- Smooth, powerful, economical powertrain
The 1.6-litre is the only option on the Persona, and we have to say it’s the right engine for the job. Economical enough (we will be posting our results in a separate post), yet capable of giving the car more than enough power on the highway and on trunk roads. The CVT has been refined to a point where it is extremely responsive and natural feeling.
- Practical and larger than one would expect
Despite sharing many parts with the Iriz, Proton have managed to make the most out of the chassis to give us a no compromise sedan. The front seats have been redesigned to give rear passengers more room without sacrificing comfort. The boot is pretty large as well, capable of accommodating luggage for 5 adults easily.
- Safety First
It’s pretty awesome that Proton are taking safety as seriously as they are. The Persona is made of Hot Press Forming Steel that’s up to 5 times stronger than regular steel in places. This means that the Persona can keep its occupants safe even in collisions with much larger vehicles. On top of the standard front passenger and driver airbags, it even has options for curtain airbags too, and these are supplied by Autoliv, not Takata. Stability Control is standard as well, making it one of the few Asian-made options in the B-segment to not charge its customers extra for this essential feature.
- Premium, sporty design
Proton’s design house certainly did a good job with the material they were given. The roofline and parts of the car’s exterior pay tribute to the family design, while some elements unique to the Persona allow it to preserve its own identity. Things like the 2 tone interior and ‘Proton’ lettering within the light cluster help to elevate the design, making the car feel at least twice as expensive as it is.
- Excellent Ride and Handling
No surprises here. The Persona is extremely competent around the bends, with minimal body roll, a lot of predictability and decent comfort for a car of its size. The electric power steering is responsive but slightly dampened, which is a good thing given the sort of people that will end up using these cars on a day to day basis. It’s a lot of fun around corners and we sure hope Proton end up making an R3 variant!
This new persona is nice!