It’s an interesting time for Proton, as the national carmaker experiences its biggest change yet through its partnership with Geely. With the X70 SUV grabbing the headlines and with many more Geely-based models coming soon, the company is at a crossroads as it still needs to sell its indigenously-designed products.
We can start to see its strategy in updating the latter as it gears up for the launch of the facelifted Iriz and Persona, which are more closely aligned to the design seen on the X70. We had quite a few questions, and luckily Proton’s chief designer Azlan Othman was on hand to answer them and give us some clues regarding its future design direction.
Why do the Iriz and Persona continue to have significantly different front end designs? How much local input will the locally-assembled X70 have? And how much of a role will Proton Design have in the greater Geely group? Watch the interview above to find out the answers.
AD: Drive the Proton model of your dreams. Submit your details and Proton PJ will get in touch with you.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Proton X90
from RM106,800 
Proton S70
from RM73,800 
Proton eMas 7 PHEV
from RM109,800 
Proton X70
from RM106,800 
Proton Saga
from RM38,990 
Proton eMas 5
from RM59,800 
Proton X50
from RM89,800 
Proton eMas 7
from RM103,800 
john
on 
X70 Buyer
on 
azlano
on 
Geli betul
on 
Vader
on 
lancau u
on 
Axxx
on 
Nope
on 
Celup King
on 
Amran
on 
yawnz
on 
Lolwhut?
on 
FrankC
on 
R j
on 
MyNewToy
on 
English Teacher
on 
Tun F
on 
Vader
on 
Singaporean
on 
Rakyat Malaysia
on 
joko
on 
Avenger
on 
Mr Proton
on 
JOACHIM
on 
Nico
on 
anonymous
on 
Kfc
on 
DK
on 
sampan300kmh
on 
Dupe King
on 
LOL
on 
Faiz
on 
Silthice
on 
pelir besar
on 
Copy Paste
on 
abang
on 
BOYRACER
on 
Gibran Ilram
on 
ccy7218
on 
Colorlite
on 
Sack Designer
on 
ploton
on 
Outalingam Crap
on 
Derick
on 
Newme
on 
RR
on
AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments are largely critical of Proton's car designs, with many calling for a new chief designer and praising foreign brands like Mazda, Skoda, and Seat for better styling. Some feel Azlan Othman’s designs are mediocre or unattractive, and there's debate over whether Proton benefits from working with Geely. A few commenters support Azlan’s efforts or highlight the collaboration with Geely positively, but overall, the sentiment toward Proton's design quality is negative.