A few weeks ago, Proton made the news in a big way through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Licence Agreement to build and sell Suzuki models, with the first car – widely tipped to be an A-segment car to allow Proton to gain traction in a market that’s a Perodua stronghold – expected to see the light of day as early as August 2016.
Fast forward to today, and rendering whiz Theophilus Chin has whipped up his second vision of what that car could look like. You may remember that soon after the signing event, he Photoshopped a photo of the Indian-market Alto K10 with Proton badges; now, he believes a Celerio would actually be a better fit, and has modified Suzuki’s global city car to suit, dubbing it the Proton Aria.
Apart from the obligatory Proton emblems on the grille and wheels, Theo also got to work on extending the grille downward (much like Toyota’s Vios-based Yaris), adding a silver skid plate-like appliqué and finishing it off with some neat SUV-like plastic body mouldings.
Theo also added the Iriz‘s steering wheel to the no-frills interior – equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox! The result, in this writer’s books at least, certainly succeeds in adding some visual flair on what was a slightly bargain-basement car.
The Celerio is available with either a 67 hp/90 Nm 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol engine (which we probably will be getting) or a 47 hp/125 Nm 793 cc two-cylinder turbodiesel (which we probably won’t), mated to either the aforementioned five-speed stick shifter or a CVT.
If Proton is serious about retaining its safety credentials, the Celerio would be a good fit, as it’s available with stability control and even six airbags in other markets. So, what do you think of Theo’s efforts?
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments about the Proton Aria render mainly focus on skepticism and criticism of Proton's strategy, especially rebadging Suzuki models, seen as a sign of lack of innovation and quality. Many express disappointment with Proton’s reliance on rebadging instead of developing original models, citing issues like safety, design, and philosophy. Some comments praise the detailed renderings by Theo Chin, highlighting his talent, but few are optimistic about Proton's future direction. A segment of commenters advocate for Proton to innovate beyond rebadging, suggesting improvements in design, safety, and technology. Overall, the sentiments lean towards frustration with Proton’s perceived stagnation, with many hoping for genuine advancement rather than rebadged cars, and some sarcastic remarks about the company's strategic choices.