Proton Iriz spotted in Indonesia – launching soon?

Proton Iriz spotted in Indonesia – launching soon?

Proton has talked up exports of the Iriz for some time, but so far it has yet to happen. However, Indonesian auto portal AutoNetMagz.com has managed to scour photos of the B-segment hatchback in Jakarta, which hints of an impending launch in the archipelago.

The Atlantic Blue unit was spotted at a hotel with its badges taped up, but was otherwise undisguised. By all appearances, this is the base 1.3 Standard manual model, judging by the black door mirrors and handles, as well as the lack of a bodykit, front fog lights and rear wiper.

The interior is standard, ahem, Standard fare as well, with a Bluetooth-equipped head unit and a non-multifunction steering wheel, although the angular gearknob on Malaysian-spec cars has been replaced by a round one from cars like the Savvy and Satria Neo.

Under the bonnet is almost certainly the 94 hp/120 Nm 1.3 litre VVT engine mated to a five-speed manual, just like we get over here. Expect specifications and equipment to mirror those offered over here, although it is rumoured that Indonesians could receive a 1.3 Premium CVT model that isn’t available in Malaysia.

Proton’s Indonesian arm has been quiet for some time now, with the last car introduced being the Suprima S in 2013. The Iriz was apparently slated to be launched in May 2015, then was reported to have undergone type approval that October. Could this be the year the Iriz finally makes it to Indonesia?

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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • Sabrina on Jan 06, 2017 at 11:49 am

    Let’s guess the total sales volume for the Proton Iriz in Indonesia for year 2017. My prediction is 160 units for the whole entire year in a country with 200 million people.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 57 Thumb down 17
    • You tak suka you keluar.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 53
      • Kunta Kinte on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:06 pm

        Don’t waste your time lah Proton. Even the recent Chile and Bangla projects also failed big time. Past 20 yrs also Proton failed big time in Europe.

        But yet Proton still keeps showrooms all over the world to maintain gaya.

        One example is Singapore. To Maintain the showroom and give expat pay to the abangs abangs in Singapore cost few million ringgit. But in the entire year of 2015 and 2016, Proton only sold a grand total of 1 car for each of those years.

        Same with UK and same with other countries. So few sales to justify the cost of paying for showrooms and expat pay package for staff.

        For a company that is bleeding RM4 million per day in losses, Proton needs to be wise and save.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 46 Thumb down 5
        • john is otak batu on Jan 06, 2017 at 3:44 pm

          proton in singapore is handled by Cycle & Carriage. last time i checked. but now C&C only selling Mercedez, Mitsubishi, Kia and Citroen. dont know Proton’s fate over there

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
        • Thomas and friends. on Jan 07, 2017 at 8:58 am

          I like the way you think. Just like Thomas Alva Edison. If not mistaken.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • I am proud of my foreign car...... on Jan 11, 2017 at 11:22 am

          I like Great Wall Car….Very good, cheap and outstanding. Millions Great Wall Car sold in 30 million Malaysian people. And many many millions Great Wall Car sold in 200 million Indonesian people. And many many many millions Great Wall Car sold in 5 millions Singaporean people. I am proud of it. Really like you, Great Wall.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Faiz Kunta bothsai on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:20 pm

        who knows it can do well there, sell cheap cheap lah.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
    • Jaguh Global on Jan 06, 2017 at 12:00 pm

      Maybe 161 units. Kipidap Protong!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 1
      • Faiz Roslan on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:38 pm

        Based on my bill of quantity modelling, Iriz will sell like hot cakes in Indonesia. Our government must support Protons effort to export because we want to show the Indonesians we are the better nation with more advanced technologies and modern buildings. – Faiz Roslan CEng

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 15
        • Mikey on Jan 06, 2017 at 5:02 pm

          Ha ha ha. Base on your BQ, they should sell Kuih lapis. Guarantee sure Habis. Tak Payah Warranty so Tak Payah Tanggung Risiko.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
        • fanofthisite on Jan 07, 2017 at 4:56 pm

          ironically the big headed want to show what Malaysians are capable of (cocky pride nothing to do with car manufacturing and marketing) is what screwed Proton’s ambitions in the 1st place, and here we have a dope wants to show Indons as inferior and strangely expect to sell more Malaysian content that way. Ketuanan apa ni?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Stevie on Jan 06, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      Ok what! As long as we don’t have to pay higher than exported proton car like what happened when Tun M was PM

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 25
    • Albert on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      Today STAR newspaper advert…Iriz…Discount upto RM9K.Suprima rm 12K discount.
      Pondana rm 5K.
      Not surprising,they r dumping Iriz in Indonland.Perhaps RM 25-30K on the road.
      Just pathetic.
      Forum readers,get ready for another record BAILOUT IN BILLIONS of RM.No white knight is stupid enough to come in WITHOUT A STRING OF CONDITIONS.
      pROTONG….THERE ISN’T AND WILL NEVER BE light at the end of the tunnel.IT is COMPLETE DARKNESS.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 39 Thumb down 9
      • topkek on Jan 06, 2017 at 5:27 pm

        If dun export basher says jaguh kampung
        If export basher says dumping pulak

        Topkek

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 4
    • Export salah.
      X export un salah.

      Aduhai bashers sekalian. Otak kat mane?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 9
  • R&D Jurutera on Jan 06, 2017 at 11:54 am

    Syabas Proton! Luaskan Kuasamu!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 10
    • Abang Alza Pakai Topi on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:34 pm

      In a land where Avanzas, Innovas and Rushs reign supreme, Iriz does not stand a chance. Iriz came into being to steal some Myvi market share. Myvi doesn’t get attention anywhere in the world except Malaysia. So Proton is just paying lip service to MITI so at least they can say they’ve tried exporting but sob sob sob..the Indonesians “don’t appreciate our technology” sob sob sob. Then can ask more grant to bail them out.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 5
      • Ex VGM staff on Jan 08, 2017 at 2:50 pm

        Myvi does exist in Indonesia. It is known as daihatsu sirion and it is imported from Malaysia.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • jayasubang on Jan 06, 2017 at 11:58 am

    able to drink filthy Premium RON88?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • passion on Jan 06, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    what a sad state of affairs for P1.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 5
    • fanofthisite on Jan 07, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      why is exporting a new model to an oseas market a bad thing?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Ex VGM staff on Jan 08, 2017 at 2:52 pm

        The model is already 3 years old. Its out of fashion. And it doesn’t have what the competitions have. Brand image, trusted reliability and especially in iriz category – EEV status

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • citizen on Jan 06, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    spotted, they want to sell it but question is, who will buy it? no body.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 5
  • Kunta Indon on Jan 06, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    Hope it can sell well there.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 5
    • ex-VGM staff on Jan 06, 2017 at 3:23 pm

      the problem is.. iriz already 3 years when indonesia used to get almost everything firrst in the region. especially toyota and honda models.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • joko supriyanto on Jan 06, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    bagi rim cantik sikit mcm alza 2014 atau rim iriz premium…jgn bagi rim katik

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2
  • Malaysian Driver on Jan 06, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    The Iriz is a very very good car, consider the fact it is engineered from ground up by a small ikan bilis manufacturer that has much less resources and a small engineering team compared to the much established giants from Europe or Japan.

    The thing about Iriz that impress me the most is the chassis, under stress and cornering, it is as taut and composed as the best of the B-segment hatch can offer, namely the Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta and even the Mini R53 ! Heck, the ride is also equally good, it filters the Klang Valley potholes-ridden-road very well and even a tad more comfort than the Fiesta and M2, but also returning the same amount of lateral force feedback to the driver’s spine, you’ll have a very clear picture on what the rear end is doing and when the grip starts to give way, this is a very priced driving quality that most Japanese cars and Peroduas will never offer you, but also most car buyers in Malaysia never emphasised. It is an absolute joy and fun to drive, and it’s also very driver-friendly too, you have to be absolutely nuts to throw it out of control. It is that good. I really feel that this chassis can handle up to 180 – 200 horses very well, if Proton gives us an R3 Iriz, that runs on the new turbo engines and six speed manual, but this is my wishful thinking though, consider the financial quagmire Proton is currently in, they will never have the cash to produce something solely for brand status and for the enthusiasts, like the Proton Putra in the 90’s.

    However, the achilles heel of the Iriz gotta be the drivetrain, most notably the CVT. If Proton is able to implement the new found improved CVT refinement of the Persona into the Iriz, and coupled with the new three point engine mountings, we have a best value for money hatch that is safe, fun to drive and practical too. It’s a pity to see such a good engineered car being hamstrung by a transmission choice and the stigma still attached to the badge.

    For me, I choose the Iriz manual because it’s best driven in the manual. The Campro in its VVT guise, while still suffer from initial throttle respond, is much refined compared to the vanilla Campro I had a decade ago. Bring this small little car to Kuala Klawang, rev it to 5000 and heel-toe it at every corner, added with the much defined stick shift frm Gertag (although the throw is a little long, but hey, this is no type R! isn’t it?) This small little hatch will never ceased to impress and make every keen driver smile, even in its stock form. For 40k, I would certainly say there is nothing in the market that give you more smile per Ringgit in terms of the driving enjoyment, this bloody damn good Iriz manual.

    Hopefully, the Proton marketing team can pull a good campaign in Jakarta and attract Indonesian to look at this little hatch. But this might be unlikely because Proton’s marketing team is one of the weakest branch in the whole establishment. But the good news is, this Iriz might sell even cheaper compared to Malaysia, as hatchbacks are taxed lesser compared to sedans in Indonesia. Furthermore, Indonesians are not spec-conscious compared to Malaysian, maybe Proton could pull out some accessories such as touch screens and leather seats (but don’t cut the safer features, please!) to make the Iriz even more price-attractive in Jakarta. Nevertheless, I still wish them luck.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 71 Thumb down 101
    • hanafiah on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      What a fairy tale wishful thinking write up but sadly at the end of the day the whole Iriz package sucks & no one in the right mind would wanna drive an Iriz given the choice & options Indonesians have.
      P1 just trying to ship out & clear their massive cobweb infested 2015-2016 stock pile.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 11
      • nosushi on Jan 06, 2017 at 5:31 pm

        Belum launch ady said “no one in the right mind would wanna drive an Iriz”

        Jepunis dowan competition

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 10
    • stgmc on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:40 pm

      walaweii..utot iriz is like golf gti izit?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 4
    • karam singh on Jan 06, 2017 at 3:56 pm

      the problem is Proton marketing team and engineers focuses too much on handling and forgetting the main factors as to why people are buying new cars todays. proton – please read this. first of all the car must have a good image which can be of safety, resale value, reliability, good service network etc. proton has none of those. when it comes to safety proton is so far left behind. ESC has seen used by many car companies since 10 years back. many car companies offering up to 10 airbags instead of Proton’s 6. not even knee airbag available as option. proton had also failed to comply to emission legislation which means it cannot sell not even 1 unit of new proton in EU. why didnt the engineers thought of this when they were creating preve CFE? they dont read what is happening outside Malaysia?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 6
      • notakata on Jan 06, 2017 at 5:38 pm

        Say “no” to takata airbags. 10 also no use if it kills

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 5
    • Bro. Kunta@Albert din like ur wall of text. Dun worry I gip u Like.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • Arigato Gozaimas on Jan 06, 2017 at 10:12 pm

      Well that’s the problem with Proton, focusing too much on ride and handling (R&H) at the expense of cars’ overall quality. It is not in the best interest of a Mommy with 3 kids to tackle corners like a professional car racer. If there is such a thing called Proton’s Report Card, the R&H department will get A+, while fit and finishing department will get D.

      While I agree that Proton R&H is superior than some of the world’s biggest carmakers, but this is not suppose to be a priority. At least not to MOST people. Car enthusiasts will definitely love it, but Mommy won’t bother.

      With latest advancement in technology, Proton should never settle on good R&H as a sole marketing point. Nowadays, some marques such as Mazda already go for torque vectoring system to improve its cars handling. Soon, all marques will produce cars with great handling too.

      Anyway, it’s true Proton team is rather smaller than other carmakers, but don’t forget that it has LOTUS. The moment I read that Iriz’s dynamic was tuned almost exclusively by Proton’s own engineers, I thought, great! Perhaps it’s time to let LOTUS go its own way. But then, I realized it’s actually not in the best interest of Proton to let LOTUS off.

      Here’s why: LOTUS is based in UK (Europe). Proton even has its own private office in LOTUS’s building. Whatever automative standard Europe decides to enforce, the whole industry will follow. If Proton is to stay relevant, it’s good to have constant input from this part of the world back to Proton’s headquarters here in Malaysia. It’s Proton’s extended base. There’s a reason why military strategist like to have stations at certain places. It gives them useful strategic information.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
    • Kang kong on Jan 06, 2017 at 10:59 pm

      If iriz is that good, how come Axia and Myvi everywhere??

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 5
      • Myvi is old shopping cart with wheels, of course it is here and there

        Axia is cheapest option available , not bcoz it is good

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • mr1031 on Jan 06, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    wah, finally our so called ‘global small car’ is finally going to be sold outside eh..so many years already since the claim

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Arigato Gozaimas on Jan 06, 2017 at 3:07 pm

    You sure Proton?

    This year 2017 is Iriz’s year. Lots of buyers will buy it for Uber. I don’t want to hear no stock and late delivery news pop up on my newsfeed. Do it properly.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 6
  • Kunta bin Katak on Jan 06, 2017 at 5:31 pm

    The saga looks really good. Good job proton. The iriz has very nice headlights, but the back looks flat and not interesting. The Preve , well it’s design., the flat and small looking headlights and very bulky and chunky rear is not good at all, design wise, the Preve was a failed design.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Bernard on Jan 07, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    Proton should focus on selling at half its price to less developed countries like Nigeria …..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • I am proud of my foreign car...... on Jan 11, 2017 at 11:20 am

    I like Great Wall Car….Very good, cheap and outstanding. Millions Great Wall Car sold in 30 million Malaysian people. And many many millions Great Wall Car sold in 200 million Indonesian people. I am proud of it. Really like you, Great Wall.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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