Proton Iriz


Debut: 2014
Maker: Proton
Predecessor: Savvy


 Published on 11 Jan 2017
All rights reserved. 

This might be our last review on a Proton as DRB-Hicom is selling the car maker.


Proton has always been a headache to its backer, the Malaysian government, and its owner DRB-Hicom. In spite of continuous investment into new products and facilities, employing Western engineering consultants for designing its cars and countless of promises of improving quality standards, its image never recovered and its sales never took off. In fact, it kept sliding. In 2015, it sold just over 100,000 cars, a joke for mass production manufacturer. And this was shared across multiple models, so you can imagine how poor the economy of scale. In contrast, local rival Perodua needed just one model (Axia) to sell the same number as the entire Proton lineup. Worse still, under the stronger and stronger competition from Japanese manufacturers, there is little hope for rebound in the foreseeable future. No wonder DRB-Hicom revealed the intention to sell Proton to foreign car groups. If my forecast is correct, a deal will be made soon, and Proton will stop developing its own cars – maybe it could do some localization jobs based on foreign designs, just like what Perodua does, but clean sheet developments will be no more. As a result, this might be our last review on a Proton.

Proton Iriz arrived in September 2014 as a replacement to the long-serving, seriously outdated Savvy. In other words, it is the company’s entry-level car and a rival to sales champion Perodua Myvi (a localized Daihatsu Boon/Toyota Passo). Malaysian motoring diehards had very high expectation for it, not least because they had been waiting for an affordable small car that is more stylish and more exciting to drive than the Perodua. To a large extent, these expectations have been fulfilled. The Iriz is a good looking hatchback. It’s not quite as sharp as Ford Fiesta or as cute as Fiat 500, but it is thoroughly modern and have plenty of stylish touches, such as the sharp headlights, a sweeping waistline and slightly flared wheel arches. While its predecessor fell into A-segment, the Iriz is a lot larger, measuring 3920mm in length (up 210mm), 1722mm in width (+79mm), 1554mm in height (+74mm) and runs a much longer wheelbase at 2555mm (+160 mm). This means it is now a B-segment car. Theoretically it is a class higher than Myvi, but curiously Proton is able to price it at comparable levels.


It’s not quite as sharp as Ford Fiesta or as cute as Fiat 500, but it is thoroughly modern and have plenty of stylish touches.

The car was developed in-house, while subsidiary Lotus was believed to have a hand in the tuning of its ride and handling (as usual). Just like everything else in the class, it rides on MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the back. The steering is assisted electrically, a first for Proton, and the system is supplied by ZF. Under the bonnet, you can choose either a 1.3-liter or 1.6-liter engine. Both are lightly developed from the existing Campro engine and feature intake variable valve timing. There is no direct injection or turbocharging, but this is hardly a sin for this class. The smaller engine produces 94 hp and 88 lbft of torque at 4000 rpm. The larger engine is basically its long stroke version, making 107 hp and 111 lbft of torque. The output figures are decent, as are the performance figures (see spec. table). However, they comply with only Euro 4 emission standard thus are not possible to be exported to developed countries. They also lack fuel saving tech like automatic stop-start. Both engines can be mated with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT, which is again supplied by Dutch company Punch. The same CVT on Preve / Suprima caught a lot of criticisms, but Proton claimed they had been improved for Iriz.

In terms of safety equipment, the Iriz is quite generous and up-to-date. It offers standard ABS, TC and ESP on all models. The cabin offers an infotainment system with 6.2-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, GPS, USB ports, engine start button, rear-view camera and audio controls on the steering wheel. Frankly, we did not expect the Proton entry-level car to be so modern and so well equipped.


Build quality is easily higher than any self-developed Protons, but falls short of the industrial standards.

The positive impression continues when you enter the cabin. The driving position is spot-on, while the driver seat is supportive. Given the extra dimensions, the cabin offers plenty of space. Curiously, the smaller Myvi still beats it on rear head and legroom, proving the Japanese know-how of space efficiency. However, compared with other B-segment hatchbacks the Iriz is not particularly cramped at the back. The 215-liter boot is on the small side though, and the hatch opening is narrow.

The design of the interior is quite modern, if a bit rough and edgy for my taste. Predictably, quality of materials and build are no match with European hatchbacks. There are some rough edges and uneven panel gaps that you won’t find on Japanese small cars. Surprisingly, top trims include leather seats and faux stitched leather upholstery on the dash top to cover the otherwise hard plastics. They don’t feel exactly high-quality when in touch, but do improve the visual quality. Not so the small parts. Switches feel brittle and operate without tactile feel. The air-conditioning dials turn loosely and feel especially cheap. The touchscreen is unresponsive to your input... None of these problems are fatal. They just imply that Proton does not employ the best quality suppliers – from another perspective, the best suppliers are not interested in the volume and prices offered by Proton. Still, the Iriz’s build quality is easily higher than any self-developed Protons, including the larger Preve/Suprima. Moreover, judging from the criticisms gathered in the past 2 years, its reliability seems to have been improved a lot, if not exactly world-class. At least, its power windows are still working, and few parts fall off from its cabin.


Many Japanese CVTs have managed to relieve “rubberband effect”, but this one is still an old-fashioned, stupid CVT.

For a B-segment hatchback, the Iriz is a bit overweight. The lightest version with 1.3-liter engine and manual gearbox weighs 1130 kg, while the heaviest 1.6 CVT adds another 55 kg. This put strain on the engines, which are already not world-class. As a result, real-world performance is average. The manual gearbox is generally slick to shift and coupled with a light clutch, but its ratios are widely spaced to please fuel economy instead of driving fun. Still, it is a much better choice than the Punch CVT, which is once again poor. It saps up power and causes the acceleration to lag behind the engine rev. The engine screams under full throttle but there is little reaction from the car. Many Japanese CVTs have managed to relieve this “rubberband effect” by automatically locking up under hard acceleration, but this one is still an old-fashioned, stupid CVT. Proton claims the CVT-equipped 1.6 takes the same time to accelerate from 0-60 mph as the manual-equipped car. In the real world, it feels a lot slower.

Fortunately, with a chassis tuned by Lotus, the Proton once again shines in the twisty. It is gifted with a taut body control, with body roll well checked in corner, yet the suspension is well damped over bumps and potholes. At speed, it remains composed and stable. The ZF electrical power steering does a good job to offer precise and consistent response. It feels more communicative than most other EPS in the segment, and it weighs up nicely at speed. If not the mediocre grip supplied by its cheap tires, this car could be driven very hard in the twisty.

Ultimately, the fine chassis of Iriz is not matched by the powertrain, build quality and noise suppression. The company’s poor reputation also hurts its prospect. Perhaps that is why it sold only 17,000 cars in 2015, and even fewer last year. Sadly, the Malaysian national car project is likely to end in this way.
Verdict:
Specifications





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine
Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Suspension layout

Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)
0-100 mph (sec)
Iriz 1.3
2014
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
3905 / 1722 / 1554 mm
2555 mm
Inline-4
1332 cc
DOHC 16 valves, VVT
-
-
94 hp
88 lbft
5-speed manual
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
-
175/65R14
1130 kg
102 mph (c)
11.5 (c)
-
Iriz 1.6
2014
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
3905 / 1722 / 1554 mm
2555 mm
Inline-4
1597 cc
DOHC 16 valves, VVT
-
-
107 hp
111 lbft
5-speed manual (CVT)
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
-
195/55R15
1165 kg (1185 kg)
109 mph (c) (106 mph (c))
10.4 (c)
-



























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