While comparisons between the Iriz and the upcoming Persona are unavoidable, during our short time with the new car, we found Proton had done enough improvements and changes to justify it bearing a new name. Of course, some changes are pretty obvious, so let’s start with those first.
Headlamps feature reflectors with no daytime running lights. This was a cost saving measure – while it may make financial sense, from a product standpoint, it’s difficult to see why the Iriz gets what the Persona doesn’t.
There’s a new automatic shift lever design
The interior follows a two-toned black on grey scheme
Interior lighting now sits in the centre of the ceiling, 90s style.
The boot is properly huge. With 510 litres of luggage space available, Proton have certainly managed to squeeze the most out of the sedan’s form factor.
The front seat backs have been redesigned to allow for more legroom at the rear. The seating position at the rear is a little more natural, but there aren’t adjustable headrests to be found there
The manual variant returns 5.6km/l whereas the CVT can do 6.1km/l
NVH is significantly improved. Proton have moved from 4 to 3 engine mounting points, but it’s clear there’s more at work here as the car feels generations ahead in terms of refinement
The manual option will only be available on the Standard spec, with only the CVT option available on the Executive, Premium and SE versions
ESC is standard on all variants
