[sterlingjames]

While working in the middle east, i had used a Top-end Proton Gen2(hi-Line MT) and i feel i should share my ownership expereine with you all.

To give a brief intro,Proton is the Malaysian car maker established in 1983, the brainchild of the then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed.
Initially, relying heavily on Mitsubishi for technology/design as well as strategic government support on taxes and benefits, it had carved out a significant local market share but poor international representation.

It was only in 1996, with the acquisition of Lotus Technologies did Proton emerge as a serious international car maker. While Lotus did give them the edge in terms of vehicle design and ride and handling…the absence of a state-of-the-art engine-transmission technology has prevented the car (GEN2) to be a real serious contender in the international arena.




having personally tested the GEN2 for almost 15,000 kms i must admit that the overall ownership experience was good (for the price, that is! it was sold for the equivalent of 4.7lacs).
Where it falls short on expectation is the powertrain (engine and transmission). The engine is noisy (calling it a ‘sporty, hence noisy’ engine will not convince all of them.
while the 5 speed manual gearbox is a tad notchy and the gears sticky at higher revs(5000rpm and above) the 4 speed auto box is an utter disgrace and less said about it, the better!)
While the competition (not the Japanese machines) already have 6 speed and tiptronic gearboxes, this 5 speed and 4 speed transmissions are a glaring handicap and prevents anyone to consider the GEN2 a serious title contender in that segment.

Where it however, redeems itself is in the ride and handling department (this is where Lotus Technology comes in!). It is common knowledge that one of the best handling cars currently in this segment is the Ford Focus and I must admit that the Proton GEN2 beats the Focus hands down, no contest!!!!…
it ‘corners, like on rails’ thanks to the intricately-designed front and rear suspension and the sharp and the precise steering makes it an absolute scream to drive (pity it doesn’t have the engine and the gearbox to go with it!

i would personally like to see a 2.0L turbo charged monster under the hood with a 6 speed, steering mounted paddle shift to justify and compliment the superb vehicle dynamics)

from what i have seen in the news, the PERSONA(the sedan version) and the 1.3L SAGA is the version which is most likely to hit indian roads(if at all they can find a suitable indian partner!).
if they give the Persona the new 125BHP 1.6L CAMPRO CPS engine then there is a decent chance of success as the engine is also Lotus-tuned and a different beast altogether hmm let's wait and see.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team : Post edited.Please take the time to use proper punctuation as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid...typing...like...this. Thanks.

[rhenius]

The biggest question is who are the Indian arm of Proton going to be? And whether they will be able to provide the A.S.S which the vehicle deserves. The Proton with its original Mitsubishi lineage must be very good cars for the driver experience. Looking forward to seeing the birth of a new car brand in India.

[sterlingjames]

Originally Posted by rhenius

The biggest question is who are the Indian arm of Proton going to be? And whether they will be able to provide the A.S.S which the vehicle deserves. The Proton with its original Mitsubishi lineage must be very good cars for the driver experience. Looking forward to seeing the birth of a new car brand in India.

Chintu!!welcome to Team BHP. when are you going to get your Linea???!!!

[sterlingjames]

[quote=sterlingjames;1569243]While working in the middle east, i had used a Top-end Proton Gen2(hi-Line MT) and i feel i should share my ownership expereine with you all.

To give a brief intro,Proton is the Malaysian car maker established in 1983, the brainchild of the then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed.
Initially, relying heavily on Mitsubishi for technology/design as well as strategic government support on taxes and benefits, it had carved out a significant local market share but poor international representation.
It was only in 1996, with the acquisition of Lotus Technologies did Proton emerge as a serious international car maker. While Lotus did give them the edge in terms of vehicle design and ride and handling…the absence of a state-of-the-art engine-transmission technology has prevented the car (GEN2) to be a real serious contender in the international arena.

having personally tested the GEN2 for almost 15,000 kms i must admit that the overall ownership experience was good (for the price, that is! it was sold for the equivalent of 4.7lacs).
Where it falls short on expectation is the powertrain (engine and transmission). The engine is noisy (calling it a ‘sporty, hence noisy’ engine will not convince all of them.
while the 5 speed manual gearbox is a tad notchy and the gears sticky at higher revs(5000rpm and above) the 4 speed auto box is an utter disgrace and less said about it, the better!)
While the competition (not the Japanese machines) already have 6 speed and tiptronic gearboxes, this 5 speed and 4 speed transmissions are a glaring handicap and prevents anyone to consider the GEN2 a serious title contender in that segment.
Where it however, redeems itself is in the ride and handling department (this is where Lotus Technology comes in!). It is common knowledge that one of the best handling cars currently in this segment is the Ford Focus and I must admit that the Proton GEN2 beats the Focus hands down, no contest!!!!…
it ‘corners, like on rails’ thanks to the intricately-designed front and rear suspension and the sharp and the precise steering makes it an absolute scream to drive (pity it doesn’t have the engine and the gearbox to go with it!
i would personally like to see a 2.0L turbo charged monster under the hood with a 6 speed, steering mounted paddle shift to justify and compliment the superb vehicle dynamics)
from what i have seen in the news, the PERSONA(the sedan version) and the 1.3L SAGA is the version which is most likely to hit indian roads(if at all they can find a suitable indian partner!).
if they give the Persona the new 125BHP 1.6L CAMPRO CPS engine then there is a decent chance of success as the engine is also Lotus-tuned and a different beast altogether hmm let's wait and see.

the number, incidentally is worth more than the car!

[sterlingjames]

check out this video of my test drive of the Proton Saga(1.3L)car that is also scheduled to hit indian roads if the tie-up with Hero Motors materialise.

YouTube - proton saga test drive