We hear it pretty often that Malaysian car buyers don’t give two hoots about segments. You know, the alphabets that separate the Toyota Corolla Altis (C-segment) from the Camry (D), and the Honda HR-V (B-SUV) from the CR-V (C). We’re told that the man on the street creates his own segments based on price – a RM50k car, an RM80k sedan and around RM150k for an executive sedan, for instance.
As cars grow bigger, the size boundaries of the traditional segments are blurring, with the smaller ones catching up quickly. But while size is the easiest method to pigeonhole a car – it doesn’t take an expert to see that a model is big or small – it’s far from the only difference manufacturers add to their range. Features, tech and sophistication count, too.
Proton will be hoping that Malaysians take the latter into account when forming opinions on the new Persona, which will be followed by the debut of the new Saga later this month. Two new sedans in two months is Proton’s riposte to Perodua’s first ever car with a boot, the in-demand Bezza.
Three new local sedans jostling in the same arena? There, that’s what we talked about in the opener, and we have a feeling this will be what some might be asking. The new Persona starts from RM46,350 and tops out at RM59,350, while the Perodua Bezza is priced from RM37,300 to RM50,800. Two of four Persona variants (Standard MT and CVT) are priced below the Bezza 1.3 Advance, so it’s understandable if the average Mat thinks they’re all in the same boat.
Proton would beg to differ, I’m sure. That’s because the national carmaker has a direct A-segment sedan rival to the Bezza, and that’s the upcoming new Saga. The Persona is for the budget car buyer who wants a little more than the basics, something extra to make him feel good. It’s a B-segment offering that Proton hopes to lure people away from the Honda City, Toyota Vios and Nissan Almera. Do you view it that way?
You won’t be the most ignorant of car watchers to say ‘No’, as the Persona’s appearance plays a part. Now, the new Proton measures 4,387 mm long and is 1,722 mm wide. This makes it 53 mm shorter than the longest car in the class, the Honda City, which is not much. The Persona is actually 27 mm wider than the City and the broadest in the segment, too.
But it doesn’t always appear that big, and this pair of eyes suspect that it’s due to the car’s substantial height. At 1,554 mm, it’s by far the tallest sedan of its kind, as both the Vios and City come duck in below the 1.5m mark. Even the gangly Nissan Almera is 44 mm shorter than Proton’s “Iriz Sedan”.
While a higher roofline allows for more headroom, it’s not good for a proportions, especially on a compact sedan based on a hatchback, where the width and length/wheelbase are not negotiable. We see it on the Ford Fiesta Sedan and Mazda 2 Sedan, and made a same remark on the Bezza, which is of course based on the Axia. These booted hatchbacks tend to appear narrow and tall, and not very pretty.
Of the above-mentioned lot, the Persona is far from the most awkward looking, which is credit to Proton’s design team. But it doesn’t appear as generous in size and as proportionate as the Vios and City. Both the B-segment favourites share their platforms with hatchbacks of course, but have completely unique sedan styling. Both look more “normal”.
Another car that looks more like a conventional saloon is the Persona that this one replaces. That original Persona, which surfaced in 2007, is 90 mm longer, 3 mm wider and a huge 115 mm lower, with a 45 mm longer wheelbase (2,600 vs 2,555 mm). The figures perfectly explain the more pleasing proportions of the old Persona, which was based on a low-roofed C-segment five-door hatchback. Much less of a challenge for any design studio, we’d think.
The rising window line of the Iriz (which is not too severe, thankfully) looks good on a sporty hatchback, but introduces thick sides and a tall boot deck to this sedan.
The “problem” is masked by a separate line that goes above the rear wheel arches in the style of the W212 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, as well as another line in the rear bumper that visually continues the Iriz’s “side blades” between the wheels. The measures are somewhat effective in breaking up the visual mass, but it’s still not a pretty shape to this observer.
Shape and proportions aside, Proton has done plenty to jazz up the Persona. Even the face you see here isn’t identical to the Iriz’s, although it’s still immediately recognisable as a modern Proton. The new headlights are slimmer and sharper, while the “Proton Wings” chrome bar is full length here, cradling the edge of the bonnet. No projector headlamps and LED DRLs here due to cost, but there’s a cool little kink on the bottom edge of the headlamp unit with the Proton script.
The Iriz-style trapezoidal grille that Proton has adopted as a signature element has been modified to incorporate a “moustache” that extends under the sizeable front fog lights. It’s a bold and sporty front, and curiously, more aggressive than the face of its hatchback sister.
There are more sporty cues at the back, and the rear valance is really prominent with bulges at both ends (BMW M Sport-style?) and a central rear fog lamp. There’s also a discreet but effective spoiler from the Executive up. The sides of the rear lamps also sport the Proton script seen on the headlamps. Strange, but the Persona’s tall rear deck and shallow rear windscreen reminds me of “SUV coupes” in the mould of the BMW X4 and X6.
Overall, it’s a decent styling effort given the restrictions. Hatch-based compact sedans don’t appeal to this writer, but as they say, one man’s meat…
We move on to Persona’s interior, which is familiar from the Iriz. Nothing really wrong about the original dashboard (except for some quirks that we’ll get to later) so it’s a wholesale carryover. But to suit the Persona’s remit as a family sedan, the cabin gets a two-tone treatment – black for the upper and light grey for the lower half of the cabin and door cards. Proton says that it’s for a more spacious and airy impression, and I like it.
Also tasteful is the titanium chrome (dark grey) trim that can be found on the steering wheel, head unit surround and gear lever area; as well as the tiny strips of chrome outlining the air con vents and separating the buttons. Of course, there’s also the stitched effect on the main dashboard panel. The materials aren’t very premium at this price point, but the effect is convincing enough.
One design quirk that we have to mention is the abnormally small twin dials, which are set rather deep in what appears to be a normally-sized binnacle. This is highlighted further by extra large ‘TRIP’ fonts in the multi-info display, which could possibly be larger than the speedo markings. The navigation system’s graphics look like they belong to the Micro Genius era.
The Iriz’s map lights and sun visors did not make it here – the Persona has only one central roof lamp for the whole cabin, and its visors feel cheap to the touch. The latter also doesn’t come with a vanity mirror cover, and the mirror itself is very small.
Nothing major though, certainly not enough to ruin the overall ambience, which if you must ask, feels classier than the basic design of the Bezza. We’re used to getting decent seats from Proton, and the front chairs here (leather all round for the Premium) provide good support. For those who like me, have the habit of emptying all pockets prior to driving, you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of cubby holes.
Unusually for a media drive, I managed to spend significant time in the back seat in the journey from KL to Kuantan and back. It’s immediately obvious that the Persona isn’t as generous with rear legroom as the City, Vios and Almera. There’s adequate room for adults though, and the gap between the front seat base and the floor is large enough for feet to comfortably tuck into. The scalloped front seat backs do their tiny bit to free up more knee room.
There’s good headroom in the back. My 173 cm frame fits in with the height of five fingers to spare (hair brushing roof in the Bezza), and the above image shows six-foot tall (183 cm) paultan.org/bm colleague Hazril Hafiz, with the front seat set to this writer’s driving position. I also like the fact that good headroom wasn’t achieved by lowering the seat base (as with the old car), which is of a good height here. The seat back angle is slightly more reclined compared to the Iriz.
It’s not much of an issue for me, but some might lament the lack of proper rear headrests. The two integrated items in the Persona look stunted and aren’t in the position to support adult heads; they touch the back of my neck when I recline my head. Despite this, I found the rear quarters to be comfortable enough. Not too claustrophobic, which can be the case with some hatch-based sedans with small rear windows.
Unlike the Iriz, which offers a choice of 1.3L and 1.6L engines, the Persona comes only with the larger motor. This is a bid by Proton to differentiate the B-segment Persona with the new Saga, which will be tasked to directly take on the Bezza as an A-segment sedan. That car will not have the once-available 1.6 litre option, giving room for the Persona to thrive as the bigger brother.
The 1.6L VVT engine is familiar, but it now sits on three redesigned mounting points instead of four on the Iriz. The nett result is less engine vibration transmitted towards the cabin. There’s also a new exhaust system (made by the giant French OEM supplier Faurecia) to reduce low rev boom plus a revised ECU for more linear throttle response.
The 107 hp/150 Nm is sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic. The stick shift is an option for the Standard trim level, but the Executive and Premium are CVT-only. The stepless ‘box from Punch has been revised for better response and refinement, with Proton putting feedback from the Iriz to good use. The latest item is set to go back into the Iriz to complete the circle.
The changes are effective and noticeable. Our Premium CVT tester pulled away with less hesitancy compared to the Iriz and the improved refinement is palpable. The sharp whine that dogged early Proton CVTs is also absent. The driving experience is more pleasant as a result, especially in an urban setting.
However, one will not be mistaking this gearbox as anything but a CVT. Unlike the best of its kind from the big Japanese carmakers, Proton’s CVT has yet to add an invisibility cloak to its wardrobe – there are transmissions that are both more responsive and less intrusive in the market. Improved, though.
The continuously variable transmission makes more sense here than in the Iriz. It’s not popular among keen drivers, but the CVT remains the best solution for fuel efficiency and urban drivability – a conventional automatic with more than four speeds in a mass market car will soon be a rarity. The Honda City uses it, and arch-rival Toyota Vios has ditched the trusty four-speed auto for a CVT in the facelift, which will be launching soon in Malaysia. These two segment giants can’t be wrong.
Besides improving the powertrain, Proton has also tweaked the Persona’s suspension to suit its wider brief as a family saloon. Those coming from an Iriz will feel more body movements in the sedan, especially at a highway cruise. The softer primary ride is due to a “relaxation” of the suspension, which has more “give” and travel here than in the hatchback.
While the Iriz is firmer, it has good damping and is far from uncomfortable, but it’s understandable that a mass market sedan needs to be tuned to please its audience, which is accustomed to what I would call a more Asian definition of comfort. That’s the way it should be, really.
Still, don’t mistake the Persona’s handling for a boat’s, because Proton’s accomplished ride and handling engineers will never allow that to happen. It may feel less firm than the Proton’s recent efforts, but the Persona is a good drive in its class, exhibiting decent grip and body control on the Genting to Gombak stretch of the Karak Highway. As with other CVT-equipped cars, losing momentum would mean a noisy build-up, so it’s good to look further ahead when driving fast. High-speed stability is good.
The steering, which could be tighter around the straight ahead for more composed cruising, has good feedback. However, the brake pedal of our tester was way too soggy, with too much empty travel before anything happened.
The drive event incorporated a fuel-efficiency challenge section which threw in some start-stop driving into a mostly touring route, from Jengka 19 to Kuantan city. Two up and with the air con fan on ‘3’, we managed 5.7 litres per 100 km, as shown on the car’s trip computer. This figure should not serve as a guide, but more of what’s ultimately possible with a light foot. We were hovering between 80 to 90 km/h on the highway and accelerated gently from rest.
Last but not least, the Persona is a safe choice, literally. It has been given a five-star rating by ASEAN NCAP, with 14.07 points out of a possible 16 in the Adult Occupant Protection test and 82% compliance in the Child Occupant Protection test, the same score given to the Iriz. All variants come with Electronic Stability Control, ABS/EBD/Brake Assist, Hill-Hold Assist and Isofix child seat anchors with top tether. Six airbags for the Premium and two for the Executive and Standard.
Where should I place the Persona? That was the question I had before driving the car, and it’s one that I still can’t answer convincingly. For Proton, it’s simple. The new Saga takes the fight to the Bezza in the entry-level sedan market, while the Persona is the B-segment alternative to the Japanese favourites. Those with more sophisticated tastes can opt for the Preve, which can be had with a turbo engine.
However, all three of the City, Vios and Almera have a more spacious cabin, and that’s an important yardstick in this bread-and-butter segment, never mind the stronger brand power. Compared to the Bezza, the Persona is more sophisticated – both as a product and dynamically – even if there’s some overlapping in price. That’s the Saga’s job all right.
A bargain alternative to the establishment (no automatic City or Almera can be had for less than RM70k) is the answer I will settle for, but you’ll have to be fine with the Persona’s design and smaller cabin.
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No proper headrest support at the rear was the dealbreaker for me..i am 173cm and there is no support for my head or even neck when trying to test the rear seats..those sitting at the rear will suffer during balik kampung time
Meanwhile, proton give not only two, but three adjustable headrest for Iriz! even preve only have two adjustable headrest.
for me, since this persona is family oriented sedan car, why not they put adjustable headrest like Iriz..
Like previously iriz, Perdana, suprima s, preve. A lot of people talking and excited, but so few people buy it. These cars are meant to be discussed, not driven.
Oh! It still campro vvt engine & CVT bising Punch! Bad RV at all.
Obviously you have denial syndrome
Power window ok no problem.
Buy Persona, free Daiso neckrest RM9.90.
Tengok boleh, beli jangan dulu.
Sekali melihat, terpikat dihati
Sekali beli, masuk kilang tiap-tiap hari.
City masuk kilang sekali, beribu2 bagi walaupon bende kecik
this noy bjak.. but salesman P2.. no people go tp their shop to see bezza tonggek. Their start stop tech will cost owner a lot. battery lifr, starter life, alternator life.. becareful…
Persona is designed for shorter pipu. Pasaran kat India, Chile, Iran & UK…
183cm is short for u, huh
Good and thanks for the review Paultan crews. Now need to wait for Saga and Proton Ertiga until final decision to change car… And Proton please make it more affordable.
what.. you mau timbang kati ka?
You option Proton je?
You life must be a failure.
Seems someone failed to raise you properly
Oh gosh, first we have mitsubishi mirage, now we have this. What’s with car designers these days.
no rear head resistant?? wow… then how did this car pass the safety test. FYI, headrest is not for you to rest your head. the core function is to prevent your neck breaking in collision. D’oh.
Decent effort, but the Japanese CVTs are still the way to go, alternatively ZF’s torque converter auto boxes…….that Punch CVT has to go for good.
Honda CVT are the best currently, can handle turbo perfectly.
is it cost effective.?. but.ur.brain still screaming for cheaper
I agreed on the brake issue. Step on it,nothing.. still nothing and suddenly, Ops!
u step angin angin ke? if breaks, surely.its will brrak ur legs
Aiya, you dont understand ka? The brake paddle movement maa, not the actual brake itself.
Braking is weird idk why
Persona > VW Jetta
nice try P2 salesman…
Kah kah kah JOHN!!
The reviewer was Danny not Jonathan.
I must say that I am really amazed with the build quality. It is really really solid. Look underneath the car you can see that everything is tightened up. The front bumper doesn’t flex, it has metal straps that clings on it. Impressive. I don’t fancy those bodykits and gadgets, so I am fine with the most basic spec, manual. Why no six airbags for manual? Another thing is, why rear passengers gets no rear headrests?
I hate it when car manufacturers does the eco test for journalists, it is really pointless! Any fuel guzzler car can do 5-litres easily. What is the real-world fuel consumption for the Persona?
No la, any fuel guzzler car can do 2 litre like 330e. If really good it can do 1 litre.
position Persona at RM40K max
position Saga at RM30K max
position Iriz at RM30K max
position Preve/Suprima at RM55K max
position Perdana at RM80K max
now proton can sell like a hot cake.
old horse with no brain.
Then you can join the group of how to make your company bankrupt in one month.
The 2nd row non adjustable headrest is a Joke. How much does 3 adjustable headrest will cost to Proton? I trust most customers will be able to pay for that.
2nd row leg room is far smaller compare to Vios or City. Proton make the same mistake as the Iriz. Even Axia feel bigger inside.
High tech? Engine pls upgrade to Dual VVT, timing chain and incorporate Idle-Start-Stop technology.
The reason for smaller leg room is because the bench cushion is bigger and longer, giving better support to the thigh over long distance.
I’d go with better and longer bench cushion over more legroom but lack of thigh support any day.
this is probably the best driven review so far. honest and to the point. well done!
is there no automatic city?or is it toyota vios?
For below 70k. Which, won’t be allowed by the government so as to protect our national car.
Never heard of almari, huh? What about rio sedan, hmm?
I’m so happy reading this article.. it told you what you should know, and more.. puns.
If this can sell, it’ll be good for Proton. Proton shud not be complacent and needs to work triple hard to make good and reliable cars and most importantly to have good after sales service and track record to earn back the trust of Malaysians. Malaysians trust needs to be earned back. Not only are we more and more critical about Proton cars Proton also need to find solutions fast to export it’s cars oversea to sustain. It’s business. Proton you cannot just rely on Malaysians to buy your cars. It doesn’t work this way. To show that you are competent enough, just put a Vios and Persona premium at the same price at RM59k. You’ll know you are there and have earned back our trusts when we start buying your cars. Equal playing field and fairness.
Great review..
Not entirely accurate comparo on design elements with vios & city, Danny.
Both car’s previous gen had same likeness with their yaris & jazz siblings, which makes the previous gen ungainly. However the current gen sedans shares no sheet metal with their hatchback counterparts. This unlike Persona2 which is forced to use much of Iriz front half in order to save money.
If only Iriz had a fastback hatch design, Persona2 wud have looked better. Alas, MY market has evolved since Gen2/Persona1 era. Dun forget, Gen2/Persona1 design had their own detractor during that time as well.
Side-compressed sedan…. Akhir kata dari saya, no woman no cry. No proton nobody cry….
Off topic here, ‘no woman no cry’ means ‘woman, dont cry’, bukan ‘takde pompuan takde tangisan’.
Proton….the ball is at your feet.
The GLARING thing is still the CAMPRO engine.
The sooner,the replacement engines arrive…the better.
You see,Mr.Kenali….you cant change PERCEPTION over night even by removing the founder indirectly.
If this car is so good as claimed….then the Vios,City ,Almeira sales will deteriorate badly?
Unlikely.
Again…PERCEPTION IS what concerns buyers.
Why do people fork out an extra 15-20K to get a Japanese 1.5litre car? Why ? Why?…the favourite ‘WHY” OF HAFRIZ when he questioned the lack of auto opening of the boot of the HONDANA.
PROTON….PERCEPTION is a RM 1.5 Billion Question.
You have to address it before asking for another RM 1.5 Billion from taxpayers.
Perception involves TRANSPARENCY,ACCOUNTABILITY,RESPONSIBILITY.
“Taxpayers and taxpayer’s money” is probably the most overused word here. It’s like all our tax money is used to rescue one company only.
Yes, it’s perception. Yours.
Stupidtaxpayer2
You mean your taxes did not rescue this rm 15 Billion Bailout company? The last 15 years…they r using your taxes no matter how paltry or big to rescue a sunken Titanic.You bangga kah ? Mr.Bangga Protong.Shambolic pride.
I confidently say pipu have more pride in P1 than the likes of u.
what a empty brain. this is malaysia. you read UK news.too much.give me a evidance goverment uae taxpayer.money for.the loan?
even after its out , i still dont get the size….maye p1 got it wrong abit..should have saga OR persona,then full size Preve and so on…
having Persona,the upcoming Saga and current Iriz is really confusing…they keep streamlining their models and they always get it wrong….
listen , its a nice car this Persona , spec wise its a solid choice…and its priced right i think…but im not sure the guys at p1 actually what the different car segments mean !
I have driven one and the car is simply outstanding. Well done to those who fought for this Persona to be the way it is today. Proton handling DNA is there. You have confidence in corners. It delivers both in fast and cruising speed. At least, good bucks for value. Kudos.
Hi Paultan. When going to do a thorough review on Perodua Bezza balik kampung trip (long distance drive)? Please do a comparison between Persona and Bezza since the price is overlapping each other.
Include saga as well.
include axia.as well. puts data in table. most lowest score points will not be allow to sell.
In a nutshell, the new Persona is smaller in width, length & wheelbase but bigger in the booth & taller in height.
Thanks for the comparison chart. Its really useful. It actually looks quite good when the lady park her car beside my Japunis sedan.
No. Bar the Persona1, its much wider than others, taller but shorter in both length & WB.
John, I did not mention other brand/model. I am comparing the New with the older Persona. In fact I did say the Persona looks good.
Furthermore, I did not bash Proton/Persona. Can U read my comment properly B4 U shoot yourself in the foot. If U cannot comprehend simple English, I don’t know what to say.
If u dunno what to say, then fix ur vocabulary cuz even the other John oso says the same thing. And I did not bash u nor mistaken that u were bashing P1, I only tried to correct u based on ur comparison.
thats is low.mentality of basher.. never read and undersrand simple.english. yet not understand english.because their master.is.Japonese
R u kidding me? All new persona has the best width in B segment. Dun personal.
No offence to Proton’s designers, they’ve obviously tried to differentiate the car from all the other me-too clones but…. that sure is fugly! Only MHO of course…
Good review, albeit a bit too brief on the driving experience part. Quite unusual for Paultan. Just my 2 sen..
1. Based on experience test driving it, when throttled quite hard (60% onwards), the ‘deep-bass’ boom still exists and pretty audible (Vios remains the benchmark here). The sound is only suppressed a bit in the low rev range, which is fine for city driving. Hope for Danny Tan to cover on powertrain refinement (engine noise intrusion & rpm for urban/highway drive at different rev range), but its not explored into detail here.
2. The front seats are excellent in both thigh & lumbar, but the rear seats only address thigh support with less than remarkable back spine & side bolster support (Almera/City). A central armrest is something that Proton should consider too.
3. The aircon knobs feel toyish and lacks tactility. So does the buttons below the head unit, quite mushy when pressed. Steering wheel also feels hard and not nice to the touch. Perhaps Proton should learn at how Bezza tackles the tactility issue that plagued the Axia.
4. No doubt that Proton had tune both VVT & Punch CVT in terms of refinement to their very optimal setting, but there’s not much left that can be squeezed from both units to stay competitive with the segment leaders within the medium term. I would prefer to wait for the GDI & Jatco torque-converter CVT combo, with anticipated higher level of refinement, fuel efficiency and performance that can compete with the best that the Japanese can offer.
Suggest the paultan team to conduct test using noise meter. Which can downloaded as an app. Measure the noise from being hand brake. And make it a standard test for every new car reviews
nake sure you.callibrate it to.SIRIM standard.
I still can’t get over how hideous it looks. Ugliest car since the Fiat Multipla.
almera more ugly even that dugong vios also ugly, haters gonna hate no matter what, go elsewhere la bro, just buy that japoneesee car la
What? Watch it bro.. that dugong will turn to mermaid u know..
Dugong turned to siren and bring pipu to their doom. Stay clear from kirrer dugong cuz it has no ESC
wow.. u have most ugly.brain with ugly sense. if you dont lime, lots of peoples still like it. 10k for.the 1st month babe.. does it great!
So, what segment? B? C? B 1/2?
It is a B+, yes. Saga Mk II is a B segment. Slightly smaller.
I’ve test drove it. My 2sen:
Powertrain – to call a spade a spade, good job refining the punch shitty cvt. I tried to simulate many situations where if in an iriz, it would get jerky, jumpy, laggy, feel coarse and unrefined, but it just refuses to in the persona.
I tried to drive it like how I’d drive a jazz top spec (which i got the chance to drive around quite a bit recently), and… the jazz still betters it, but given how far behind iriz was, i gotta acknowledge they did well given how handicapped it is on paper. Which brings me to my next point.
Tyres – there’s no excuse, i just feel 185/55/R15 is too small profile. I get they wanna be more fuel efficient by going narrower than iriz 1.6’s 195/55/R15, others go narrow too, vios (185/60/R15), almari (185/65/R15) and city/jazz (175/65/R15 or 185/55/R16).
But with just 55 profile, the sidewall and diameter is smaller, it makes for slightly noisier tyre roar, and firmer ride when going through bumps. I guess this is how it can achieve shorter braking distance, but meh, i dunno, I’d still reckon going 60 like vios or 65 like almari would’ve given more gain than loss. It would I’m sure give better ratio (hence why iriz 1.6 revs lower@110kph, the jazz even lower, though it’s also due to superior powertrain)
It’s this reason too i believe helps jazz top spec to rev much lower (1.5k rpm @80kph, 2k rpm @110kph), thus quieter engine noise. But that said, i think 16″ is a little overkill, it suffers very noisy tyre roar. I’m sure city/jazz E spec with 15″ would be much more comfy, and quieter with better tyres. This weakness helps persona to make decent comeback after getting left behind due to jazz’s superior powertrain.
I focus on these 2 aspects first cuz i think they play huge role to fuel consumption. Proton should really prioritise on this, cuz that’s a huge selling point. Recently, a newspaper article talked about 87% msians want low fc (and low running cost) from a car. That’s why fugly bezza buntut tonggek sells, it just shouts “EEV”, “22km/L”, “dual vvt-i Toyota powertrain”, bam, 25k bookings.
Just having eco indicator isn’t gonna cut it, people wanna see results. So this persona gets 18+-km/L @80-90kph, and that’s trip computer’s reading? Owners of City/jazz are reporting 20+-km/L @ 110-120 kph, bezza getting 19+-km/L by measuring full tank to full tank distance/fuel used. If based on trip computer, the bezza was doing 30km/L, jazz can show instantaneous 50km/L lel. That’s why trip computer reading usually gotta be taken with tablespoons of salt.
Interior – the glove box still has misaligned fitting like in iriz. Well, as long as it lasts, not worth fretting, but it gets me thinking how assembling process seems unchanged from iriz. I’m good with the front seats, good thigh, back, and head support thanks to Volvo-ish headrest. The jazz though, is the benchmark with very soft spot at lower spine and headrest area, makes it more comfy and relaxing. That said, I’d still give persona better rating than almari and vios.
The rear seats is a bit disappointing. It nearly could be perfect, it’s properly reclined unlike bezza’s too upright angle, it’s got very good thigh support. Legroom may look tight, but it’s actually easy to feel comfortable and settled down, thanks to reclined angle and good thigh support, so it doesn’t matter it looks tight, it matters that it’s actually comfortable. Unfortunately, lack of proper headrest spoils it for me. My body elsewhere actually likes the persona’s setup, to be honest, i like it more than any other car in its class, but the head…. arrrrggghhh. I hate it i can’t relax my head anyway possible, and the solution is very simple : give the farking headrest!!!!!
Practicality – like in iriz, i feel the centre cupholders are too shallow, it’s not convincing how well it can prevent drinks from spilling around. Though, i like it’s got space joining in between 2 cupholders, it’s a good spot to secure my phablet phone horizontally, as the spot in front is just too short (directly below air cond dials) or tight (directly in front gear knob).
The usb is a bit too deep, it can be a bit difficult (sometimes i need to use phone’s torch light) to plug in thumb drive when it’s dark. I wish head unit can have ipod support too, instead of only aux. Preve can, even in now-discontinued iafm variants, no harm to recycle that HU instead of current one.
In jazz, i love the cupholder near driver’s air cond vent, it’s a great spot to put my smartphone and use navigation. Saves the need to get a phone holder, and at that spot, easy to glance, reducing time looking away from road.
Foldable rear seats – just last weekend i went shopping at ikea with my iriz. People should never ever underestimate just how crucial having foldable rear seats is. You just need ONE time to use it to appreciate how godsend this feature is. Saves at least rm80 delivery charges if you end up unable to load your item just because it can’t fold rear seats.
And that’s my biggest disappointment with persona standard, it’s a complete deal breaker for me. Come on, even cheapest bezza 1.0 manual also gets it, why can’t proton?!!!! And I’m not really being pedantic just because this is proton, i am seriously pissed at honda and bmw too, cuz new civic tebu and F30 don’t have this too, to make way for braces to improve handling?!!! In a family car?!! Farking stupid hell, what for want stiffer chassis in family car, wanna sepang?!! Touge genting??!!! Bukit putus?!! Ulu yam road?!!! You’re more likely to stumble need to carry cargoes than going for spirited driving. With these cars, it’s a joke to go spirited driving next to proper performance cars.
This car may be used by taxi too, especially manual, imagine just how much it helps them to have foldable rear seats. Bezza presents a much better case to taxi drivers due to having foldable seats, aside from very good fc and low service cost, can check on perodua’s website.
Proton’s service cost is just too high, I’ve heard of rm1k service, when doing cvt fluid service + other compulsory services.
Adjustable headrest adds cost/price so its understandably not included.
As for foldable seat, I guess P1 market survey showed it is rarely used, definitely NOT useful for taxis like u claimed, cuz directly behind rear seats is the NGV tank (it is a taxi after all).
And as for service, I only go above Rm1k when change timing & fan belts during major service. Normally 5~600, but mine is manual Gen2.
There is a good reason for a thinner tyre sidewall. Thinner sidewall gets you quicker steering input because the tyre sidewall flex less, so less body roll too . If you want good handling, thats the compromise you have to accept. Of all those B segment sedan you mention, the Almera has the thickest sidewall, therefore it drives like a boat, massive body roll in high speed corner.
Bezza with start stop function will drain your pocket. Battery, alternator , starter usage.will be higher, thus reduce its life. expecting starting to give you problems from first 6 months of ownership. if you are city driver.. then will be much sooner..
IMO, having foldable rear seat eliminates the ability of a car to have deep laid-back (lumbar) cushion rest & side bolster (like the Almera). The City have foldable rear seats, but at the expense of having to put thin soft strap as its side bolster (the Civic even worse, hard plastics).
But then again, the standard Persona did not have both (laid-back seat & foldable seats). Maybe both Proton & Perodua believed that Malaysians need that super huge boot space to fill in durians.
The NVH level? How’s the wind & tyre noise at high speed compare to Vios, City, Almera & Bezza? If Bezza Paultan team highlight the boot but why not Persona? How about when crosswind condition? Does it have big impact? Does the car feel like it’s going to float & fly? How’s the engine compare to Iriz and the predecessor Persona? Heard it’s no more roaring and more power although it is less roar. No comparison on the safety features? All around sensor (front & rear) for all variants? They also demo the ECS during the test drive but did not mention at all just a picture?
Asal bukan jepunis
Persona anytime for me.
If the designs are the only thing that seperated this persona with the japs, i’d say good job proton.
We all knew this car is a smaller B segment but proton tried to tell all its a C segment. They cat fool people anymore. Never honest and never professional. Only beg for money.
You really don’t read much, do you?
Proton and even Paultan mentioned in this article this new Persona is B segment car. How the heck you came out with comment claiming Proton said such thing?
U just proven my point that bashers dun read. Congrats!
Wow, people like you really exist.
Whatever Proton’s calling the Iriz la, only its a sedan, duh….
every company in the world when they replace any of their segment cars it grows a bit bigger like Honda Civic, BMW 3 and Mercedes C class and many other cars. in Proton they grow smaller. old Persona a true honest C segment was longer and bigger than the new one so how they could have forced their idea of this car being a C segment???? the days of Proton dictating their lies to people are far gone.
Remember civic FB? It is smaller than the FD it replaced.
Tell that to Honda Jazz
neither here nor there…its a B+ segment then
The only angle where it is not ugly is the dead-on front view. The rear end, the rear 3-quarter shot and worst of all side view make it a horrendously ugly car. You can argue that a good rim design and size can improve the looks somewhat but just look at the wheels azlan othman decided in all his wisdom to slap on. This proton has a much better interior than exterior this time, usually it is the other way round. Bezza looks much, much better.
At the end of the day Danny gives us an important insight as in the competitors of this ugly proton which are the Japanese B-segment sedans. Thing is, when you buy a car it is unlikely to be in cold hard cash; you take a loan to get one. Here is where people need to factor in financing calculations; the proton would have a higher interest rate tagged compared to the non-national makes. Eventually after a 5-year and 7-year loan, what would be a difference in total financing?
I persona-lly (intended. XD) find the rear view of the car the nicest. Despite being super tall, the boot is nicely designed with good attention to details.
“… is 90 mm longer, 3 mm wider and a huge 115 mm shorter…”
should’nt ‘shorter’ be said as lower?
You have length, which is expressed as ‘longer’.. width.. and height, which can also be expressed as ‘lower’ and taller..
the quoted statement describes something as longer, wider, and shorter.. a bit confusing in my opinion…
my 2 cents
PT, is this about driven experience, test drive review or new type of review, segmentation review? Why jumbo mumbo together till readers got confused? Focus on the theme, driven not mumbling like mosquitos.
3 point engine mounting will put lots of wear & tear on the mounting points. This shows that the Campro VVT powertrain is not balanced and produces lots of vibrations.
Only time will tell how often we have to change the mounting points and at what cost ?
U talk mcm pro je boleh kalah engineer…ckp orang bangang abadi pon ade….
inb4 somebody mentions herbal meat…..
I find the “Iriz Sedan” looks better than Iriz.
Very Good write-up !
I must admit that the shape does take some getting used to, but damn, the safety and equipment level for the price of 60k is pretty much unbeatable. A same level City V spec is 90k. Can buy a New Saga for the balance 30k almost !!.
I think very much worth buying, and looking at the initial booking of 8000 units, it seems others think the same. Good Job Proton ! Now lets see the New Saga with same levels of equipment on the safety and we have a good safe Malaysian made car. KUDUS !!
Of course it is unbeatable. This is a public funded non-for-profit organisation.
Whatever! Its still unreliable Campro VVT engine, CVT bising Clucth Punch Powertrain!
Buy Toyota Vios better!
Better by honda than toyota.. It’s already 2016 but still no esc… You can sell it to old people and atuk2 who don’t know or care about esc.. Young generation with a better exposure in a car safety rather to choose a car equipped with esc. Like I said.. Only atuk2 and nenek2 love vios
in this day and age, does segment really matters? Even engine size/type/cc is jumble up.
what we want is if i have a budget of around rm100k, what vehicles can i buy, might be sedan, suv, mpv. my 2 cents
kalau saya nak beli kereta, saya fikir budget, n whats the best option for my budget.
safety is no 1.
tak terpikir pun pasal segmen, baca paultan bru tau.heheh.
-pengguna biasa
Guane senyap belaka nih!
I once spend sleepless night to choose between the persona or bezza to replaced my 8 years old persona se. My old persona served me well but the sluggish heavy pickup at the jam consumed me a lot of bucks on the petrol that made me envy to the myvi owners. After test drive on the both car and several deep considerations, my answer is the persona. Whatever segment it is, i trusted my feeling on the car to make the choice. Maybe the city, vios or almera are better at some aspects but the rm30k price different is the biggest factor to me.
Safety shud oso be a factor for u when choosing a car, and Persona2 ticks all the boxes
Good choice personaian. The fact that U have own a persona for a good 8 years is a testament in itself.
I once own a Wira(M) for 13 years & it have serve me well & the main factor that I was reluctant to let go is bcos every Ah Chong, Ahmad or Muthu can service or change the parts without a fuss. It’s the cheapest car to maintain as well. Happy driving your new car bro.
In line with other comments, well-written review, good job. Writing quality here is premium.
I have whacked Proton so hard I’m afraid of looking at my previous comments – but I have to say, good job on this one, Proton. I don’t know how you did it, but you did it.
You just need to rationalise your strategy; the Accordana is completely mindless. Why would you need that except to sell to government procurement? Delink yourselves from the political environment and the baggage brought by your national car status. Focus on the consumer, as what you’ve done with this Persona. You are on the brink of death, but somehow you’ve pulled off this miracle. Quick note on comparison with Bezza – that’s a beca i.e. trishaw disguised as a car. The Persona is a car, not a Lamborghini, not even a Rio sedan, but a decent car nonetheless. Good luck.
In real world it shows… Good look with lesser flaw to the eyes will sell! And I think regardless of other shortcomings and uncertainties, this car is chalking sales… Please keep up learning good things Proton!
M’sian love/hate relationship of our P1/P2 are very apparent judging from the many comments/feedback. I can conclude that M’sian know their cars well.
If our National car manufacturer/assemblers put these comments into practice/work, I dare to say we M’sian can come up with a car that we Malaysian can be proud of.
Many M’sian probably have asked ‘Why do we need 2 National car brand’ in our small country ?? As a business model, it does not make economic sense bcos our domestic consumption does not warrant 2 national brands.
Our gov should reconsider merging P1 & P2 to improve it into a solid, stable(finance wise) & reliable brand in-order to compete globally. I do not want people to call our car good for Jaguh Kampong Only
After more than 30 years, its time P1/P2 stand on its own 2 feet & be counted, recognized as a respectable car manufacturer in the world. Don’t be afraid to learn from Korea/Japan bcos they have succeeded in the world.
I am very sure M’sian wants our national car to succeed & make a name for itself that we can be proud of.
Can our gov look into it seriously instead of throwing good $$$(millions/billions) into Petronas F1 racing advertisement every year without benefiting poor M’sian as a whole. The $$$ can be used for REAL R & D for our national car. Thank for reading folks.
U seem to be someone who looks at topic and jumps to ur own conclusion, yet u sound like a reasonable person. So I’ll explain this 1 time for u.
Merging. Gov cant interfere in the business of private companies unless they own majority stakes in both companies (which they dun!), and then need majority BoD & shareholders approval which might lead to external shareholders dumping their stocks (not a gud thing). I do agree that creating P2 was unnecessary, since P1 has shown willingness to work with other brands (Citroen, Renault, Mitsu, jujuki, etc). We not komunis. Gov ordering/forcing private entities it has no control is a big no-no unless with big compensation (ie buyout).
As for Pet. They r alredi reaping the benefits of partnering with Mesidis, being F1 champion and all that publicity. 1 year in F1 as champion is cheaper than paying for TV adverts in every country. Somemore being OEM supplier to AMG opened previously closed market (due to no presence in the past its hard to penetrate, ie USA). Thats why Pet was willing to cut everything else except title partner with Mesidis.
John oh John. Have U not heard of Management Buy Out(MBO). Who owns majority of the share of P1/P2 ?! Why only the Gov pump in 1.5 billion into P1 & others do not ??
Please don’t use your advertisement analogy to explain as it holds no water. Can U tell me how did Petronas benefited financially that our Rakyat have benefited other than throwing good $$$ away to advertisement ! Is Petronas selling Merc cars that make $$$ for Petronas/M’sian ?!
What other Original Equipment Manufacturer(OEM) U are referring to other than Fuel. Does Petronas sell fuels in other countries like Shell & BP ??
Are U telling me Petronas need F1 to survive ! Maybe U can explain what did Petronas export to USA as mention by U.
What I am trying to do here is providing a solution to a nagging problem most poor M’sian are having one way or another. Good try John.
Just from ur understanding that Pet makes fuel only, tells me plenty. Thanks very much.
J, Can U give an honest answer without skirting around ! Your innuendos does not solve any problems or answer any of my questions.
Can U give just ONE suggestion that can solve or at least help our gov to make a better car for us poor M’sian to enjoy a better car.
Petronas lube (syntium) are now used in Merc cars coming from the factories.
One more thing John, Ask any F1 fans “WHO is the F1 Champion in the world in 2015”. The answer will be Lewis Hamilton & Mercedes F1 Team. U will not get an answer saying Petronas is the Champion.
Be more specific please. Proton is a public funded private company.
Dont talk like bulls…t no vvt lah… cvt noise lah… if dont know about car or engine… the proton engine now more better other segment B if compare japanese car or continental car. Good jobs Proton… the Torque 150Nm at 4000rpm… Good performance… Good Compression Ratio… Good cars with best suspension systems… Good fuel Rated Economy though the 1.6L engine fuel use is still saving… and very important the car…Proton get safety 5star ASEAN NCAP.
Proton, remember a while ago… Batu 3 Shah Alam Track…or rally track the best proton race…. the Japaneses engineer/foremen… always makan asap with Malaysian Engineer/foremen.Proton Always winner on the race. Come proton… you remember the glory days.
How do you expect people to believe laid back working attitude with minum pagi, minum petang routine produces better product than the Japanese? You really think people buta kah?
Must give a big applause to the professional camera man. He took it so nice and I thought that proton finally get something different but the fact is when I saw a real car it is super duper ugly….hahaha….beh tahan the ugliness….
do we care where to segmentation the car? what i care is , its already 10k for the 1 month old babe. salute Protob.
I went to used car. A kid approach me.base model 2008 kl plate sold in johor. The kid say. Harga kereta BELUM TURUN. offer me 33k. Proton also got value. Rusted honda civic 1996 16k.where is the proof proton no value. Haha i laugh all the way to my car. You can keep until rusted then sell beli buruk. Still get money
Its a very nice car. And affordable too.
timing belt or timing chain
Looked at the car in a shopping mall. The whole car looked and felt fine… until I looked at the hand brake area, oh, it stands out the most from the rest of the car – it’s unbelievably lousy.
Please be careful when you want to open the back door (from outside), make sure you keep a distance from the door, otherwise you will have very high chance to get hit by the door. Wonder how can the manufacturer missed important detail like this.
Looking for a 2nd car to drive in town and occasional long distance – shortlisted Perodua Bezza Premium X (RM44800) and Proton Persona Standard (RM49800).
Difference in monthly installment is only about RM50. Still thinking which is a better choice. Priority is comfort and fuel economy.
Ask kak Mah to reply..”**
Chose standard persona banding ngan premium bezza.. hope I made a good choice for very first car of mine ! ;) Any persona users can further reply me your user exp ? I will update to you guys here who’re interested too !