Archive for Proton MPV 2009

An artist’s impression by maru

Reader deanfiero_returns sent in another video of the Proton MPV that he spotted at Putra Heights last week, and it seems that the MPV has been sighted in the area quite frequently for 3 consecutive days. He also claims the MPV was quite fast to accelerate way from his Proton Waja 1.6, despite having about 3-4 occupants in it. The video is quite shaky at first but later there is a close-up, including a shot of the Proton MPV travelling next to what appears to be a red Perodua Kelisa towards the end. Useful for a size guesstimation. Watch the video after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Proton MPV spotted in Putra Heights!

Proton filed the design of the new Proton MPV with the UK Intellectual Property Office on the 24th of October 2008 and it was approved on the 4th of November 2008. We can now see in full detail of how the new Proton MPV will look like, though it’s only the low resolution sketches that are available from the public UK IPO website. It looks pretty much similiar to the images of the model that appeared to be snapped in a Proton facility. Everything matches, including the chrome bar at the rear. The Proton MPV is scheduled to be released in early 2009.

For more spyshots and details, please visit the related links listed below.

Related Posts:
Proton MPV exclusive initial details revealed!
SPYSHOT: Proton MPV next to a Nissan Grand Livina
SPYSHOT: Proton MPV on the road
VIDEO: Not one, but TWO Proton MPVs on the PLUS highway
VIDEO: 2009 Proton MPV on the MRR2

Thanks to moha774 for the tip!

These two shots were snapped on the NKVE by reader Reza, who happened to be on the same route as the MPV from the Jalan Duta toll until the ELITE exit.

Click for enlarged image

What’s interesting about the shot above is the fact that the Proton MPV is right behind a silver Nissan Grand Livina, who Reza said appeared to be travelling together with the Proton MPV. This allows us to estimate the size of the Proton MPV as compared to the Nissan Grand Livina. An estimation shows that the Proton MPV is slightly larger than the Nissan Grand Livina, but we can’t really be 100% sure about this as there could be some perspective errors.

Click for enlarged image

This second shot shows the LEDs of the Proton MPV’s rear taillamps lighting up.

The Proton MPV has been spotted yet again - this time not just one but two of them traveling at the same time on the PLUS Highway. This video was shot by reader crash and as it was shot from the passenger side, he was able to turn the camera around abit more as the car he was in passed by the two Proton MPVs so that we can see a little more of how the front looks like. Still not as clear as we’d all hope to try to make out details but we are able to judge better the general shape of the front of the car from the angle in this video. Look after the jump to watch the video.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO SPYSHOT: Not one, but TWO Proton MPVs on the PLUS Highway!

The same group of lightly taped up Satria Neos and a heavily camouflaged Proton MPV were spotted on the MRR2 near Batu Caves heading towards Kuala Selangor by Andrew Wong, who quickly whipped out his camera phone to record a video of the MPV passing by his car. The frames captured from the video manages to reveal in low resolution detail how the front end of the MPV looks like, and we get to see bits of the headlamps sticking out of the camouflage too.

According to Andrew, the way the Proton MPV was going through the traffic was pretty swift, which hopefully indicates it has a decent power to weight ratio. However the video shows that the MPV didn’t have many people loaded - the second row seemed empty and there was no one in the front passenger seat either.

The video also shows the MPV travelling behind a Proton Wira so you will be able to somewhat judge the size of the thing.

You can watch the video after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO SPYSHOT: 2009 Proton MPV on the MRR2!

Click for larger image

This could possibly be the first spyshots of the new Proton MPV and it’s all thanks to reader the_king, who snapped them on the highway near the Prai Industrial Estate. We previously saw the car’s drivetrain being tested in a test mule based on the Toyota Wish.

I believe that judging from the proportions in these photos you can already judge that the MPV will be quite tall, which should mean good headroom which is especially needed when you are trying to get into the third row from the second row doors.

As with the Satria Neo spyshots, there is no front view as the photographer was alone in the car. We can see a little bit of the vertical rear lamps exposed and as expected they have a similiar layout to the one in the teaser video, with the brake light positioned at the bottom and the signal lamps at the top.

Those wheels look like they’re 15 inches in size but because this is a prototype test vehicle, the wheels could be different or perhaps the right size but of a different design than the one that will go onto the production vehicle. But even so, we can’t see that detail in these photos because the Proton MPV was moving.

Look after the jump for 2 more shots, or have a look at my previous posts linked below with exclusive details on the new Proton MPV.

Related Posts:
VIDEO SPYSHOT: 2009 Proton MPV sighted on the MRR2!
VIDEO SPYSHOT: Not one, but TWO Proton MPVs on the PLUS highway!
Proton MPV: exclusive initial details revealed!
Proton MPV first test batch to roll out mid-September 2008
Proton MPV sketches preview production model!

Click here to read the rest of Proton MPV spyshots, and its not a Toyota Wish-based test mule this time!

The Proton MPV Naming Contest is now closed and Proton says they received a total of over 251,000 entries, or about 11,000 a day consistently. A team of professional auditors have been appointed to audit the selection process and the winners will be notified sometime in October 2008.

“This is a historic moment for us and we would like the public to play a big part in naming the new MPV. We hope the MPV will be Malaysia’s Preferred Vehicle in terms of style, price and utilization,” said Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal.

Related Posts:
Proton MPV - exclusive initial details revealed!
Proton MPV - first batch to roll-out mid-September 2008
Proton MPV sketches preview production model
First sighting of new Proton MPV test mule

Click to enlarge

Proton is having a nationwide naming contest for the new Proton MPV from now until the 30th of September 2008. Participants can enter the contest either via an online website or SMS. I recommend you use the online form as it is free while the SMS costs RM0.80 plus your existing mobile operator charges, unless you suddenly get an idea while you are not at a PC and want to quickly enter it in case someone else thinks of it first. Proton is not profiting from it though as the RM0.80 will be donated to charity.

To join via the website, just fill in this form. For SMS entries, you need to type P (space) IC Number (comma) Your MPV name entry (comma) Rationale for name (comma) Original tagline. Send the SMS to 36677. The example given is “P 821013105150 Familia, MPV is for families to travel together with enough space on long journeys, A place to bond with your family”.

There is a maximum length limit of 1 SMS for each entry, so be sure not to type a description that is so long that it extends over 1 SMS’s length (160 characters). For online entries there is a max limit of 145 characters including spaces as you don’t have to include your IC number in the entry, but fill it in separately in another form field. You will have to be 18 and above to participate.

The grand prize winner will get to name the new Proton MPV and will win one unit of the Proton MPV. Two runner-ups will win a trip for two to Lotus UK worth RM15,000 each.

Winners will be announced at least 1 month before the Proton MPV’s official launch somewhere in end-March 2009. Winners will be contacted in October 2008, but as there are 3 prizes, I think this will be for the two runner-up who will win the trips.

It would not make sense to contact the grand prize winner until much closer to the Proton MPV’s launch date as the chosen name would then be leaked. But then again I might be wrong. Look for one more photo of the chassis after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Win a Proton MPV in Proton’s naming contest!

Click for hi-res image

The Proton MPV will begin on-road testing from the 12th of September 2008 onwards, so we’ll be able to spot it on our local roads and hopefully get some nice clear photos possibly from mid-September onwards. It will be launched to the public in March 2009.

Proton sources have confirmed that the Proton MPV will initially come with the 125 horsepower Campro CPS found in the highline GEN2 CPS facelift. The car will ride on 15 inch wheels which should be easy on the fuel consumption as well as tyre change bills as smaller tyres are cheaper. 125hp is far from sprinty on a heavy vehicle especially with all 7 seats occupied, but it is still more powerful than the 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 liter engines that almost all B-segment Japanese MPVs have to make do with.

A turbocharged Campro engine is said to be in the works but according to inside sources if any other engine options other than the CPS engine are to be available for the Proton MPV, next in line is more likely to be a turbodiesel engine. In fact, Proton may have played a part in (successfully) lobbying for the recent drop of diesel road tax rates to the same level as petrol road tax rates.

Above is a rendered image by Theophilus Chin based on insider information including some photos of a finished Proton MPV model that have been circulating in e-mail inboxes. Some of you have definitely seen it already by now. Some details in the rendered image are correct so you can have a “preview” but others are intentionally left different to prevent any legal problems.

The actual car will have a much sharper and sportier front end which will remind you of the Lotus APX. I am also unable to post up the finished model photos as they were taken inside private properties and not public roads, thus leaving anyone publishing it open to legal problems.

Look after the jump for two more shots of Theo Chin’s rendered speculation, or click any one of the related stories before for more exclusive details on the Proton MPV.

Related Stories:
Proton MPV: exclusive initial details and specifications revealed!
Proton MPV sketches preview production model
First sighting of Proton MPV test mule on the road

Click here to read the rest of Proton MPV first batch to roll out mid-Sept 2008

I have some preliminary details on the Proton MPV due to be launched in the first half of 2009. According to a source in Proton, the Proton MPV is on schedule and one of the first chassis prototypes was shown at the Proton Technology Week.

14th October 2008 UPDATE: Proton MPV Spyshots - photos of the actual Proton MPV being tested on public roads!

The chassis reveals quite a bit about the car. There is also a model of the interior hidden in a box with holes cut into it, much like the peekaboo promo that Proton did for its previous two models. The following are what I gathered on the MPV:

Exterior

• Overall shape is like the Toyota Wish but the rear section of the roof does not slope down slightly like the Wish to improve headroom for the third row.
• Tail lamps use LEDs and have a vertical design extending from the top to down, unlike the Wish’s which do not extend into the D pillar. The tail lamps are slimmer at the top but curve out a little at the bottom, similiar to the Volvo XC90’s design. The signal lamps in the light cluster are positioned towards the top for better visibility. You can actually see this in the previously revealed sketch and the teaser video above.
• There is a swage line on the side profile of the MPV.
• Regular swing doors instead of sliding doors.
• The spare tyre is installed outside under the chassis instead of kept in the car so that you can get access to it easily when the luggage space is occupied.

Interior

• The peekaboo box revealed a two-tone beige interior, but sources in Proton say the colour of the interior has not been finalised. It may be either beige or grey.
• Luggage space is not that great with the third row of seats in place, but can fit one large golf bag. This means balik kampung with 7 people loaded and luggage for 7 will be a challenge.
• Second row splits 60:40 while the third row is a 50:50 split. The seats fold flat.
• Interior roof height is designed to be quite decent to accomodate people who want to ride with songkoks and turbans.
• The shifter uses a gated shift and is dashboard-mounted rather than mounted between the front two seats, a common modern trend with MPV-like vehicles.
• The in-car entertainment is a 2-DIN unit. There are options for a DVD player with an LCD display for the movie mounted at the second row roof area. There is also an option in the future for GPS navigation.
• The 2-DIN head unit is at the top of the center dash area below the aircond vents, and below it comes the air conditioning controls which are three knobs arranged in a triangle shape. Below that is the shifter.
• There are aircond blowers for the second and third row situation at the top left and right of the cabin roof (near the grip handles). Proton source says after testing this produced the best airflow.
• There is no armrest between the front two seats but the armrest is instead a fold-down type integrated into the seat itself.

Chassis

• The wheelbase of the chassis is estimated to be more than 2,700mm but less than 2,800mm. In comparison, the Honda Stream has a wheelbase of 2740mm, the Wish is 2,750mm, the Innova 2,750mm, the Livina 2600mm, and the Mazda5 2750mm.
• The front suspension design uses MacPherson struts and the rear design uses a torsion beam to minimize suspension system intrusion into cabin.
• The front end is designed, supplied and assembled as a single module for weight reduction and ease of installation to minimize QC problems.
• The MPV is said to have very good crash safety design from Proton internal crash tests. A few MPVs will be sent for official crash testing and rating soon.

So there you have it. If you want to look at the interior and chassis for yourself you can head to the Proton Technology Week event tomorrow. The event is happening at the Proton plant in Shah Alam. On the KESAS highway heading towards Klang, turn left after the Center of Excellence and then turn left into the Proton plant.

An initial concept sketch of the Proton MPV interior, but the production version will be tamed down.

Proton MPV teaser video gets attention…

Day 1 visitors having a peek at the new MPV’s interior.

Click here to read the rest of Proton MPV exclusive initial details revealed!