Here’s Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed with an undisguised new Proton Perdana, on video. Both man and car will play a part in local movie Filem Kapsul, and these promo clips for the film show snippets of Proton’s upcoming new flagship car. Thanks to reader Eizhan Armani for pointing us to it.
There’s a scene in each video where the new Perdana is shown, one with Tun walking towards the car and another with the Proton chairman seated in the driver’s chair.
The former gives us a glimpse of the Perdana’s front end design, which sports thick chrome wings that span the length of the grille. Other differences from the donor car (previous-gen Honda Accord) spotted by my eagle-eyed colleagues include a unique bonnet with centre contour lines and new wing mirrors with rather large integrated turn signals.
Look through the windscreen and you’ll see that the C pillars of the Perdana differ from the Accord’s (there’s a small quarter glass), further proof that the big Proton will have some differentiation with the body, unlike today’s government-use Perdana, which is merely a rebadge of the large Honda.
The second scene reveals what looks like an unchanged Accord upper dash design, but there’s a white (or cream) steering wheel in place that matches the seats and upper cabin trim. And is that an auto-dimming rear view mirror?
While the current Proton Perdana is nothing but a previous-gen Honda Accord with Proton badges for government official use, the second phase of development involves more work on a car that you and me can buy. DRB-Hicom group MD Tan Sri Khamil Jamil told us some time back that the public-use Perdana will have a new interior and exterior that will set it apart from the donor Accord.
The second-phase Perdana is scheduled for a 2016 release, and we’re expecting it to launch with Honda powertrains. Or will a new Proton-Petronas engine be ready by then? Proton acquired all of Petronas’ engine technologies and associated patents for RM63 million in 2012, and we were told last year that direct-injection and turbo direct-injection are among the acquired tech, and that they “can be applied to all engines.”
Current government-use Proton Perdana
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express excitement and anticipation for the new Proton Perdana, with praises for its style and potential competitiveness against Japanese and Korean cars. Many are hopeful it will feature Honda powertrain technology, reflecting confidence in Proton's engineering efforts. Some discuss pricing expectations, hoping it will be affordable but recognize concerns about quality, safety ratings, and interior design. There is skepticism and criticism regarding Proton's past quality issues, design, and value for money. A few comments compare Proton’s efforts to global brands, emphasizing support for Malaysian products and national pride. Overall, sentiments are a mix of optimism for the vehicle's prospects and cautious skepticism about its production quality, price, and market acceptance.