Proton Exora with different bumper spotted during tests

Proton Exora FL

Reader Dzulkarnaen snapped these pix of this black Proton Exora at the Awan Besar R&R sometime in January this year. As you can see, the front bumper looks quite different from the Exora that’s currently on sale now, with what appears to be vertical oriented intake grilles – not sure what they’re used for.

Proton Exora with different bumper spotted during tests

And here’s an artist’s impression by Theophilus Chin, translating what we can see from the bumper in the spyshot onto a product image. This might be an indication of what the facelifted Proton Exora might look like, or perhaps a new look exclusive to the upcoming top of the line turbocharged Proton Exora CFE Turbo, or it might not even be a Proton – perhaps a Youngmanized Exora.

Look after the jump for the rest of the spyshots.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=1876]

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Paul Tan

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.

 

Comments

  • AI-generated Summary ✨

    Comments mainly focus on the new turbo version of the Proton Exora, with some excitement about increased power and potential sales. Several note that the updated bumper suggests a turbo model, which could improve performance and attractiveness. There are discussions about safety features, engine performance, and Proton's upgrading efforts, with some critics questioning reliability and safety standards like airbags. A few comments compare Proton's advancements to BMW's high-performance engines or other international brands, emphasizing the need for better safety and technology. Others speculate about market releases, design differences, and potential exports of the updated Exora. Overall, the sentiment is optimistic about the new turbo Exora, viewing it as a positive step forward for Proton's vehicle lineup.

  • confused on Feb 07, 2011 at 5:51 pm

    “Youngmanized Exora..” i LOLed :D

    nice design, i like. proton, plz give MC or FL to neo plz…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • neo u can choose ma..
      http://www.proton.com/Motorsports/R3-Accessories.aspx
      the simple keep it simple..
      upgrade go upgrade the original proton specs. =D

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    • rapidshifter on Feb 08, 2011 at 11:16 am

      youngman oldman… as long as it’s good…

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  • Nakal on Feb 07, 2011 at 5:57 pm

    The side-lower grille is for cooler turbo?

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    • kiddd on Feb 07, 2011 at 9:49 pm

      Why only one picture??, no time to snap more???

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • adulttt on Feb 07, 2011 at 11:22 pm

        Maybe proton driver chase the photographer away

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        • kirie on Feb 08, 2011 at 6:27 pm

          Paul should have stayed a little longer till the driver starts the car so we can know how to engine sounds like.

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  • Aragon on Feb 07, 2011 at 5:59 pm

    Yeye…hopefully it is the turbocharged Exora that we are waiting for..thumbs up to Proton..

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  • carsut on Feb 07, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    Turbocharge Exora is on the way.. wohoo!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • carsut on Feb 07, 2011 at 6:08 pm

    Turbo charge is on the way!!

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  • Panadol on Feb 07, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    intercooler and oil cooler ducts!!

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  • Nazrul on Feb 07, 2011 at 6:44 pm

    This must be turbocharged Exora! Wow! I wonder when Satria Neo will get this heart. If it does, it must be awesome! Keep moving foward Proton!

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  • greasemonkey on Feb 07, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    way to go p1,hope it is not soft turbo!

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    • Tiadaid on Feb 07, 2011 at 8:02 pm

      Most definitely LPT. The turbo’s probably for better FC performance compared to the NA. Definitely not a super performance upgrade

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    • yes it is soft turbo based on promoter proton has said 2 me…

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  • raja jaidi on Feb 07, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    air intake for turbo??????but why too low

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  • mystvearn on Feb 07, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    I know on Lamborghini it is used to cool the brake disc…not sure brake disc of the exora needs that high amount of cooling:P

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  • nolan on Feb 07, 2011 at 7:24 pm

    i bet this is not the turbo version…anyway nice look !!!

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  • drMpower on Feb 07, 2011 at 7:31 pm

    oi theo
    still got that round spotlights?
    come on
    daylight running LEDs! lolz

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  • turbo charging machine from Proton will be petrol or diesel?

    in addition, RON95 can perform with d new engine? or only RON 97?
    of course if Diesel is available, is Euro 2M workable?

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  • Nice one, but i dont thing so this is Exora Turbo design…. wait n see…. :)

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    • i think this the bumper for the exora turbo. from source i got around, the intercooler is located on the left side of the bumper. well, if we can see the left side of the bumper we might know if the info is true or not.

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  • still a cheap milo tin with parliar plastic

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    • armang on Feb 07, 2011 at 9:11 pm

      this type of crap still exist in this country..pity him so much.

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    • mamat puchong on Feb 07, 2011 at 9:41 pm

      nm, surely you is a kind of person who does not know how to compare a simple thing.
      do you think that proton used the same material as nestle used to produce their product or they order the same material from the same supplier…. do you work for either proton or nestle ? how do you know….
      write in something which is useful for everyone to read.. even if you want to “bantai” always used fact and figure… and ofcourse… use your brain…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • mmmmm cheap tin milo, thats why satria neo enters rally, and cusco japan buy them,
      ,,probally you still drink milo or susu while grown up prefer teh tarik or black coffee.

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  • drop&roll on Feb 07, 2011 at 8:47 pm

    don’t you think the front bumper design is a rip-off from mazda 3. especially the side air intake grill.

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    • blind man with elephant on Feb 08, 2011 at 12:13 am

      need to check ur eye again bro……but then u may be right i also think the tyre look like rip-off from Ferrari, the light bulb from merc s class, the windscreen from jag e type, the steering wheel from ford model t , the bolt and nut a rip off from F1 and the back resemble stealth bomber bla bla bla bla

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  • azhar rosli on Feb 07, 2011 at 9:17 pm

    satu lagi trick utk menaikkan harga

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    • khairul on Feb 07, 2011 at 10:06 pm

      yes it is true but you should think of the box… last time wira no face lift at all, you say proton engineer goyang kaki, then now they are busy to MC or FC, u say trick to increase the price… at least they are contributes something to proton… i also don like my proton but i am happy they are changing… not like you…!!! people said 25 years already too long but at least they take a step to move forward rather than nothing…

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      • akiaki on Feb 08, 2011 at 8:52 am

        khairul, I followw!
        some people are narrow minded..a.k.a stupid..but they will get angry when we call the stupid.

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  • like said ,exora turbo will be released this year. i belive this is the one for here.
    if its the youngman ,probally the will have a different taste.

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  • bryan jones on Feb 07, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    new rear design please!!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6063790&l=ead604cf3e&id=685193989

    take a look at this. this is what i did to make Exora looks less ‘tonggek’.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Alifz on Feb 08, 2011 at 12:50 am

      Itu dah macam rupa grandis..apa laa..
      Nway bad photochopped lols..

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  • nitro7 on Feb 08, 2011 at 12:09 am

    I saw a white exora with the new bumper near genting sempah R&R with a white lefthand drive SAGA FL…road testing up Genting Highland. To bad I couldnt snap a photo while driving.

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  • Kim McClain on Feb 08, 2011 at 12:37 am

    I like current Exora floating grille. Not this one.

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  • turbo = makan minyak ?
    Exora already makan minyak
    Turbo Exora using RON95 makan minyak and cepat rosak ?
    (many ppl don’t service on time)

    I hope that Proton release some info before release the car.
    As you know, we don’t have much confidence in their engine.

    The price is right, but reliability scores still low.

    Another Savvy AMT in the making ?

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  • I like this but I still dont like hood and headlight …cheap look.

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  • confused on Feb 08, 2011 at 8:46 am

    judging by the tapped up logo, seems pretty small for a Proton logo and the Wing that compliments it.. hmm..

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    • look at the back bonnet picture. the logo is PROTON. the wheel cap logo also PROTON.

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    • confused on Feb 08, 2011 at 2:23 pm

      ya i know… but still… smaller than current logo makes me wonder, not bash…

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  • ah tan on Feb 08, 2011 at 8:54 am

    what exora need to modify is the back tail light, the front design is ok to me.

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  • Tengokaje.. on Feb 08, 2011 at 8:55 am

    Nice photoshope Theo..anyway I hope the turbo version will be relaible..
    Salam…

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  • hey hey, i saw 2-3 of inspira with different bodykit around jalan yongpeng-labis .. anyway its before the flood.

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  • myfuad on Feb 08, 2011 at 10:49 am

    i hate car wearing underwear like superman.

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  • slekuzen on Feb 08, 2011 at 11:15 am

    If you pay close attention to the grille, Paul makes a good point about a possible Youngman: the logo slot looks too thin and long to hold the Proton logo. It indeed might be the Youngman version of it.

    However, I still hope it’s no other than the Exora turbo.
    Fingers crossed!

    But either way, it’s good news: either a better and more powerful Exora meaning more sales, or it’s a Youngman Exora, also meaning more sales for Proton. A win-win!

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    • rallyfan00 on Feb 08, 2011 at 6:07 pm

      simple.. is it left hand drive? cant see from the pic. if its for youngman, definitely wil be a lefty for china market.

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  • taboogen on Feb 08, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    wow nice muscular shape…. I also saw exora with sunroof.. just wait

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  • Samarkand on Feb 08, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    hope will see the major different than previous exora…

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  • When does adding a new bumper translates into increased sale?

    Exora is supposed to be on sale in Australia last November. It is nowhere to be seen.

    If Proton is so slow in debuting its turbo-charged Campro, how long do we have to wait for the diesel, hybrid, and EV?

    By the time turbo-charged Campro is in the market, it may be short-lived to meet the stringent the Euro emission standard.

    Even if Proton managed to put turbo-charged 1.6 Campro now, it still cannot match and is an out-dated technology. 1.6 Campro turbo can only generate less than 200 horsepower.

    Proton should emulate what BMW has done: In 1980s, BMW managed to extract 900+ horsepower from 1.5-liter turbo fours on 55 psi of boost with a redline around 11,500 rpm.

    Now – 20 yrs later, some engines were turned up to 80 psi of boost or more, generating as much as 1,300 horsepower.

    We don’t such high horsepower but a turbo-charged Campro should be within 200 horsepower.

    We want the capability to upgrade the campro engine and not buying new models.
    Existing campro engine owners should be able to mod with the help of Proton or its dealers.

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    • slekuzen on Feb 08, 2011 at 3:40 pm

      If you read what I wrote, I did not say that a new bumper will mean new sales: I said that if the new bumper is indeed the new Turbo, then it will increase sales.

      And you want 200bhp for an Exora. You kidding right?
      Malaysians already drive like maniacs and you want a 200bhp MPV on the roads so we can have daily massacres on our highways?

      As long as torque can be reached at low RPMs, around the mid-200Nm and 150bhp, what more do you need.

      Furthermore, BMW’s business model is not Proton’s. One is trying to be luxury and making you spend a whole lot of money, while the other company, Proton, is “trying” to sell cheap, reliable cars that will cover our daily needs with comfort.
      While I agree with you that the CamPro is an outdated thing, adding a Turbo and retuning the whole thing can yield some good medium term results.

      No?

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    • rallyfan00 on Feb 08, 2011 at 6:14 pm

      you definitely have some good points there. .but to expect a tiny company like proton to emulate what bmw did is asking a bit much.. in the 80’s bmw were already a highly respected car maker famous for its high technology. proton was barely out of the weeds then..

      and you’re talking about an F1 engine… to be honest, its generally easier to build a race engine, than an engine for mass production. go ask any race engine builder.

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    • aki_zz on Feb 08, 2011 at 7:32 pm

      BMW can produce that kind of engine because it does not required to have good fuel consumption, doesn’t care about pollution and the engine can usually lasts around 2 races. you are talking about racing engine here.

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    • Exora has potential and it has shown some good results. But what shunned many people overseas from buying is the 125 bhp 1.6L engine (for safety reasons). At the traffic lights, flat out 0-100 km/h is around 16 seconds (with passengers and luggage). This means overtaking may be difficult for this car. Other things lacking are six airbags.

      Nowadays, most Korean cars are fitted with side airbags. It is about time for Proton to raise the standards in car safety. Even if Proton may not be able to compete on looks and engine department, but car safety should be regarded as a top priority.

      A lesson to be learned in Australia is by just looking at S16 sales in Australia, many people shunned it because of safety (no ESP, dual airbags, side airbags etc.) other than cheap looking dashboard although it is the cheapest car in the segment. Even with ESP and airbags, reckless driving still kills. Lotus “Ride & handling” is a forgotten safety feature and this is much appreciated for those who owned S16.

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  • lazyf on Feb 08, 2011 at 2:27 pm

    Gen2 CPS = smoked headlamp

    Persona Elegance = smoke headlamp

    Inspira = smoked headlamp

    Saga FL = smoked headlamp

    Exora (based on pic above) = no smoked headlamp kah?

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  • ApaNIH on Feb 08, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    But why China export Exora looks better than our local Exora?

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  • sranua on Feb 09, 2011 at 8:38 am

    China is a bigger country, so more sales can generate more money for proton and end up for R&D and styling to please Malaysian market…thats me and you..so let Proton sell this ;upgraded’ exora to Chinaman first. I don’t mind to wait.

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  • NGV Pleaseeeee….Dato’ Syed Zainal…

    Petrol price will go up soon…Ron 95…can’t remain for so long..

    At least NGV version will help to save our fuel cost.

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