Everyone has an opinion on the new Proton Perdana. While that’s only to be expected for any fresh model from the national carmaker, it’s more so for one that costs above RM100,000 and is based on an old Honda Accord, with out-of-the-box styling to boot.
Last month, we covered the launch from all angles, and delivered a first impressions report from a preview drive conducted at Proton’s test track. But not all of us drove the car, and like many of you, this writer had preconceptions of Proton’s new flagship from the armchair, although nothing was expressed via the keyboard.
Nothing like driving a car out of town to find out where in stands in the segment, and if there are hidden charms that may not be apparent in the showroom. To find out, we drove the new Perdana to Melaka and back over two days.
The new Proton Perdana is based on the eighth-generation Honda Accord that Honda Malaysia stopped selling in September 2013, as it had then launched the ninth-generation Accord that’s still in service today in original pre-facelift form. Proton’s collaboration with Honda also yielded the Perdana for government-use – that one, a straightforward rebadge job of the eighth-gen Accord, surfaced in December 2013.
What we have here is the civilian version of the new Perdana, so to speak. While the bones are borrowed, it’s clear that Proton has given the “Mk2 Accordana” a character of its own, design-wise at least.
The unique face features Proton’s wing design on a wide grille and shapely wraparound headlamps, as opposed to the sharp, square ones on the Accord. Ditto the lower bumper design. The ‘eyes’ of the big sedan feature LED daytime running lights and a cluster of LEDs as signal lamps, which are rather unique.
The donor car was a squarish three-box, but Proton’s design team went out of the box with the Perdana, which features a fastback profile that’s unusual in this segment. There are some similarities with big cars sold in Europe – the first- and second-gen Mazda 6 hatchbacks, the Ford Mondeos and definitely the Jaguar XJ, which Proton head of design Azlan Othman said was one of the designs they studied.
It’s all Proton aft of the B pillars, and the Perdana’s rear end is the design talking point of the car. The similarities between the Proton’s light and garnish relationship with the rear end of the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia is clear, but GM Europe’s products are hardly household names here, even with car enthusiasts.
The sloping roof line and tall rear end don’t just set the Perdana apart from its D-segment classmates, but successfully distances itself from the old Accord. Striking yes, but perhaps a touch too heavy for this writer, with a rear lower bumper that’s the busiest in the business, with multiple elements there fighting for attention.
The chrome bordered reflectors try hard but the ultimate winner of the brawl are the simulated tail pipes. Proton points out that others are employing similar visual tricks (that’s Mercedes-Benz, where the standard round tips are inside; Perdana’s single pipe is on the driver’s side, points down) but the problem here is that the items are in body colour, with no attempt to disguise their decorative purpose. A simple DIY fix would be painting the whole ‘diffuser’ section black.
Also unnecessary for me is the protruding front lip of the RM138,888 2.4L, which also adds on side skirts but not rear bumper extensions, leaving the tail ‘hanging’ when viewed from afar, as the side profile pic above shows. Looks are subjective of course, but I prefer the 2.0L’s ‘pure’ design without the addenda. No dual-tone rims, front lip, side skirts and rear spoiler for the RM113,888 base variant.
Speaking of variants, Azlan says that the decorative chrome plate on the front wing (the ‘gills’) could act as a marker for future variants of the Perdana, like how BMW has little side emblems to denote Sport, Luxury or M Sport trim lines. In a presentation to kick-off the drive event, he showed renderings of a lowered and kitted Perdana, replete with GT-wing, Recaros and body stripes. A hot variant to coincide with the NE01 2.0L turbo engine next year?
Love or loathe, no one can accuse Proton of playing it safe, design-wise. If you’re already a left-field choice, why not take a punt and be bold, instead of trying to out-mainstream the stalwarts. Something which could also describe the Jaguar XJ, of course.
The ‘two-and-a-half box’ Perdana makes a big visual statement, and that’s partly due to its sheer size. Measuring 5,020 mm long (4,999 mm without the 2.4L’s lip), 1,845 mm wide and 1,475 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm, the Perdana is a lot longer that the 4,849 mm Accord donor car, which is still one of the bigger D-segment saloons in town.
For some context, the current-generation Accord is 4,870 mm long, while the Toyota Camry is 4,850 mm long. Mazda’s 6, visually the largest among current Japanese D-segment sedans, is 4,865 mm long.
The interior redesign team was less cavalier. The double-curve dashboard is pure Accord, down to the distinctive brushed effect of the main dash trim panel and dials. Of course, the Honda’s original audio system won’t be good enough for today, and that’s the main interior change made by Proton.
The new infotainment system makes use of the Accord’s original dash-top screen, and adds another one below the air con controls; the latter with colour for the 2.4L. The top screen was rather ‘wasted’ in the Accord, but with equipment such as front/rear park assist, reverse camera and navigation (2.4L only), the Perdana makes better use of it.
A note on the new features: the navigation’s graphics aren’t very slick and the front/rear park assist sensors confuse more than they warn. The latter is a screaming match that doesn’t subside even when the transmission has been put in N or P. Both need refinement.
The lower screen is where one does the controlling, and it responds to smartphone-style swipes, although the font/look of the buttons and fit do not perfectly match the row of Honda AC buttons directly above. We’re nitpicking, but there are more who would find fault with the beige leather and light wood trim combo of the 2.4L.
An acquired taste and a little bit old fashioned, Proton was probably attempting a ‘classic British’ look for its flagship; think along the lines of Connolly leather and Burr Walnut wood veneers. Even Jaguar has moved away from that sort of cabin these days, but the old-school brand of luxury might still have some fans. It does make the Perdana’s already cavernous cabin feel even more spacious, though.
The 2.0L’s black themed cabin is more universal in appeal, and its part-leather black seats probably more resistant to wear and dirt in the long run as well. It’s wide and comfy from the driver’s chair (centre armrest pretty thin on padding), although like in the old Accord, there’s slightly too much lumbar for my liking.
Plenty of legroom at the back, even for tall folks, and two big adults can sit on the same side of the car with no issue. It appears that the sloping roofline was achieved at no cost to rear headroom as well, while the boot is deep enough for a couple of bodies, never mind bags.
The Perdana retains the i-VTEC engines and gearbox from the Honda it’s based on, which means the familiar R20 2.0 litre SOHC engine with 154 hp at 6,300 rpm and 189 Nm at 4,300 rpm; and the K24 2.4 litre DOHC unit with 178 hp at 6,500 rpm and 222 Nm of torque at 4,300 rpm. Both are paired with five-speed automatic transmissions. No manual override for the 2.0L, steering paddle shifters for the 2.4L.
The “bones” of the Perdana are unchanged from the previous-gen Accord. Hydraulic power steering (before EPS became default), all round disc brakes (fronts are ventilated), front double-wishbone suspension and rear multi-links are under the skin. In fact, the only running gear element Proton has been able to change are the tyres, with Goodyear EfficientGrip donuts replacing old Accord’s Goodyear Excellence rubber.
We started with the Perdana 2.0L, and it felt familiar from the get go, especially the way the Honda drivetrain works. It has been some time since I drove the old Accord, and encountering the R20’s enthusiastic and smooth revving nature felt like meeting an old friend. One that I was rather fond of.
Honda’s five-speed automatic was for a long time my torque converter automatic benchmark, and while it’s getting on in age now in terms of forward ratios, there’s still no faulting the box’s execution and intuition. It never put a foot wrong and the lack of manual mode isn’t a deal-breaker when a slushbox does its job well.
Just like an Accord review from years back, the Perdana 2.0L is probably the better balanced engine in terms of performance and efficiency. The 2.4L K-series motor is a fine example of a naturally-aspirated motor in the old school, with a distinct peaky character. It starts off rather sluggishly, before gaining a second wind at around 4,000 rpm that’s sustained to just below 7,000 rpm. “VTEC kicked in” was more than just a meme in the old days.
The stepped response of the K24, while amusing initially, isn’t ideal in a big executive sedan like the Perdana, where things should be more effortless. We’re not sure about efficiency – which should be some distance away from stellar – but in performance terms, the Honda-powered Perdanas aren’t completely outclassed by today’s crop of D-segment sedans. The game hasn’t moved on by that much.
What has moved on in this class is NVH and drivetrain refinement. It’s no surprise that the Perdana lags behind the incumbents in these aspects, because the eighth-gen Accord wasn’t class-leading in its prime. Proton says that the tyre model change and better aerodynamics from the rear end have contributed to lower noise levels compared to the Accord, but we can’t be sure without a back-to-back drive.
What’s for sure is that the Perdana lacks the isolation and refinement of today’s Toyota Camry and Nissan Teana, which both feel more effortless to drive and more serene to ride in. It’s not disastrous, and if refinement is not top in your list of priorities (the Mazda 6, a relatively noisy fella, has proved to be quite a hit), it won’t be a deal-breaker.
The big Proton feels its size on the move, and the soft suspension and loping gait means that you won’t be throwing it around corners very often, if at all. The steering is a little loose just off-centre, but provides decent feedback, and the rather substantial low speed weight of the hydraulic rack is a contrast from the big cars of today. Ride comfort on 17-inch wheels is good.
So, what do we make of the new Proton Perdana based on an old Honda Accord? The deal makes sense for Proton. Having a proven ready-made car to work on greatly improves speed to market and saves Proton the massive costs needed to develop a fresh and competitive D-segment car. Some might disagree, but it’s a task is too big for a company that isn’t in the pink of health, financially. And even if Proton could pull it off, the volume will never justify the investment.
Driving the Perdana was like meeting an old friend after years of not catching up. You’re instantly reminded of why you were buddies back in the day, the person’s qualities, quirks and peccadilloes. Times have changed, however, just like his new wardrobe.
While the Perdana doesn’t feel a world away from today’s best big sedans, it’s not at the top of the pack either, and will remain an alternative. However, it’s an interesting one with C-segment pricing, bold styling and a unique appeal for those who get it. A bit like that big English cat we keep coming back to.
GALLERY: Proton Perdana 2.0L
GALLERY: Proton Perdana 2.4L
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more like game over than game changer
dude, you repeatedly copy and paste your content, attack car makers, create fake story. You not bored others also bored bro.
You are absolutely perfectly insanely correct.
It is game over for P1,actually since Perodua burst into the scene.
Tun’s pet project turned into a DISASTER.He also beh tahan,and called it a day.
“I did no wrong”…sounds familiar?
So Protong’s deadwood has been repeating”I did no wrong” and the rakyat has been the victim…pumping Billions thro the mus in the name of R n D,soft loans,buyouts etc.
bOASTING about P1 is madness now.
Believing it can still succeed ,is INSANITY.
Buddy, P1 always about talk talk talk end product come with dissapointment… To P1 management when new Persona and new Saga will be launch???
Just launch je la, why wait for Matt Damon returns from Mars?
Be like Bisa, no test = takata quality guaranteed
Gahmen should loan another 1.5Billion to produce new Proton Juara, Arena & Tiara.
Obviously they have not learned from the past. Typical of the Japs, selling obsolete items for a fortune. Last time it was Mitsu and now with the H brand n next would be with the Suzu. The japanophile within TM may have made p1 a willing victim. Hopefully one day p1 can find a better deal when it comes to platform / model sharing. Something that is beyond cosmetics.
Sack the designer!!
Only you say that
Cheap car for cheap people! come on get a life.
Danny’s headline is very polite. I would have said ‘Old Auntie tries to flirt in a new swimsuit’.
Pondana ni Accord satu generasi terdahulu. Accord generasi seterusnya sudah mula dispyshot. Guna otak sebelum membeli Pondana ini.
That day I went to Honda showroom in Glenmarie. There were at least 100 people looking at the Civic. So many book on the spot. then I walked a few doors away to the Proton showroom. Complete silence.
Not even a single person in the showroom despite being a Saturday and despite seeing about 100 people in the Honda showroom.
the DRB Hicom staff, were alseep at the counter. I had to wake them up and ask them questions on the car.
This alone tells you about the demand for the car and why you don’t see it on the road.
But don’t worry, Government will use our tax payers money and order this Perdana by the thousands just to give full support to Proton. Pasti all Government Departments will each other 10 units each
they will use it as a taxi after this. dun worry
I rather it be the only sedan taxi model allowed to be sold to taxi companies. No more saga and persona taxis would be great. Maybe then si P1 can survive by selling a ton of red 2.0 pondanas and at same time tourists will have better comfort and luggage space to enjoy
wat? N pay rm170k? for a new dseg? rm170k, i can get this perdana in 2.0 format n a preve dude. two big cars instead of 1.
The Perdana is just a way for a crony to make money. Proton is way too expensive for the Government. They should stop using Perdanas
Like the old Perdana, just to service the car for 2 years alone is RM100k. And that is despite the car still being under warranty and all warranty parts are FREE. Hmmmm, I wonder who has the contract to service the whole fleet of Government Perdanas.
Yes, I repeat again, each Government Perdana cost RM100k to service for 2 years. Cost to service each Perdana is MORE than the price of the car! you know I knw lah who will get the contract.
Unfortunately, if you are an end user Perdana owner, you will suffer. Proton SC simply hantam any amount if you are a Perdana owner cause they are very used to Government paying overpriced servicing each time and no questions asked.
So, you will be the innocent victim. That is why Perdana owners always complain, its like servicing a BMW. Actually not the SC fault, they are so used to servicing Government cars, they are used to tukar this and that for fun!
Everything also must change despite not worn out!
You compare new Perdana with more than 10 years car. Very good la. Next you ask proton to replace it with new unit every year, because BMW does so.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOL
thanks, but no thanks, Proton. There are (lots of) better value cars out there.
Noone forces you to buy
Have not even seen one on the road till today ? Guess if you do spot one its a test car or display car, nobody going to spend RM100K above for this junk no matter how it drives or feels as its not at par to any d-segment cars found today, perhaps it Potong had launch this car back in 2010, maybe it might have gain some buyers but today. Game over Potong and that goes the same for you upcoming models over the next 3 months, still gonna be over price junk with old tech, old camtakpro engine and punchy cvt gearbox…. Perodua Bezza on the other hand is what you call a game changer in its segment and its sales proves it completely.
where shall i begin… ok, ill be here to set u straight, since i do agree that its the wrong time for proton to release the perdana:
as of this month there has been around 1000 orders with target of 3000 to 4000 units sold per year. read somewhere only around 200 people so far have received their car, so of course you wont see it.
its based on the honda accord 8th gen. have you driven that car? coz i have. d segments were meant to be cruise boat with a decent ride handling. u want racer d segment, go fix urself a german.
The price. RM110k for d-seg car thats as big a 5 series. can u get that from a rm110k civic? let alone other d-seg cars in the market. yes its 8 year old tech but is that so outdated? really? i have 13 year old e60 5 series n its still cracking like a whip.
tech. if u read the agreement between honda n proton, proton was only allowed to change the tires n certain bits of the ICE. thats. all. everything else is not to be touched. only next year or so will the engine change to petronas engine if all goes well.
produa vs proton: since mitsubishi stopped colaborating with proton how many years ago proton has been on their own.produa on the other hand is a subsidiary of daihatsu (hence toyota) until now. rnd not needed. enjine developement not needed. its ready. just give a decent interior n its ready.
the market: admittedly proton missed their target by selling weird n uneccesary cars ie arena, satria, savvy. but since the release of the new saga, persona, iriz n preve, where exactly have they gone wrong? the new line of cars are own designed and enjine home grown. as of next year, as i stated above, proton might be using petronas enjine. y i keep talking about petronas enjine? read up E01. its something. they just need to tweek it for euro5 compliance.
Well, said my friend in totally agree with u but malaysia only see proton ask crony company not what the company can offer, i also understand why people here are bashing proton not perodua.. hell bezza design i guess should be some japanese dude in toyota design dont u think it looks very similar to vios rather then their own design
Wow….thats a relief to read such a good and thoughtful opinion from a Malaysian like you. I agree with you man. I guess there is always hope for our country. May god bless Proton and Perodua for better Malaysia. Why? Because both hold a very important responsibility in creating jobs and “sustainable” economy. Blame the people who are bad with the jobs, but not the brand.
Acaiii.. u wasting ur time explain to this fella.. u open other article and u will find the same comment from this fella.. they just recycle it over and over again.. they even will refresh 100 times to thumb up their own comment.. u will even find it in non p1 related article.. funny la this fella..
get your facts right. as of last Friday, there are ONLY 170 bookings for this accordana. those who has booked cannot get their cars yet as protong is having productions problems with this junk. imagine a rebadge car also cannot produce.
You must be the only idiot in the proton showroom whom I can only assume booked the car based on your so call set people straight story… Well let me tell you another story acaiii, while you were the only one booking the pondana, the rest of Malaysia were in the Honda showroom checking the new civic, booking them & to really twist ur nutsack the lates Honda Accord 9 gen was having massive raya discounts 2.0 vti-l was going for rm 120k plus …. So which moron will still even think of buying an old rebadge turd model and comparing Honda with ur bmw e60 …really !!!!! that’s like apple & orange … Wanna compare also make the same, ur comparing German mark with Japan mark !!! Oh yea good luck trying to sell ur pondana after a year, seen hat value it will have ;0
Your showroom so empty kah wasting time here? Kahkahkah
Hmmm, your opinion might be right but not to everyone. Definitely they had gone wrong somewhere, since proton are selling less units. Consumers are smarter nowadays, and tech savvy as well.
What the people interested is the product and not the processes. This is the what your proton fail to comprehent or being plain ignorant. Being ignorant is not the reason to blame others.
The target market doesn’t give a damn about p1’s labour pains to produce the pondana. They only care about the value they get from money spent, where 99% of the target market (provided they are sane) would rather spend buying the better established brands not affected by negative public perception.
Where shall I begin too?
1. Assuming you got your facts right, and assuming they only start selling last month, at 200 units a month I’m pretty sure they gonna be missing their 3000 units sales target.
2. Nobody’s comparing Perdana/Accord to sporty sedans. Fact is Proton rebadged an old sub-limo which was never that good anyway, and outclassed and outpriced itself even from competitors like erm… a second hand Accord.
3. Proton shot themselves in the leg signing an agreement like that. If you find that acceptable please leave a number, I have an offer for you too.
4. You bought an E60 5 series, good job. But you should have bought the last gen Perdana, you traitor. It’s as big as your E60 too.
5. But I still really like the E60. If you work in Proton (which we all suspect you do), can you drop a rebadging idea for that car? Don’t change anything. Thanksies.
6. Perodua saved 1.8 billion on R&D and created more jobs for manufacturing. They sold more cars cos they delivered the right goods to the right target market (think tech, safety, quality, servicing, not just price), cos they did their survey through R&D….wait, where did they get the funding? Somebody oughta check that 1MDB audit again I think.
Proton didn’t launch the car at a wrong time. They just failed to understand the market: that D segment buyers would not spend good money on a rebadged last gen car that:
1. Ironically will protect their drivers and not them (cos airbags)
2. Have to queue their service with Proton Saga owners
3. No badge appeal
4. No street racer cred (which, at a stretch, the old Perdana did)
5. No patriotic cred (cos Perodua)
6. more expensive than a recon E60
7. Not that far in pricing from a brand new Teana
8. Is basically, an expensive Proton
That said, I highly recommend you buy this car. I have an old Accord, I need the parts network to last. Thanks again.
If you cannot afford one then why you ask others to follow you? It’s their money not yours
Paul Tan has written a wonderful article on ESC/VSC. It is super important as it saves lives
In Europe, even the cheapest and lousiest car has VSC because EU regulations say VSC is legally compulsory. That is how important it is.
In Malaysia RM114k car got no VSC? OMG!
http://paultan.org/2012/06/27/esp-stability-control-is-a-must-malaysian-motorists-deserve-better-active-safety-in-their-cars/
Next…..
Ask your jepunis overlord why dun gip permission to p1.
Wah, u sound funny lah.. 1st, Proton beria-ria looked for Honda to this rebadged Accord, did Honda point a gun to Proton? No.
If so many restrictions imposed by Honda, Proton are wise enough to say No.
Lesson after lesson still not learn, the consumers want updated car not outdated car.
Proton produced outdated Accord yet wanted price so closed to updated cars like Sonata, Optima, Teanna, etc? Sorry loh..
How many consumers are buying d-seg cars? Not many but those that buying definitely demanded more & better features such as SAFETY, convenience, lifestyle & user-friendly features.
Truly, ask yourself given a budget to spend on d-seg cars, would u look for Perdana or the others? Dont lie.
Not that we wanted to bash Proton, but just that Proton keep giving us inferior product.
As Proton been laying low for so long, we expect surprises like what Perodua features it’s Bezza. Rich with features & yet reasonable price to pay.
And please dont blame on ‘Jepunis overlord’, they had their wake-up call already ie. Koreans eating into their market share veryday. When is Proton?
Typical Proton mentality. There’s always something to blame for their failure.
Their car cannot sell also can blame the public.
Typical p2 marketingstrategy, blame p1 and other automakers to get sales, ohwai
You say no then you dun get what you want la, It’s that simple.
I find if Proton got hold with earth dream Diesel engine will be a bet in this segment as x other major manufacturer offer it. Furthermore, with obsolete engine and chasis … They make sense by offering diesel (euro4 and above) as frequent traveller and For those prefer better mileage. Offering manual version with sub 100k can also used to test market whether Malaysian prefer manual on D segment cars.
Only my 2 cents and not to condemn proton.
Mazda 6 has diesel, so does the Peugeot 508.
Yes, but if proton tend to offer… it may b far cheaper as it might be slotted below the 2.0 or in-between both 2.0 and 2.4.
not in B10 diesel, engine will be gone down the road..
the colour coded fake exhaust is seriously an eye sore
Will.make car d rivers following behind wondering… is it exhaust tailpipe finisher? Is it part of a diffuser? Or bumper protector. The answer is none.
Are they using same air bag as honda ? As far as i know there is no stock for honda malaysia and i dont think they will give proton before thier own honda customer. Will proton recall thier perdana if still using same takata airbag ?
like a big wart growing from the car’s behind. urghh.
Bayang Pondana pun tak nampak kat jalan lagi pun kereta, nak cakap apa lagi, Potong ohh Potong cepat jual dan tutup kedia :)
Might as well get a second-handed Honda accord 8th gen, at the very least of things it doesn’t have a body-colored diffuser…
Proton was quoted attempt to sell 5000 units a year, now I can’t find any data if that’s the usual sales number for a D-segment car, but it’s definitely no Bezza.
On to my overview of the big Proton, I manage to come into contact with one in a roadshows couple of weeks past and Joy of joys there were other cars in its price range for me to compare. Looks is subjective, in today’s connected world, any simpleton can grab a keyboard and navigate through it and press u-g-l-y or any of its grammatically wrong synonyms, on any car article, and this proton is certainly blasted by many art degree holders from the university of keyboard warrior. But I have to come to its defence, it’s a good looking car from the front, the 2.0l without the fancy skirting leaves it looking dignified, and limit usage of chrome bits looks continental.
The rear however is poorly executed. I have my gripes with proton from the past regarding the symmetry of its design, the preve especially, on how the front and rear looks to be design by two different team completed after one goes on its Teh Tarik break. The fitment of the number plate holder on the bumper, leaving and empty and large boot lid the size of a sakinchang paddy field, and of course the controversial body coloured fake diffuser results a messy and give the impression, like all of other proton products, an illusion of a big arse; like Kim K’s fake plastic gluteus Maximus. Is horrible to gaze upon and in the test car gold, painfully brazen I’m suprise Certain political religious party haven’t protest about it.
The interior disappoints me the most. It’s based on a previous generation car, and boy does it make you feel that way. Certain materials above the middle line is good to the touch and I like the slightly faux metal finish below the airbag housing. The switch gear are solid Honda, nothing fanciful, a utilitarian working button and switches to see through that it’ll work til Trump 8th year of presidency. But what isn’t Honda feels it, the AVN screen for example; never have I seen so many button looks so loose since I threw away my happy mield toy, is loose to the touch and there’s never really a feeling it’ll last past the first speed hump. The faux woody trim also seems dated and yea Honda current lineup is also guilty of that, but I wished proton changed it further, be more Volvo like the my claim they are. And the plain and inanimate dials also paints poorly on a car of this price.
Than there’s pricing , well to its credit you pay what you get and that’s certainly the case here, it’s a previous generation Japanese D-segment car and the new Accord, Teana and even the Camry offers much better environment inside than the Perdana can give. But you’re paying a premium for its rival D-segment competitors. There are certain things I wish proton gave thou even in its low(ish) price….. Some airbags, VSC, extra paint for the diffuser, it makes you wonder how a company can offer you another car that’s half the price but with more features but not in its flagship.
In its price range, the C-segment has some pretty awesome cars, but I doubt they’ll match the size and grandeur of the Perdana, BUT there is a segment that Proton is missing here and that’s the SUV market which I believe is the market that’ll kill the Perdana sales. You can get a Sportage or a CX-5 for the price in between the 2 Perdana and for a premium, there’s the CRV with the same engine and I have a CRV, it’s a damn sight better interior and dare I say exterior than the big Proton, even thou both suffer an unfortunate Butt implants.
Proton has made an Okay car, as the writer suggest is an alternative, but never game changing or sales winning….. Which make me question the point of it all, why? Your R&D can be poured into the upcoming B-segment twins or a new Exora, hack! A rebadge CRV made more sense. And I think proton knows that, considering the Perdana is to me , a very half arsed secodary school project. The sales target definitely doesn’t justify its existence and is definitely not competitive as a product whole. Sure the turbo engine is rumoured to be coming soon…. But why not wait til than? Make a great car at the get go rather than a half arse car(literally) that’ll be shadowed until the turbo introduction, and by than competition might have just picked up.
Of course, all of the illustrious writing above is just to summerize and amplify my view on the Perdana. Personally, proton has in many aspect the opportunity to make this car great, it has the base, the primer, the canvas to paint and create a great car, and proton design team, to their credit, consist of some talented individuals. But the bean counter or gawdawful management plague it and the Perdana remains just a 8th gen Accord with a European-esque nose job and Kim K’s inspired wrinkly arse.
so feel free to disagree with me because hey, that’s the Malaysian spirit.
wah brother, very deep grammar u got, cant understand
But did you see Adele rolling in it?
its just showing that you are a true slave of keyboard and master.of liar.
tl;dr;
– every facelift or new models from Proton just have horrible arse job always.
– buttons, knobs, stalks, trims, handles… every tiny interfaces in any Proton car has always been ‘going-to-break’ cheap feel.
So far I’ve been on Suprimas and Saga FLX, and aside from the gawdawful transmission, the buttons never have a satisfying thud a foreign car give. I’ll give an example, head for the cheap as bucket of rainwater Base spec city and turn the aircond knob; its no buttery BMW ness, but there’s a solid clunk that looks like it’ll survive in the harshest of KL weather. Even Perodua’s or Toyota’s bottle cap knob feels lasting. The ones on the Saga feels like loose or lack of tolerance. I can’t fault the reliability as the only proton I have now is a 24. Year old Saga, but proton seriously got to find another OEM for the projector headlight on the Suprima/preve. So many one eyed preves on the road now
Credit where it’s due NVH is solid I’ll give them that.
I read the headlamp issue was due to auto lamp mode, heard some SC say solution is not to use auto lamp mode. Topkek proton, no wonder people hate u with ur shitty qc and after sale service.
And yes, buttons even in Iriz feel flimsy, just syukurlah it still works. Solution like above, don’t adjust buttons too much, topkek proton.
NVH preve/suprima, I dunno much, never really got into one long enough to pay attention, but Iriz quite terrible, though to be fair, almost all B-segment cars are bad too, including Toyota (famous vios atap zink case) and even Honda City and Jazz.
Maybe cuz I’m more used to C and D segment car, I can tell B segment cars skimp on soundproof. Granted, if it really feels bothersome, it’s probably worth investing a few thousand to do soundproofing at accessories shop, only then it’ll feel satisfactory.
Credit given for writing a master thesis here~~
Thank you thank you.
I hope Top Gear or Autocar can accept the thesis XD.
Sadly, I think Autocar ASEAN edi stopped publishing, few months ago I think.
Dalam proton ni takda ke designer muda yang boleh bagi fresh design idea? For example 2.4L. Ugly plastic wood design. Bertter just paint it black or silver. Wake up proton. Front is not that bad. But the rear…. buruk thats the word for it. No need the fake body colour tale ekzos la. Baik buat flat jer. Proton go learn from produa la. Rupa Perdana ni macam sampan terbalik tak siap.Enuf said.
P2 lagi buruk
yup betul, azlano tu design dia outdated…ganti jer la budak muda..tak pun amik matsalleh yg grad dari university ternama yg specialize dlm automotive design. nak senang amik jer designer dr audi or bmw….
Problem
1) oem old car platform with decor and price similar to new platform car of japanese brand.
2) only 7000 unit and NOT able to export
Why they spend money on building this car in the first place? thats the biggest proton problem in building a sustainable business case for their cars.
New saga, persona all already killed by bezza, might as well scrap the projects and start fresh again if the 1.5b still left.
Why theyy built? Because of ego from p1 management, they say this car is prestigious for them.
prestigious KimK’s ass!
Later on got new engine lor. You tarak baca ka?
Register a new name instead of Proton.
The name is already tarnished and associated with low quality, junk, mass market for low …. people etc…..
Maybe sound like an italian name or ask malaysians to give the name and not the fancy name by the management.
Well lets just hope the next revised version of Perdana drops all the unnecesary make-over like the fake exhaust and that wedged lower frontend of 2.4 (i’d rather have the 2.0 lowerfront thanks).
Proton should open up to customer customization (like bentley’s), not everyone likes beige / wood interior, it’s a ‘luxury’ flagship, so they should treat it as one.
according to bashers new Perdana is lousy just like Mesidis, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and some says Bentley too cuz all have camo test here, camo test there , camo test until Matt Damon comes home from Mars. Unlike P2 that dun need to test Bisa. From prototype terus boleh guna.
So better buy Bisa than this New Perdana cuz P2 have full confidence and no need test, while P1 have no confidence thats why need to test test test.
P2 have become world leader in being the first in the world to launch new car without testing. Others, including big bro toyota, r still in 20th century need to test their cars.
So remember PM me to buy Bisa! I gip u bestest complete pau package with my fren from Nirvana. Offer is limited!
you never finish with your nirvana story. Always nirwana this and that…..
Same goes to p1 basher, politicking here and there, kolos shop, awek, kuih lapis, tea, nasi lemak, UiTM, bailout, ohwai
Official name to whack Bezza is Perodua Beca. You know beca, trishaw? Bisa is not funny, it’s not even a bad name choice. Improve your sense of humor then maybe comment again.
This is not a ‘fresh’ model of a car, it is an 8 year old Accord (arguably the worst accord ever as well) car with some resdesigned bumpers and hacked on interior bits and viola, game-changed for Proton.
yet to see one on the road
Well, I prefer the Perodua Bezza Advanced…
More features!
I noticed that this Perdana’s interior is still quite empty…
I love the rear charging port on the Bezza!
Seeing their junk cannot sell. The clowns get PT to do another writeup.
And let me add on to this..
After PT write 10+ (20++ maybe, I lost count) of Spy-Shoot, Spotted, etc etc articles..
So technically, can i take this to honda SC rather than p1 SC??
Behind look like persona…40k car…image sudah tak ada..but perdana asking 114k selling price..who want to buy???
If BMW Audi Merc use same headlamp designs you dun bash pulak
Topkek
Dear Paultan
Please do a 2 day drive for Bezza. I think many readers will be interested to know more, for long distance driving. Need your honest opinion.
Consider a used Sonata (12 month old) as alternative.
RM55k-RM60k tops
Lousy car from a lousy company.
30 years on and all they can do is just a copy and paste job.
A bloody disgrace
Jepunis still do some rebadging so according to basher logic it is bloody disgrace too
Nobody said Jap cars are good. Take toyota for example, their engine and gearboxes are so bloody outdated. People who has shallow automotive knowledge like you probably think Jap cars are first class products
Proton did the best they could with what they were given, and what they were allowed to change, but the big question is why. It’s not a segment that sells well for them. They weren’t allowed to make a competitive car. Sometimes, if you can’t compete, it is better not to.
Also, while Mercedes may be cheating a bit on the exhaust pipe, at least exhaust gasses are coming out of there. Having complete fakes is different, and they didn’t even try to cover up. Less would have been more in this case.
Cannot sell well also doesn’t matter one la, still can get loan from govt for life, no pay back also no problem, as long as come out with some junk cars to the market then good.
Proton is using leftovers to create its flagship model the brand ambassador, the symbol of what Proton can achieve. Let that sink in.
If 70 years jepunis companies rebadge / platform share – good
If 30 years p1 rebadges – no good, bash
Topkek
I guess you can say that by the time p1 sells million cars abroad.
Aerodynamic? Pls proton… give us the Cd drag factor… p2 has released the figure for bezza… 0.28Cd.
Azlan says he studied jaguar and ford designs but in reality he simply copied them. I also noticed they copied side vents from vaxhaul and Holden. The rear fake exhaust and super ugly beard under the car is all done by bufori chop shop ppl. How the Hell u call this original.? Soon jaguar, ford and rest will come after you suing you for design infringe. Shame . All perdana cars will be given foc to gov and banks as well as vendors whom proton owes billions. Ppl are smart and will have better choices
If copy also copy nicely lah. Copy so many time also Proton butt job so ugly. Even copy also fail.
Engineering – fail
Manufacturing – fail
Service Centre – fail
Design – fail
Copy – fail
Rebadge – almost fail (IMO I consider Inspira better than Lancer)
Pricing – fail
Why fail?
You have bad experience in all above matters or it’s just your friend neighbour maid father mother uncle cousin stories?
while the world is spazzing out on CUV and SUV, big sedan cars are out of fashion for now
If anyone needed a reason NOT to buy a Honda Acc*rd – see above! They say imitation is the best form of flattery but when one pays $140k+ for a car one does not expect to see cheap imitations running around. Current Acc*rd model owners be afraid when Proton announces a “facelift” to their current Perdana (I mean Acc*rd)
What’s Proton’s tagine these days – “it’s in the drive”. As far as the Perdana is concern it’s actually “in the Acc*rd”. Literally!
But toyota macai said new is not necessary good, use 4 speeder and 1NZFE is better, how?
should rebadge acord euro r
Pretty much what I expected. Not a bad try but the product planners (or bean counters) were short-sighted.
As I mentioned before, the world has moved on. Safety and NVH has improved across the board.
After going all that trouble designing a new body…Proton missed the boat by not improving the NVH. More crucially the lack of VSC and airbags. Haven’t Proton been reading how much hammerin’ UMW has been getting and taken a hint?
I’m sure there is a market for the Honda drive train and modern safety features but with the ride serenity of a Camry.
But on the flip side, this is probably the last big sedan you can buy with hydraulic steering. I still haven’t warmed up to EPS.
I hope gomen will force si potong will take MAS approach. Get all the best expats in and turnaround this co. for good.
Revamp the NAP to focus on rakyat’s needs and coupled with the complete overhaul of potong’s top management, design team, manufacturing, supply chain and marketing / distribution / after sales channels for the better of every1.
Chris / Bellows did / is doing a fine job turning around the airline. hope in another 2 years time, khazanah will prove every1 wrong (those who doubted).
the skin of the car is written proton, the heart of the car is written honda.
identity crisis… so it’s now a protonda.
So, after that long article, you have just confirmed, albeit nicely, that it is a POS.
The design outdated, 10years behind…got better option than this. Used 2013-2015 card better than this….i dunno how they want to fight wth other maker…
The design is better than new accord
I hope in 2018 Proton make improvement in Proton Perdana ecspecially for interior design n little bit at exterior design.
Now, what happen if:
Perodua rebadge Camry vs Proton rebadge Accord?
which one will have more fail?
I would think Perodua wouldn’t even try the project as it won’t sell a lot as well.
No offense here, there are a bunch of people hating Proton for producing perdana based on accord, but Perodua has been doing this for years… I doubt there must be uncountable praises and supports if Perodua rebadging Camry one day~
Who is kunta kinte..? perodua salesman…???
your provocation towards proton very buttheart…
Who is kunta kinte..? perodua salesman…???
your provocation towards proton very butthurt…
He is toyota salesman, but right now nobody come to his showroom so he “pak woo ying” and have so much free time to post nonsense then repeatedly ‘Like’ his nonsense.
He tried apply transfer to my P2 showroom but I told my bos, reject him kau kau cuz he cant sell and worse is he repeatedly friendly fire his own team.
Now he only eat maggi once per day cuz ‘boh lui’
Wasted RM200 million and came up with blardy hell fugly rear celup harimau jaguar.
We demand Proton to hire Peter Schreyer as new Proton Chief Designer!
I still don’t get their targeted customer base.
Rich pipiu don’t want to buy Proton.
Ciplak pipiu will still end up buying Hilux cos more for money.
Poor pipiu cannot afford.
If can just about afford as only car pipiu, will buy SUV.
Ah Beng pipiu will buy Civic.
Mid range buying a 3rd car to show off pipiu will buy recon.
Smart pipiu will buy second hand accord.
Dumb pipiu spent all their money on Persona oledi.
Is Perdana trying to pitch itself as an entry level D segment? Cos there’s no such thing. D seg buyers dun buy entry level. D seg buyers who buy entry level also wudnt admit. What wud people say about them? “Oooh tengok mewahnya, boss pakai Perdana”?
So where are the bookings coming from?
Only in your dream pipu dun buy perdana
sorry la proton. I better buy a used honda accord, with cheaper price, same quality. At least I tak malu being seen as honda-copycat, or recycled-honda design car…
Oh, malu, malu lah, proton pondana…..
Butthurt salesman detected!
I test drove the Perdana already. Going for my third car in the house and my budget is only rm100k. Civic definetely in my list. Took out HRV from my list. You guys know what? Perdana is new on my list. Havent decide yet. Trust me, if you are fair enough about your judgement, its hard to take Perdana out from your list. Its a good product.
Come this october, p1 has to give rm20k discount. By December, 30k discount. VW used to give such discount. That’s the only avenue to move the idle stocks and assembly line working. Tik tok.
I can’t stop laughing at those idiots buying this overpriced piece of shit when i saw them one by one on the road.
maybe too much money to spend
Damn! This Perdana is sexy
The comments here are extremely hostile and nasty. Not really a big suprise. They could have been written by the same person with different names. Shame! But if these were actually commented by different persons, it is still a shame since they lacked the ability for an independent thinking, but instead simply repeating what others had been saying. Very ‘tin kosong’ comments with no substance, but just endless bashing. Shame!
I believe that this Perdana effort is a necessity. People would have their own opinions regarding this. Proton had said that it doesnt want to be seen as a carmaker that produces cheap cars. As most customers dont want to be associated with the cheap. This effort thus crucial so that Proton could distance itself from the cheap label.
My personal view regarding the design, this Perdana is not bad-looking at all. It looks good. Well, not really the latest car design, but the beauty is there. Especially when you see in person. I can see Proton is trying their best to create an image of ‘prestige’ by making Perdana to be bigger in size than any other D-segment car in the market. And also trying to achieve this by getting some ‘inspiration’ and design cues from other carmakers. I said ‘inspiration’ because in this industry, there’s no such thing as ‘original design’. New car models will inevitably look similar. Having said that, the rear of Perdana reminds me of Volvo S90.
Regarding the so-called ‘platform sharing’ with Honda that allowed Proton to use its engine. As many had pointed out. That is an old engine. Proton should really focus on its NE01 engine and they must really nail this, as the restrictions being imposed on Proton by Honda is terrible. Perdana could be better than what it is now if Proton is given more freedom to tweak and improve driving system, especially through its Ride & Handling. As Hafiz had said it before, say what you want with the brand, Proton makes car with very good ride and handling. Looking this Perdana effort as a whole, I somehow feel that this Perdana is not yet ready for prime time. But since Proton had no choice as the government is pushing them to produce something, this has to happen.
My biggest disappointment with Perdana has something to do with the safety aspect of the car, this is because Perdana 2.0L has no ESC. A mistake (or perhaps an overlook?) that is unforgivable. ESC is the world’s standard by now. A car with no ESC is pretty much a JUNK! I think Proton might have omitted that intentionally in order to reduce cost, thus lower the price. But it’s a compromise that is too much. Proton is really lacking in consistency right now in safety department. They had somehow managed to come out with Iriz (a fraction of Perdana cost) in which ESC is equipped as standard on ALL VARIANTS. But then, not too long after that, decided that its most expensive model, a D-segment car should just be fine with no ESC on it. A sin so grave that only UMW Toyota would dare to commit it.
Copy cat….. epic fail……
Front end not bad. But the rear end looks ugly
Test drive my uncle’s car (he got from gomen for being Jusa A officer). My first impression is not bad, but when I tried the acceleration and take sharp lap, not much different with Preve, so instead of wasting rm110k for this, better buy Preve then.