again
You have bought the wrong car
Why would you say the Iriz is the ‘wrong’ car strictly from a product point of view?
It is because the image it carry. Cheapo.
Why loan approval is low? Coz people who plan to buy this iriz is actually from lower income group which supposed to buy saga or axia. Thought of getting iriz but cant afford and got rejected by bank.
Those really affordable will go for a japanese or conti.
Work hard, once you afford one japanese or conti,you wont look back to proton.
I was like you no so long ago, now glad to no need to consider proton anymore.
showing off ur salary? i don’t give a damn.
yea u bought the wrong car, u only proved urself not wise enough.
even low salary people also know to work hard and get a better car.
@j
1st, I believe ur degree is a local degree which is kind of substandard nowadays… internationally non of local university is ranked…
2nd, working in intel = high salary??? I bet ur salary is far lower than 5k… so ur salary still consider high?
Think hard again…
Yea … join intel work as janitor or security guard? Intel is shifting operation and having VSS. Fresh grad? at Intel?
Nak tipu pun agak-agak la….
Anyway, back to your low paying job.
Perfect for starters like you.. Those who have ‘graduated’ from using proton then will look for something better in value and ownership experience
Nope, you are stupid easily fooled by Proton. Smart but stupid.
Apologies in advance to those making personal attacks on you.
Its not about you, its about the choice you made. You spent I’m guessing 50-55k on this Iriz?
You could have bought a Myvi. Still crap, but slightly better.
Me, I never bought a local car in my life. First bought a 15 yr old Nissan, then a pretty new used Kia.
Kia Forte – 1.6 – 40k, very reliable. Vios/City – 5-7 yr old car – 40-45k, very reliable. Those are good choices. Not an Iriz.
Cheers
improvements? its not actually lacking in performance , but the CVT is major…jerky and whiny …
low volume has nothing to do with loans , its just public acceptance of the brand , ppl might like the Iriz, bt definitly dont like Proton…
1. Reshape the rear bumper. Bontot Lebar is not a good look for the car.
2. Replace Punch CVT ASAP.
3. The CVT Gear Stick, please restyle it. Just extending the plastic knob at the to cover the entire cylinder will do wonders.
4. And this won’t be the last time Proton been told this, but better QC please?
5. Put Myvi engine and gearbox. Gerenti Iriz sales 10,000 every month.
If Proton could bring in the EV iriz sooner and price it below 70-80k, then game changer.
Dream on bro…IRIZ EV is a myth,…
Don’t bluff with your game changer plus shut up and take my money la. Nak tipu sampai bila?
I would love to have that, but I don’t think the market is ready yet for EV. Petrol is cheaper these days so there’s no urgent need to change into pricier technology.
hope that updates will benefit old iriz buyers.
People have no money la, blame your “launch proton, drive porsche” boss that created this mess. We are sacrificing new car smell because car prices here are just so hai. Btw, I thought you guys are moving to bangla?
Long time no see macai Ah Beng. Maybe transfered to Proton Bangladesh showroom there.
the title should be :proton CEO try to save he job by saying it’s the loan
Dun Malaysian designer laa…stupid design exterior and interior and furthermore the stupid concept proton wing. Throw all that, appoint potential designer from Europe. The design must go for global acceptance.
Missing of rear wiper on lower spec model is not acceptable.
P1 mgmt is just myopic and in denial…. doesn’t do honest market research… doesn’t know the pulse of the consumer. Why is P1 complaining about iris local market sales since P1 said iriz would be a global small car ready to take on the world market… how many irises have p1 exported or sold overseas so far…?
In M’sia… non national car sales are up and consists of over 50% of total market share… P2 has been consistently around 28-29% market share… P1’s share have been steadily dwindling since 2001…
So P1 keeps on blaming others but themselves… TunM & DRB P1 mgmt should give yourselves a good swift kick in the butt.
1. Softer tuned absorbers. (average city driver have different needs from auto journalists. Use Nissan V-platform suspension setup like Note/Almera as benchmark for comfort).
2. Jatco CVT with torque converter
3. Noise insulation and Vibration damping
4. Digital Auto-Aircon (if use manual knob, change the supplier as the knobs rattles and doesn’t feel tactile at all)
5. Larger odometer with better illumination & bigger font size.
6. Higher resolution info digital panel.
7. Weight reduction (current Iriz weigh 1175kg, way above the City).
To that Plotong CEO…
How about a Turbo with a conventional torque converter at least… Who in the right mind would want a powerful engine paired to a whiny and powerless CVT…?
And to Gerard Lye…
How to increase sales with just a Turbo and a 6-speed MANUAL when pretty much almost all LAZY-assed BolehLand kakis get stuck in KL-tic JAMs…?
I prefer the normal slush box honestly.
You know why Mr. Ceo, that banks don’t like your car?
Because you sell your first batch of Iriz at full price but you give discount of 10k within the first year of launch..
Tell me, how much can the bank recover if the HP is defaulted?
Obviously low loan approval…its a joke…big boss set the car prices quite high for a lousy car to support msians and give them job opportunities however at the same time living standard rises while pay remain stagnant and now they cant even buy the proton which is “cheap”…Bank Negara is right to reject their loans since these people have very low incomes or too many loans which means they have a high chance of being loan defaulter…face it DR M…you were wrong to give AP and set car prices high…. competition produces quality stuff. Only the best will survive and if proton not up to standard after so many years…its not the money but MISMANAGEMENT OF YOUR CAR POLICIES
RM60k++ for a proton…? Pfft…
Look what happen to preve & suprima… both are good, better equiped than any other competitor for the same amount of money… but as we can see vios & city pekak (low spec) sells more even the price is ridiculously expensive…
C’mon proton… wakeup already la!
Your advisor maybe one of the geniuses ever live in the country.
But keep saying to increased the price for a proton for better tech equip is not gonna happen… the people are tired with proton’s shit after nearly 30 years… You shold give big discount or subsidies for your products just like what u did in the export countries… proton shoulds focus on gaining the rakyat’s trust first before even imagining to be successfull globally…
Turbo please please
For most people, the main purpose to own a car is to move from point A to point B, day in, day out. Obviously Perodua has established better reputation compare to Proton.
Recalling who ever said it before…owh..it is P2 and REHADA. Commonla..tak tahu menari, dikatanya tanah tinggi rendah.
The only tech update I’m interested in is Android Auto / Apple CarPlay.
Hey CEO how about ask governtment to give you money to loan the buyers, WIN-WIN situation.
Government no longer diu Proton already, hahaha
The low loan approval is probably true, because in any slowdown the lowest income earners are hit first and, like it or not, Proton and Perodua capture this market.
Even Perodua will tell you that loan approval is an issue and it takes a lot of talking to bankers to convince them to be lenient with buyers
I think the loan approval rate at Perodua maybe slightly better than at Proton, maybe, if they are suffering so badly
As for quality at Proton, well I think we can all agree that it is a ‘work in progress’
Iriz is a good car… but Proton problem is not with bank… the problem is with perception… proton brand image is really-really bad right now… Note: I am not saying proton car is bad, I am saying the image is bad… not the product..
You are balking at the wrong tree lah proton..
I agree with Im Im
Proton needs to regain people’s confidence with reliable, affordable cars.
This is the companys’ mission statement kan after all…
I hope the new Saga and Persona will hit all those by offering space and comfort and QUALITY and reliability that people can afford
I think we are all proud to be Malaysians and we want a Malaysian company to succeed… but what’s done is done..
That says alot about people perception against proton, i use to own proton wira, gen2 and savvy. the wira, fuel injection problem..died while driving – rattling dashboard just 2 week owning. Gen2 – low quality plastic, power window & door handle break easily. Savvy – gearbox goes to neutral, change cost 14k .. more expansive than the car itself went trade, also electrical distributer problem. Now own a honda city and mazda 6, not even a single light bulb have been change since 6 years owning honda and 3 years owning mazda. Step up your game proton, you are an embarrassment to Malaysian rite now. People buy your product because its cheap not because its quality. If your car not protected by import tax, people would not even consider it.
Dear Proton,
can i have a rebadged suzuki swift with myvi pricetag?
Thanks
EV is innovative enough for proton. But still less in practically in Malaysia.
It win back the confident from Malaysian, products like nokia 3310 is needed(reliability), while buying some time for proton to build more fancy and modern one.
Masaalah! Macam mana bank nak lulus tak ada pemohon. Biar logik sikit alasan – baik kata pengguna tak suka IRIZ, habis cerita. Buat kereta ikut kehendak pengguna bukan seronok ikut selera sendiri.
Hang tak tau ka yang semua applicant Loan Iriz semua tak lepas tapi apply city atau myvi lepas pulak?? hang tak nampak ka permainan depa disitu lain kali kaji dulu weiii jangan jadi keyboard warrior ja teluq tak kemana
Err.. Honda and Toyata are selling better and did they complain about “loan hard to approve” even their price is much higher?
Buyers are not buying it, just face the facts..
SETTLE THE GEAR BOX ISSUE. SALES COME EVENTUALLY.
Sure boh I see a lot of new Myvis which cost about the same on the road so is it really got to do with loan approvals?
Interesting excuse. How did he came into that conclusion? Did he call up every purchaser, successful or not, to gather his data?
“Eh Ahmad, ur loan not approve ka? Kenapa gaji tak cukup ke?”
“Eh Raju, apasal u tarak beli Iris kita? Loan tarak?”
“Eh Ah Beng, why u no buy our beautiful IRIZ? Bank no like u ahhh?”
And why does he think upgrading the existing tech will attract more buyers? Its not the cars fault, its the buyers problem ma, no matter what tech you put in there, a ferrari engine or aston martin chassis, it wont make a difference since they can’t buy also ma
so how Mr CEO, u sure upgrading tech can give successful loans to purchasers?
-BigBalls-
Ya Allah, Tuhan Yang Maha Berkuasa.. Berikanlah keadilan kepada rakyat Malaysia. Gagalkan usaha Proton dan juga sistem AP yang telah lama menindas rakyat Malaysia. Kembalikan harga kereta kepada yang sepatutnya, yang termampu untuk semua Rakyat Malaysia miliki. Kami sudah tidak mampu umtuk menanggung bebanan ketidakadilan ini Ya Allah.. Kasihanilah kami Ya Allah.. Hancurkan sistem yang tidak adil ini Ya Allah!
Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin..
Already, 2 weeks++, I’m still waiting my Iriz.
Called mycare, they hung up after telling me 1 month waiting period, when I’ve seen others can get within 2 weeks.
Still waiting…
It’s either you are bluffing or Proton bluffing. The stockyard melambak with cars.
Their staff at hq still new year holiday mood maybe.
Embrace apple carplay and Android auto, by having pioneer as the head unit supplier… As other manufacturers aren’t willing to put them in their car by delaying it’s debut in their respective cars…this maybe the selling point for proton..
i think the myvi looks better but honestly the iriz is well equipped
Shitty humming from cvt should be improved. Using cheap parts perhaps. Look at other cvt… smooth n quiet. My exora turbo has many nitty problems eg. Abs sensor failure. Wiper motor gave way. Mud flap gave way. Funny sound at drive shaft and a few more. Nothing major yet
The back end or rear bumper is petty ugly..change that please
One of the main factor is – the design of the car. It’s profile is too tall especially the front bonnet, and those large front headlamp does’nt help with the appearance. That bloated rear end received huge criticsm from the public.
The plastic clad (looks cheap) on the gearstick should go, the metal part should be left open, or covered with leather.
Give a new facelift !!! Make a higher ground clearance like 190mm, not 155 because it might too low when crossing a road bump !!!! Bigger inches rim 16 inches instead of 15 !!! Higher horsepower and torque , make it 130 hp and 250 nm . Turbo engine with a better cvt transmission , 6 speed for auto and manual transmission !!! Make it 4 disc brake like Kia picanto !!! If proton make these as an improvement ,the car will be totally perfect !!!!
Technically the car is better than its competitor although it can use softer suspensions for smoother ride, and ergonomically perhaps a lighter interior color to make it look more spacey. A good sound system would be an added advantage, Bang & Olufsen maybe..ALL WITH REDUCED PRICE
The problem with ploton is they thought they are always right. Which is wrong. The after sales service stinks. I know because I am a saga owner. They forget that I won’t be a repeat customer. In this viral age, others take notice. TSMB should just close this company because there is no turnaround for this ploton, unlike Mas (with Mueller )
Rubbish CVT and poor quality control. Kudos for giving importance to safety though. On the other hand, full spec Myvi from 9 years ago had 2 airbags and ABS. Full spec Myvi today also has 2 airbags and ABS. There should be a statistic on number of fatalities/serious injuries according to car model. Not sure Perodua will be as proud with such a statistic as their sales figure.
we need cruise control and a much improved NVH all around, please?
It’s so funny that you all keep giving false hope to Proton. From airbags, 10 airbags, VSC, ABS, high tensile strength ..bla bla bla and now cruise control with auto climate control….
After Proton put in all these, still cannot sell.
Hilarious…indirectly, the poor sale of IRIZ is due to YOU..the consumer who fail to get loan approval. Bank’s just follow credit control procedures.
Apparently…Proton’s poor sales figure is due to rakyat.
For the interior wise, Iriz seats are good. Can improve further by using Nissan Teana’s zero gravity seats as a benchmark. However the main problem about Iriz is the packaging itself. The rear passengers feels cramp as the leg room is not enough for taller adults. A good benchmark will be Honda Jazz. Learn from them. Like what Tun said, “Dasar pandang ke timur”. And please do something about the rattling air-cond knob, such a disgrace for Proton to overlook even the small things like this.
In 2005, the first generation Myvi was selling very well because it was a very practical car.From outside, it looks small, so it is easy to park for beginner drivers plus you get the huge side mirrors to aid you. The most impressive part about the Myvi was the huge cabin space which taught us that small car doesn’t mean that the space for passengers is compromised.
Volvo has always been known as benchmark for comfortable seats.
Tbh, Iriz’s seat is fine, can see the headrest look like Volvo’s too.
Getting smooth, fuel efficient powertrain is more important. Campro VVT + punch CVT doesn’t cut the mustard.
IT IMPROVES A LOT YES MAYBE YOU TRY 1.3 IRIZ. WHAT ABOUT 1.6? GREOGRY SZE 6FT CAN FIT INTO LEG ROOM and the front seat align to his siting position..yes the aircon controller and the radio still feel cheap. but the current myvi still lost to iriz in terms of everything except fc
Proton just like a 30 year-old baby who likes to whine when cars cannot sell:
1) Juara cannot sell blame rakyat stupid don’t know aprreciate – You sell what people need not what you want
2) Iriz cannot sell blame bank don’t want give loan – Then why Axia and MyVi is still selling well?
3) Lose to P2 blame competition re-badge Toyota/Daihatsu – This is the way the automotive world works, platform sharing and cost cutting without scarifying too much on quality
4) Suprima/Preve cannot sell say Malaysians not patriotic- Malaysians simply do not have confident in Proton, which is something you destroy in the past 30 years
Do you see other big manufacturer use these lame excuses when their sales drop?
What if the new Perdana is selling at only 10 units a month at RM100k, blame the PM because of giving the word Perdana bad name? May be I will agree…
If Perdana not selling well sure go blame tauke for not buying it. Muahahahaha!!!
The Perdana already a bad buy at this point. How come a car of its price has no ESC? Proton is really kind of hit and miss company.
1. make the interior typefaces more consistent (don’t borrow parts from other car and leave the fonts the same, for example – see what you get in the Preve and Suprima S).
2. change the CVT gearbox. it’s crap!
3. introduce a manual option for the 1.6L.
4. make the instrument panel slightly larger to improve readability.
5. introduce a 110km/h mark in the speedo. you know – m’sian highway is 110km/h max.
6. change the 1.6L touchscreen headunit (screen brightness problem lah)
7. can you re-engineer the rear seats so that they can fold flat?
8. build a hybrid variant. it would sell like hot cakes.
lastly, if the low loan take-up is contributing to the poor sales figures, may we know what the figures *could* be if all the loan applications were approved? is it even close to your expected monthly volume?
Proton, you really think people will shut up and give you their hard earned money meh?
Sure or not? so the banks like myvi more, they approve more loans for myvi?
Ok whatever ur excuses are…my suggestion : Give ur own loan to potential buyers u claimed failed to apply bank loan, boleh?
Oh… the CEO is just taking que from his advisor TunM… ‘just blame other people’.
LOW loan approval huh? toyota vios, honda city, even camry accord loan also approved by the bank, ur iriz low loan approval? u think u can cheat us? u think this is logic? don’t try to cheat us la… low sales low sales la, due to ur lousy car then say la.. don’t cincai blame what also blame. only know how to blame nvr know how to improve. talk cock
Iriz active with turbo… N iriz SV
obviously the excuse doesnt hold water because other similar priced car like the myvi did not have disappointing sales. Only Proton do. Next time find a more plausible excuse k.
The slow sales of Iriz is not entirely the fault of low loan approval rate. I think brand perception and uncertainly is the biggest factor. People would rather choose a Myvi over an Iriz just because the Myvi isn’t a Proton. It’s as straight-forward as that.
That doesn’t mean Proton should give up, there’s a lot they can do to improve public perception of the Iriz. When the original Saga launched in 1985, Malaysians used to say it was low quality, milo tin, cepat rosak etc.. But what Proton’s did to change that was genius… the late Datuk Gurcharan Singh devised a smart and effective marketing plan to prove that the new Saga was as durable and reliable as any of its competitors. Some say, without his efforts, Proton would have never survived the early, difficult years. He created the ‘Sagarama’ nationwide rally. Sagas were driven to various cities, towns, villages and even air flown to East Malaysia, all in an effort to bring the Saga to the people. This was a time when the Internet was unheard of, and computers were expensive.
Although the Sagarama was still mainly a nationwide tour in concept, it also proved that the Sagas themselves were extremely durable and could run anywhere in Malaysia, not just in the big cities. The iconic Saga ‘BCH 1352’ went through 4,109km of the best and worst terrain Malaysia could throw at it… and it NEVER broke down, not once. If you visit Proton’s COE complex near their Shah Alam plant, you can see ‘BCH 1352’ in its full glory. I’ve personally driven it not too long ago, and it feels much, MUCH more solid than my milo tin 2007 Saga LMST. The original Saga ‘Orion’ 8V is by far the most indestructible Proton ever made.
Datuk Gurcharan Singh organised three more rallies, Sagathon Genting Highlands, Sagathon Cameron Highlands and Sagathon Kota Kinabalu-Kuching. The last one was especially brutal. Chips Yap and Hans Cheong have written some good articles about the Sagarama/ Sagathon and Datuk Gurcharan Singh. I would include the URLs here, but then my comment will be mistakenly marked as spam.
What I would suggest is that Proton’s current marketing devise a similar durability and reliability test for the Iriz. I noticed that they did indeed do an East Malaysia Iriz tour, which included Brunei, but they did not capitalise on that as much as they should have. What they should do… is to drive the Iriz from Malaysia to the U.K.. It might take several months, but many Malaysians have done it in the past. One man did it in his Satria GTi ! (it has a ‘Jalur Gemilang II’ number plate, Google it) In today’s world, it would be more ‘dramatic’, as daily or weekly updates could be fed through channels like Twitter, Facebook and whatnot. Malaysians can see for themselves how durable the Iriz really is. Proton can drive a few Irizes through Thailand, Burma, India, the Himalayas, Afghanistan, Iran, the Caucasus, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, Italy, the Alps, Germany, Benelux, and finally the U.K.. If an Iriz can survive that, it can survive anything. The only problem is that this will likely cost Proton a few million in marketing costs, but it’s one heck of a way to prove a point.
Nobody is going to fully trust JD Power surveys and customer feedback, they’re all perception-based, and susceptible to initial bias and social stigma. Basically, if most people ‘think’ it is bad, therefore, it is bad. Even when it’s not, it’s bad. This is exactly the case with the Iriz now. It is not a perfect car, but it’s all-round better than the Myvi and can easily hold its own in some export markets. Stick in the much-rumoured Jatco CVT and the new direct-injected engine, with a few other tweaks here and there, more effective marketing, and you have a potential winning card.
Perception is a bitch. First you need people to buy your cars to have a change in perception. But at the same time, when people’s perception on your products are already bad, nobody’s gonna buy your cars. One way you can do is price dumping. But price dumping is a double edge sword. Just ask Naza Kia, after dumping price on the Forte and later raising price for the Cerato, how many Cerato they have managed to sell.
Now begging rakyat to buy Iriz? Hahaha serve you right Proton! You think its 1985 kah wanna fool rakyat easily?
And macai like you also better quit as Proton fanboys. Really pathetic and sad looking at you defending junk failure after failure. Stop kidding yourself lah LOL!!!
Plonk in a Japanese powertrain, it’s insta win like inspira, and pre-campro era.
The basic requirement to be successful has to be a fuel efficient engine + smooth, drivable torque converter auto.
Proton already has the edge in safety, handling. Get their powertrain on par is enough to make it a winner.
Then after sale service that’s affordable and effective, confirm win liao lor
My mother 2015 60k iriz 1.6 auto is like a sampah.Sori proton,ur quality is like ++××##@.Dont give excuses!!
Can I get you tele number, I would like to point out why your car is not selling!!
If I were the banks I will make it a law that all Proton cars can only be bought cash. NO LOAN, mati tak mati?
Some ppl need to have a car to go from a to b. That’s all. No need fancy looking bumpers or funky colours. A 14 inch size wheels is just nice but the bumpers are just too big. It makes the Iriz looks like tonka toy cars.
Then there is this thing too much exposure in camouflage form. Believe me after 3 months we felt the model basi already. Not exciting any more during launched. Do it discreetly. Like how u did in the 90s. Middle of night start the cars, run up to Penang and return before dawn. And genting climb.
Give us 2 specs sporty Iriz. A 1.3 turbo with 5 speed and disc brakes, only in black… Name it Iriz Knight. The second one a 1.6 turbo with 6 speed manual. Make this one limited.. Like 1000 units, with numbered plaques. Make this one Iriz GT R3
Electric powertrain! It’s a perfect candidate for a full EV.
Hopefully they can make a hybrid or EV Perdana too.
We’re lagging so so so far behind Toyota and Honda in the Hybrid and EV game already!
Hahaha EV even more difficult small market yet still wanna try? Stupid bravery or die standing lah.
Ala, losers alwaya blame others, so typical…why not blame yurself who approved the ugly rear butt design, why not blame the entire design team who designed the ugly butt Preve, ugly station wagon looking Supima ( marketed as sporting turbo car) and why not blame the whole mamagamemt and marketing team? why not fire them all? Why not hire me instead to be yur adviser?why why why?
Eeeeee….Proton CEO lying in broad daylight…..So shameless, so spineless, so damn malu.
I am being generous, allow me to give Proton CEO another “reason” if year 2016 proton sales went south.
“Our cars are not selling, becoz of the existance of Toyota, Honda, BMW, Merc, Suzuki, Ford, Izusu, Perodua, Peugeot, Fiat, Alfa, etc. Our sales will improve, if all these manufacturers go bankrupt”
hahahahaahahaha!!!
Same quality with BMW car itu hari menteri cakap. Ha ha ha! Car for jokers.
Your CVT is famous now for its noisy-ness. CEO please ride in your Iris, CVT silence is the most required technical update.
Who want to buy a city car (Iriz) with 1.6 engine ? Better get preve / suprima / persona. Those model also use 1.6 engine.
To be honest Mr CEO, either your engineering department syok sendiri by putting 1.6 engine as a premium model for IRIZ or you just to dumb by giving approval to roll out a city car with same 1.6 engine as others model.
Give 1.3 premium for IRIZ is enough laaaaa…No need 1.6 engine…Dont blame others..but blame yourself for your stupidity and ignorance.
You better just give away all your car then your are not disappointed..of course Bank know what are they doing..no sales blame here blame there..somemore want improvement…how many years you mau?? 50 tahun lagi?? Pergi lar..
For 60k, get a used 3 or c and you probably enjoy more ..and less problem
After more than 1 year ago since its launch. Recently, I just get to test drove an Iriz, that was only after watching a video from Driven. Test unit has 30k plus mileage in it, The manual 1.3 is really a decent car, good visibility, improved interior materials. Acceptable NVH, just a suggestion, instead of paying premium for bodykit, why not consider bundle in the infotainment headunit?
As for engine, perhaps, have a 1.3 turbo to pair with conventional auto trans too? It’s certainly a wrong move to have thirsty 1.6 as mass produced model for this compact. Or get the Suzuki 1.5 engine?
Agreed, Proton still thinking tis is the 90s still offering 1.3 and 1.6cc engine in such a small car..doesnt make sense since 1.6 prices kacau Preve and Persona territory..its about less models to save cost…helo Ceo pigi sekolah lagi lA
Close shop saja laaa. End of story!
The CVT is a totally crap. Design factor sometime is over do. Sometime the front side look ok but the back is bad and vice versa. Proton should spend more on design department for exterior and interior.
It’s the price vs brand perception. It’s viewed as priced too high for it’s segment as a proton. A cheaper base model but without compromise on safety features may help sales.
Foremost is the CVT transmission.
It is awful in city driving. highway and smooth continuous driving wont reveal its weakness.
Most of Iriz and Saga user are drivers in the city or start-stop kind of traffic. The CVT transmission is poor in this kind of driving condition due to unpredictable transmission response. sometimes it slips sometimes it catches on.
Becoz of this poor CVT response to city driving, it shunt me away from adopting Preve and Exora.
Oh ya!.. aren’t Iriz and Saga CVT is using dry clutch with CVT ? I think the dry clutch is also a partner in this trouble.
good luck
they got the CVT from the wrong supplier, there is no such issue with the CVT in the Altis and Camry hybrid.
Iriz looks cool , no doubts many of us are doubtful on its durability , I personally feel that , Iriz is still a good choice , I salute to what Tun Dr Mahathir had done for Proton , Proton has tried out her best efford with her least capability compared to other cars’ manufacturers in the car industries .And if I am going to have a 2nd Proton’s car , I wish to buy the Proton Iriz .
Finacial intitutions are more keen to grant loans to more reliable models with high resale value.
Proton models rated among the highest NPL contributors in msia. Model after model introduced but none of those models has made any significant impact to be reckoned with.
It is not people’s perception, it is more on overall quality that matters most.
Iriz is a fine car. If Proton can’t sell it well, it has something to do with PERCEPTION. It takes a long time to get the trust back. It’s hard, but not impossible. And Proton makes it even difficult through its car pricing (Proton thinks consumers see its brand having equal status as the likes of Honda and Toyota). I’m not saying that Proton should sell its cars at a loss. It’s just that more than 90% of its contents are local, if not all. It should be cheaper than the current price. I mean look at Bezza 1.3L Advanced. It is priced at 50K only and it is no ‘less premium’ than Iriz 1.6L Premium variant which cost 62K. Both equipped with ESC and obtained 5-star rating from ASEAN NCAP.
In my opinion, the introduction of Iriz SHOULD cause MyVi to be obsolete and irrelevant (in theory). But I don’t think that’s the case, and we all know why.
I own Iriz 1.3L with manual transmission and I really love it. It makes me want to drive it everyday. The driving is pleasurable. The Iriz Aircond is super cold and it’s a complement. I think if there’s one thing that Proton has been doing it right. It has to be the aircond. No kidding.
Iriz is a good car for what it already is, minus QC issues like dashboard rattling and knocking sound at some parts of the cabin. Besides, look is subjective. You either love it or hate it. Personally, I think Iriz is one the sexiest looking cars on Malaysian road nowadays. I have no problem with its “bontot besar”. Its rear design was my “cinta pandang pertama”. Its rear looks beautiful at night too. No major issues so far for my Iriz. I just went for regular service maintenance and that’s it. I hope this stays true for years to come and else I’ll go nuts!