The All-New 2016 Proton Persona

"pjhusa" (pjhuskinja) 08/23/2016 at 21:55 • Filed to: Proton, Persona, Malaysia, New

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Here it is, Proton’s latest effort at a compact sedan. As part of three new sedans to be released this year, this is the second, the first being the new Perdana and the third being the new Saga.

Here are some statistics, so you don’t have to go Google searching:

Base Price:

• RM 46,350 (~ $11.5k USD at time of publishing)

Safety:

• 5-Star ASEAN NCAP rating

• ABS, ESC, traction control, hill-hold assist, and ISOFIX mount standard

• driver and passenger airbags on the Standard model, 6 on the Premium variant

Trim levels:

• Standard

• Executive

• Premium

Performance...?:

• 1.6 Liter 4-cylinder VVT engine (107 hp, 150 Nm)

• Based on the Iriz platform

• Manual only available on the base Standard variant (ugh)

This seems to be a strong competitor to the also recently released Perodua Bezza, and better looking in my opinion too. Both present a good value for what they are.

Will it do well on the market? Perodua’s earlier release and lower starting price may give the Bezza a slight advantage. But only time will tell.

Photos Credit: PaulTan.org

My citroen won't start > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 22:02

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IMO it looks awful.

Tiny tiny wheels compared to what looks like a massive small car.

Weird proportions, it looks really odd.

So many different carvings and lines, why? Look at those doors.

not for canada - australian in disguise > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 22:05

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That thing is FUGLY. Though there really hasn’t been a good looking subcompact sedan since the old Rio, and even then, the Rio was a hunk of shit.

I’d much rather take it’s Iriz sibling.

pjhusa > not for canada - australian in disguise 08/23/2016 at 22:06

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Ah, the Iriz. I find it quite handsome for a subcompact. But this beats the Bezza by far!

Nauraushaun > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 22:08

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It’s got that small wheel thing going on, throws everything out of whack.

pjhusa > Nauraushaun 08/23/2016 at 22:19

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15-inch wheels across the board beats the 14-inchers on the Bezza.

carcrasher88 > not for canada - australian in disguise 08/23/2016 at 22:21

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Yeah, the Iriz looks great. But, this thing certainly looks better than the original Persona, which looked like the awkward offspring of a second generation Neon and a fourth generation Ford Taurus.

Nauraushaun > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 22:33

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My MR2 doesn’t have big wheels neither, but it’s the ratio I’m concerned about. The 10 meters of body between the top of the rear wheel and the bottom of the window

thatsmr > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 22:36

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Previous gen Focus meets Chevy Sonic

pjhusa > My citroen won't start 08/23/2016 at 22:39

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The proportions are definitely a bit odd, I agree with that. And there are a lot of lines.

Still, I feel that it beats the Perodua Bezza, its main competition. That car has a rather bland design inside and out, and the smallness of the wheels looks further emphasized there.

pjhusa > thatsmr 08/23/2016 at 22:42

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I do see some Sonic on there... but not so much the Focus.

My citroen won't start > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 22:44

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Is the Honda City a direct competitor?

pjhusa > My citroen won't start 08/23/2016 at 22:56

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It is. Unfortunately, it starts at around $7,000 USD more.

My citroen won't start > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 22:58

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An Uber used a brand new one to pick me up last week. Neat little car, super comfy rear seats, good quality leather and fit and finish.

pjhusa > My citroen won't start 08/23/2016 at 23:00

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Of course I'd definitely purchase a Civic over this, but for some, one would be prohibitively expensive... $7,000 isn't chump change.

My citroen won't start > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 23:02

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7000 seems a bit too much for two same class cars. Hell, 7000 probably is the difference between the City and the big Civic.

pjhusa > My citroen won't start 08/23/2016 at 23:08

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Blame absurd import taxes... a well equipped, sub-$50,000 BMW 330i in the USA runs for around $74,000 there.

Therefore, local brands like Proton and Perodua are wayyy cheaper than foreign brands like Honda.

My citroen won't start > pjhusa 08/23/2016 at 23:12

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Same here, we have about 150% import tax on most cars, I was under the impression the City was built in Alor Ghaja.

RT > carcrasher88 08/23/2016 at 23:39

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The original Persona. Sold in Europe briefly in hatch form.

There’s a reason it was sold briefly .

Zonday > pjhusa 08/24/2016 at 05:54

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I’m sorry, but like most recent Protons it will be shite. It’s hideous to begin with and will start to rattle and shake within 6 months and fail spectacularly within a year, at which point will need replacing with crappy OEM parts every couple of months. The Bezza may have less ambitious looks and toys but it is going to get 90% of sales.

pjhusa > My citroen won't start 08/24/2016 at 10:21

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I’m not very knowledgeable about the various taxes and whatnot, but I believe that it would be plausible to say that even CKDs/SKDs probably run some sort of tariff. That would explain the still high prices of these locally assembled, foreign-branded automobiles (the City and 3er in this case).

pjhusa > Zonday 08/24/2016 at 10:30

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I can’t judge for Proton reliability, so there’s that, but from what I’ve heard, they’ve certainly improved from their incredibly crappy Waja years. As you mentioned, brand perception might definitely benefit Bezza sales.