Proton Persona Elegance – Superb value for money
Let’s cut to the chase, the Persona is arguably the strongest model in Proton’s line-up, and it’s not difficult to see why. It offers the practicality of a three-box sedan, spacious cabin, reasonable performance and comprehensive specifications at a competitive price. Thanks to inputs from Lotus, superb driving dynamics are thrown into the mix as well.
As such, there was little surprise that the Persona flew off the blocks with 2,200 bookings collected even before the model was officially launched in August 2007. Early units came with the base-level Campro 1.6 engine, though subsequent units have been been added with the Integrated Air Fuel Module (IAFM) to smoothen out a notoriously peaky torque curve.
With a little more than two and a half years on the market, Proton recently gave the Persona a facelift and re-branded it as the Persona Elegance. Although the new name suffix does not appear in any badging on the car, the refreshed product looks sufficiently different from the original that there should be no mistake even to the most ignorant of observers.
What’s been improved?
The original design of the Persona is based on the Gen.2, which, in turn, is based on the Waja. Although blessed with stupendous driving dynamics, the Gen.2 remains a deeply flawed product and was hardly a good starting point to design a bread and butter car to replace the Proton Wira.
But using the Gen.2’s mechanicals made perfect sense from an economic point of view because that platform remains very much an up-to-date piece of engineering. In addition, that move also allows Proton to focus its development costs for the Persona to fix what was really wrong with the Gen.2 – its interior.
Although fundamental flaws of the Gen.2’s cabin continue to be present in the Persona, things have been massively improved, and the improvement is even more evident with the Persona Elegance. Quality has been raised by leaps and bounds, and in the High-Line trim as per our test car, some parts of it even look and feel premium.
The first cabin of the Gen.2 featured an analogue clock which seemed to pop out of nowhere right in the middle of the dashboard. I liked it personally, but many didn’t, and bowing to customer demand, Proton removed it, which was fine. But the trouble is that the clock is now integrated into the trip computer, and regardless whatever information you choose the screen to display, it defaults back to the digital clock after about a minute or so.
The original integrated head unit inherited from the Gen.2 has also been removed and replaced with a single-DIN Blaupunkt head unit that comes complete with a USB interface. You’ll need the USB interface because the radio does not seem to have an accessible Alternative Frequencies (AF) function. This is especially bad for the Persona because my favourite stations tuned in Klang Valley frequencies were starting to turn static as near as Sepang.
Externally, the Persona Elegance features the customary cosmetic upgrades from the original, and in this case ‘upgrade’ is spot-on as a word to describe the new look. The revised front end is imported almost wholesale from the Gen.2 CPS, with the only change being a revised grille pattern.
Tyre and wheel combo remains unchanged, but the original seven-spoke alloys are replaced with a different design. We have no comments on its aesthetic value, but we do reckon that it’ll be more difficult to clean! The hopeless Gen.2 side mirrors have been ditched and replaced with more square-looking units that feature integrated LED signal lights. It may not be as aerodynamic as the predecessor, but I distinctly remember the original side-mirrors being absolutely useless in most instances. We won’t be surprised if owners of the original Persona start hunting for the new mirrors.
One thing that Proton has never quite gotten right in the past with their facelift exercises have been the way they re-work the tail lights. Think back: Iswara to Saga LMST, Wira facelift, and Waja facelift. None of those can claim to feature tail lights better than the original. Fortunately, the Persona Elegance bucks this trend, with new set of LED lights replacing the Gen.2-sourced items. Accusations of being a Mercedes C-Class copycat might ring loud and true, but Proton’s interpretation of the design does not look in any way inferior.
No changes have been made under the skin, as the 1,597cc Campro S4PH 16-valve twin-cam engine with IAFM continues service in all variants of the Persona. It produces 110hp @ 6,500rpm and 148Nm @ 4,000rpm. A new 32-bit ECU manages all engine functions, though Proton has stated that the engine’s tuning has not been altered. Depending on variant, customers have a choice of two Mitsubishi-sourced transmissions – the F5M41 5-speed manual or the F4A42 4-speed automatic.
With many B-segment and C-segment rivals opting to use torsion beam rear suspension for ‘packaging’ reasons, it is great to note that the Persona is independently sprung all-round with MacPherson struts up front and multi-link rear suspension. In fact, even with the space requirements of the multi-link setup, Proton still managed to squeeze a respectable 430 litres of bootspace into the rear overhangs.
Variants
Proton offers the Persona Elegance in three self-descriptive trim levels – Base-Line, Medium-Line, and High-Line. The Persona SE is no longer offered, and its specs are ‘merged’ into the High-Line model. Manual transmission is offered only in Base and Medium Line trim, whilst automatic transmission is offered with all three. The absence of stick-shift in High-Line trim is an unfortunate omission.
The Base-Line models underline their entry level positioning with steel wheels and unpainted body parts, though it still comes with all-round power windows, USB audio connectivity, and alarm. Medium-Line adds alloy wheels, side-skirtings, driver’s airbag, fog lamps, electric side-mirrors, and 60:40 split-folding seats. Extras for the top-spec High-Line model are rear disc brakes, ABS, EBD, passenger airbag, leather upholstery, auto cruise and remote boot release.
Prices start at RM46,499 for the Base-Line model with manual transmission going all the way up to RM59,499 for the High-Line model. During launch, it was stated that all registered showroom test cars will be of Medium-Line trim with automatic transmission. That variant goes for RM55,999.
The Test Car
Our test car from Proton is the most expensive High-Line model. If you think it looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it gracing the pages of other publications. It is the only test unit Proton has registered for media use, and by the time it has reached us, the car has already underwent 5,500km of abuse. We returned it to Proton four days later after adding 700km to the odometer.
Proton bashers will be licking their lips here. Things out of place include a front bumper that appears poorly aligned to the fenders on both sides and minor rattling sounds from the driver’s door. Things not working were the auto cruise and boot release lever. The wipers too were shockingly worn out, even granting the fact that the car might have been parked under the sun for the past four months (road tax disc says April 2010 registration).
Having said that, and I know this would be hard to believe after all the stuff I’ve pointed out, the rest of the car looks and feels well screwed together. Although not at levels that will trouble the Japanese or Koreans, Proton’s build quality has been steadily rising in recent years that their cars feel progressively more solid with each successive iteration.
Driving Experience
The overall driving experience of the Persona leans to the sporty side, which prompts question marks why Proton assigned the ‘Elegance’ tag to it. I don’t know what Proton did to the car, but this Persona test car feels livelier and a lot more responsive than a pre-facelift unit which I drove extensively for a time last year.
Although the IAFM unit is said to smoothen out the Campro engine’s torque curve, I have never felt the famous surge after 4,000rpm of this engine as vividly as I did with this car. I am reasonably familiar with the Campro’s characteristics as my daily ride is a Waja Campro without IAFM or CPS.
The transmission options offered on the Persona are very familiar items to us, having been extensively used in Proton cars since the Waja. Our test car comes with the 4-speed automatic gearbox governed by Mitsubishi’s INVECS-II transmission control software. Compared to the notorious F4A22-2 transmission used by the Wira 1.6, this unit is substantially more durable with very few complaints of pre-mature failure.
A commonly found characteristic of this transmission regardless of the model it appears in is a highly aggressive shifting pattern. Kickdowns are all too easy to trigger, and the transmission downshifts when it detects the driver easing off on downward slopes. This characteristic is not to everyone’s liking, but it suits me fine.
When the need to summon acceleration arises, both gearbox and engine are more than eager to comply. The former gets things going by dropping a cog, and the latter quickly follows up by sweeping itself up the revs. They are not the most sophisticated pairings around, but they get the job done with great satisfaction to the driver.
Now we come to the ride and handling aspect of the car, and these days for any Proton, top marks is almost a foregone conclusion. Even cars twice as expensive do not offer the same finely tuned ride and handling balance that the Persona has; this is especially true since many cars twice as expensive these days do not even come with independent rear suspension like the Persona.
Both along straights and curves, the Persona chassis demonstrates immense composure. At speeds, it stays planted; at corners, it keeps body roll manageable. Mid-corner bumps and potholes fail to unsettle it. Steering feel and feedback is excellent. The only problem is the 60-series Continental ComfortContact-1 tyres, which gave commendable levels of comfort and road noise, but lose grip way too easily when pushed.
One very real criticism which can be leveled against the Persona is its poor fuel consumption, a well-known Achilles heel of the Campro engine. Perhaps it was due to my hard style of driving, but our first refill of the 50 litre tank came after 324.7 kilometres. The fuel nozzle only managed to squeeze in 37.776 litres before spilling out. It suggests a fuel warning light that comes up way too early, but it still translates to an unsatisfactory 8.60 km/l.
Verdict
At its price, the Persona represents a fine overall package. Most importantly, however, is that it not only is a sensible package, but it also incorporates a great amount of character in its drive, which is something not many cars offer these days.
The flaws of the Persona lie in all the small things, mostly due to basic errors committed in the cabin’s design when developing the Gen.2. Poor fuel consumption does not help its cause either. Nevertheless, these minor faults do not ruin what is ultimately a well-painted big picture.
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