We’ve written about the Proton Suprima S quite extensively since its launch last month, the latest being our test drive review of the five-door hatchback and comparison photo gallery of it and the Preve sedan that ran last week. Now, we take a closer look at the car’s Android-based infotainment system.
Our sister site Tech Attack! has sampled the Blaupunkt-based system and its accompanying bag of tech goodies, including the system’s Android and Internet capabilities as well as the in-car Lokatoo navigation system. How did it all fare? You can read the full hands-on test report at Tech Attack!
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Dear Anthony ,
Thanks for the write ups on SuprimaS so far but can we have the report on the fuel consumption or performance soon ? Tested the car last week and will decide to put my money down when the FC data is known.
We’re trying to arrange a car for the fuel consumption test. Will endeavour to get that out as soon as we can get our hands on the car.
Hopefully it is truly independent unbiased transparent test, OK.
dear Anthony,
im just bit confused, i just wanna ask, do you know who are the official suppliers for PROTON’s infotainment? Which company? Im just do some research about proton, please help me
Agreed..important aspect to consider before dump a money to uncertainty…furthermore with the current increase of fuel 20sen..
Amazing tech from proton. Keep up!
A very poorly design aircon parts area unlike other competitor cars.
Looks like a lazy design being shown as simple European design.
Proton engineers mmg pandai. Let’s see why:
1. Got internet but cannot install Google maps. Need to buy another tablet?
2. Internet is automatically cut off when the handbrake is release. Proton says it’s for safety, so passengers at the back cannot use?
3. Cannot install apps even with Android system. Why bother with Android then?
4. Screen is resistive with poor visibility in the sun. Proton says resistive is better because you can wear gloves, but who wear gloves to drive their car?
5. Design is poor compared to the competitor.
Whoever designed this is a genius and should go back to the drawing board!
Isn’t this designed by Blaupunkt? Proton just screw them into this car.
Homologation. And the HU is off the shelf unit which passed safety regulations.
1. Phones can handle this problem eh? Need not buy a new gadget lah.
2. Does that really matter? I mean I enjoy the time and chances of me chatting with my friends or family when I drive, and not them swiping and poking the screen, which makes me look like their driver.
3. Who needs tonnes of apps on a car? Do you think it’s possible and makes sense to play Temple Run on your car? I don’t, sorry.
4. Erm, lots of aunties drive with their gloves on.
5. Design wise, aiyo, this is very subjective. And, the Suprima is quite a decent looking car compared to Proton models from the previous year. They’re improving, just a bit slow.
If you condemn its design so much, why don’t you show us your work then?
So we as consumer cannot criticise proton? If criticise need to show work, how are they going to improve? If proton cannot accept feedback, then continue jaguh kampung lah.
They want to have SOCO (small office car office) in cars. They want to type letters, read, print and fax documents in cars! So they hope proton will add all office apps in the system.
*sarcasm*
Bashing blindly is estupido
so u mean vios city etc hav a better design in air con parts area?..lolz
Hi guys, can i know what are the other sister sites that you have besides oto and techattack? thanks..
Well…waiting for the T and H worshipers to bash Proton Suprima S infotainment system
no, we all agree its the best!!
in fact on par to what they have in Airbus A380.
Hahaha…
Best in the car industry and some say airplane.
Car that is designed by Finance people look like Proton. No artistic and everything down to cost. Look at the interior.. inferior… You got a good package but ruin it with half hearted effort to modernise the cockpit. It is no chicken and egg, no money then better don’t design a car!
Money is well spent on safety equipment. Not a bad trade off.
Although I have to say the interior looks ridiculously plain, even by Japanese standards and even its predecessor the Persona, but the kit does make up for that dullness. It’s not that they do not have money, but rather experience designer to do those design. But case in point, most Volkswagen have this kind of utilitarian and spartan-looking Interior, but no ones complaining.
If you consider frenzyaustin as no one, then yes, no one complained.
What? He’s saying that no one complains about VW interior design.
But then basher will reply, “this is not volkswagen!”. lol
At least VW’s design layout is logical.
and it definately does not look CHEAP as this!!!
VW interior is old style, dull and boring!
Yeah VW interior is boring to the max especially that kain pelikat mamak as the seat fabric in Golf!
well said!
“As such, there isn’t a way to enable sideloading of apps via APK files, which means we’re left with what’s preinstalled. The system doesn’t have a trace of Google Play Services so stuff like the Play Store, YouTube and Google Maps aren’t here, nor can you install it yourself”
I’m not going to bash here. However you (Proton) need to improve this for the sake of the customer…
It’s more due to android license rather than Proton’s fault.
Android licensing prohibits use of Google services, unless the device is approved by Google. That means no Play Store, no Gmail, no Maps, etc.
So yes, it’s technically right that the Android licensing is at fault. However, I believe side-loading is technically possible, or you can roll out your own store.
But that’s out of scope of a car manufacturer.
I’m not sure why Proton even bothered touting the fact that it’s Android. I understand the technical decisions behind forking Android and using it as a base for a head-unit (less cost, practically plug-and-play) but when you tout it’s Android, certain promises are made.
Proton should blame its marketing team for this snafu.
Oh, and I get why side-loading is disabled; amateur users would install unsupported apps and then bork the system. I get it, but in that case, don’t say it’s Android.
Be upfront about these little technical details. Kindle Fire was forked from Android too and they were upfront about its limitations as a device.
“As such, there isn’t a way to enable sideloading of apps via APK files, which means we’re left with what’s preinstalled. The system doesn’t have a trace of Google Play Services so stuff like the Play Store, YouTube and Google Maps aren’t here, nor can you install it yourself”
Proton, pls improve this for the sake of your loyal customer.
buy a tablet for god sake
You can play full fledge youtube desktop version on its browser dude. Why bother to have an app? Wanna play Angry Bird while stuck in road jamn eh!
Then why bother to have Android on the car?
Then why bother to have Android in the car?
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Wow, what kind of logic is this? First time hear from proton supporter. If you have a 220km/h car, you can at least go up to 220km/h once but your Android cannot even install one app. Ada otak tak kamu ni?
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You gave the dumbest comment i ever heard lol.
no bother here except you, being butthurt, lol
the monitor is not in the right position..too low and btw test car reveal that the screen is blur and not visible under sunlight,imagine the driver want to search something or use it while driving and it do very dangerous.i am not saying that hi tech is not good but proton ,next time ,can review it to more higher position and maybe make a small hood for blocking the sunlight towards the screen for a new model proton car.
wv passat cc hav the same low screen design too..y u didnt complain oso?..cannot afford to complain kah?..lol
how u know i didnt complain?u know me..brainless ..lol
I know you did complain and I know you cannot afford both SS and Passat. Pity.
For Suprima owners, first mod to do this ditch that blaupunk and get the Pioneer Appradio3.
http://www.appradioknows.com/
Since they will give you free Yes 4G Huddle, why not just use Google Maps for navigation. Save all the trouble to load up maps file on SD card plus Google Maps nowadays comes with traffic condition and Wazee apps. It will be far more impressive than some obscure maps software.
If want to use google map, have to use hp or tablet lah, coz wifi to the infotainment system is automatically cut off when u release the handbrake :(
Another special “feature” from Proton.
if not mistaken got setting to disable the cut off…pls double check..
just unplug the wire at the handbrake.
The handbrake can use or not after unplug?
I think you don’t even know what handbrake is, pity you!
You know meh? You just drive kapchai, pity you!
hope to get use of torque application from googleplay for this android UI.
Whats the point of promoting Android head unit when the device has limited functionality. No Google Play, cant install any apps, no waze, no youtube, wifi off on driving. Do proton think we will drive into other cars because the wifi is on? Screen/image quality is a disaster for 2013 device……
I’m here for the ‘comment’.
Preve its still a better car
Yes for those cannot afford actual European car…beli yang palsu pun OK lah
learn to accept that potong cars are better to drive than most of the cars below RM100k la. quality issue so what. handling affected by rattling of seatbelt? genius
Learn to accept that proton cars are a failure and nobody wants them.
No point of having internet in the car unless one can get Google Maps with navigation and Waze, on the move.
After the end of the one year free subscription, I’m quite sure more than 90% will not renew the YES 4G plan.
prepaid lah bang. u will get rm30 in your huddle. or rm60. that was a year ago. can’t remember but i still can use the huddle
Audi’s infotainment is way better than this.
Bentley’s infotainment is waaayyyy better than Audi’s
Audi and Bentley is under the same group lah bro. Mahu support proton pun guna example yang lebih baik.
Nope. YOU should read more. Bentley is class above audi. I believe you don’t even know car segments.
No, you should read more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group
TLDR, you are the one who always compare B with C segment cars? I think so. LOL
Surely someone will workout a hack tutorial about this eventually, I bet you on it. We Malaysians got a handful of hackers out there, probably even Ah Beng and Mat Modified already trying to sort it out, who knows :D
Why give problem for us to sort, nothing better to do meh? Proton engineer not as good as Ah Beng ah?
Aren’t you guys supposed to see prob like this as a chance to make some money? You sure didn’t sound like ”Ah Beng” despite with all the slang in your phrase.
He just bashed blindly
It’s like putting expensive eye lashes, branded cosmetic on an ugly girl.
It’s pointless.
Just like Hyundai and Kia. Useless junks
My family has a top spec Elantra, and yes you’re 100% right. That screen is horrible, we spent a day configuring it to just play whatever mp3 we put in the usb drive and forget about it.
Even my old Sony cassette player is more intuitive than that screen.
If the car turn turtleback..will the screen auto rotate too?..hehehe..
Yes, will let you play Angry Bird too.
Even 100k car is not enough to get this system, sigh.
Please change your INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM. Why put such an old system into new model? I really don’t want to see this infotainment system in the second batch of Supreme S.
Better get Clarion to do the job as Proton did use their audio system in Waja.
here’s an interesting thought,
considering all the complaints of the ‘locked up’ Android o/s used in suprima, would customers have their warranty voided if they were to root the device or something along that line?
Android rosak? Proton will say you void the warranty!
So what? You break it and it becomes proton’s fault. Genius.
so much for the 5-Star safety rating, u would be lucky to avoid accident while trying to play with the resistant touch screen and poor visibility..why need the useless device, everybody got smartphones that can do the same thing..5 Star should become 1-Star!
You don’t want any HU? LOL Then give yours to me.
can i use the usb to charge my iphone so that i could use Waze instead? Or do I still need to buy the cigarette lighter usb converter?
From the comments, mostly, just goes to show Malaysians are difficult to please. Synical and destructive comes together.
Win
i like exterior design but but but interior like 80’s design style..so cheap..
Oh say that to beemer too. And VW interior is way boxy and outdated than this
Driving 140km/h and able to play candy crush, watch movies, update facebook. I guess this is what typical malaysian drivers wanted… that what we call distraction man.. accident happen..still blaming the car.. Car no good arrr.. Sndri swerve to the right..whatever… Put something like bmw got arr.. But still wants it to be rm20k car…
Driving 140km/h and able to play candy crush, watch movies, update facebook. I guess this is what typical malaysian drivers wanted… that what we call distraction man.. accident happen..still blaming the car.. Car no good arrr.. Sndri swerve to the right..whatever… Put something like bmw got bla bla. But still wants it to be rm20k car… typical…
I don’t drive a proton, I own a 2012 Mazda..and its just a car..its like just many other car that I own before.. Just a car… Nothing to brag about.
@Ah Beng
You don’t like you shut up. Go and play with your 1/20 scale car
Hahaha, proton supporters butthurt liao, good job Ah Beng.
This is the very first Andriod Radio directly fitted into the car from Factory. Normally the car factory will put in all safety aspect, this is to avoid problems on the field. Could be other car manufacturer already forsee such requirement and do not want to put in andriod radio.
Shall see which car manufacturer will be the 2nd one to put in Andriod. In fact in europe, front DVD player must be off when driving, but starnge thing is GPS is okay.
From what ive learn this model is a major improvements over the preve.Its like saga blm vs saga flx latest.Newer manifold, newer sound insulation, more airbags, hill assist but the weight is a put off.I wonder why this hatch is heavier and slow that the sedan? Ive test the 0-100 sprint and I get 9.4s for Preve and 9.8s for Suprima.Inside you will feel like driving a continental car.Proton need to upgrade cfe torque output if its really serious in forceininduction car.Replace the cvt with torque converter 6 speed auto.Torque figures should be around 230nm 9s for century sprint and horsepower at least 145hp then you will get more attention
One more thing ive notice the body structure is stronger than previous campro proton..One of my friends say the mid torque is better than Preve.Sound insulation is slightly improved engine is less stressful at 5000-5500 rpm compared to Preve.But still not enough to lure me to buy for my daughter and instead I will wait for new campro engine next year as current campro will reach its 10 years end of life