Proton Persona

The Proton Persona is a compact car introduced by Proton in 2007 for the same model year. Being an in-house design by Azlan Othman, the Persona replaced the saloon variant of the successful Proton Wira, whose export name is not confused with this model's same name, as Proton's compact car. Proton Persona sits directly beside Proton Persona. The only difference being one a sedan and one a hatchback. Proton persona like its gen 2 counterpart is still being manufactured in Malaysia but soon will be superseded by the Proton Prevé.
It is available as a sedan and is based upon the platform also shared with the Proton Gen-2 and the Proton Satria Neo. Also available is aSpecial Edition variant. All Personas are currently manufactured at Proton's Tanjung Malim plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak.

Manufacturer	Proton
Production	2007 – present
Model years	2007 – present
Class	Compact
Body style	4-door sedan
Engine	1.6 L Campro I4
Transmission	5-speed manual 4-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2,600 mm (102.4 in)
Length	4,477 mm (176.3 in)
Width	1,725 mm (67.9 in)
Height	1,438 mm (56.6 in)
Curb weight	1,170 kg (2,579.4 lb) - 1,195 kg (2,634.5 lb)

Body

The Proton Persona is essentially a saloon based on the Gen-2 hatchback introduced in 2004, and inherits the Persona name from rebadged Wirasold in certain countries. It addresses several main flaws of the Gen-2, although the Gen-2 itself remains in sale.
The most noticeable difference of the Persona from the Gen-2 is the a separate, larger boot, making it better suited to the local market, as Malaysians prefer saloons. More importantly, the roofline slopes less, addressing the many complaints on the lack of rear headroom.

Interior

The interior was redesigned to incorporate a glovebox at the dashboard, an accessory that was not available in the Gen-2. The obtrusive analog clock present in the Gen-2's dashboard has also been replaced by a digital one that now resides in the digital display on the instrument panel. In addition, the door trims and panels were modified to feature more ergonomic window switches and door handles, and the pseudo-racing seats were replaced by more conventional and comfortable ones. Fit and finish is noticeably improved a lot and so are the suspension setting as well because it is tuned more to comfort.
A revised version of the Gen-2 launched on March 3, 2008 also incorporates the interior trims of the Persona.

Engine

The 1.6 litre Campro engine in the Persona is the same 82 kW (110 hp) unit used in other Proton models but with an improved cast aluminum oil pan design that reduces the chances of damage. A transmission control unit re-calibration on models with automatic transmissions reduces the hunting of gears and improves gear changes in an attempt to mask the dip in the torque curve in the lower and middle rev ranges. It has been announced that in early 2008 the Persona will be equipped with new Campro engines that incorporate a new variable-geometry intake manifold module (Campro IAFM engine) which improves low-end torque and high-rev breathing.

Proton Persona SE

Proton Persona SE

Proton launched a special edition of the Persona on the 26 August 2008. Extras like,

• Leather-wrapped seats, steering wheel, gear knob and trim
• Meter panel from the GEN2 CPS
• Different alloy wheel design (15 inch)
• Cruise Control
• Smoked headlamps
• Silver matte door handles and front grille
• A body kit consisting of front, side and rear skirts and a subtle spoiler
• A Proton-re-badge windscreen-mounted GPS navigation device (The GPS device loads its maps from an SD card, so it should be easy to replace the maps whenever there are updates.)

was standard. Only two colors was available: Blue Haze and Brilliant Red. The Persona SE was only available in Malaysia at RM 59,800

Proton Persona Elegance

Proton Persona Elegance

taillight

The Persona given a facelift under the name Proton Persona Elegance on 18 March 2010. It features new headlamps, front grille, front and rear bumper, bodykit, and LED tail lamps. The Campro IAFM engine's power output remains but it uses a completely new 32 bit ECU from Continental's VDO division.
Five model was available, Base-Line (Manual or Automatic), Medium-Line (Manual or Automatic) and High-line (Automatic).

Color

Five colors are available, consisting of Brilliant Read, Genetic Sliver, Tranquility Black, Bronze Garnet and Chiffon Green. The sixth color was called signature solid white.

Year-to-year changes

• 2008: A variable-geometry intake manifold-equipped Campro IAFM engine with improved power spread and quieter starter motor is introduced on all trim levels of the Persona. Most export versions now fitted with a front strut brace. All Proton badges now bear the black and silver, rather than a blue and gold.
• 2009: There are no changes, although the bottom part of the vehicle license plate bears the text "2008 Best Model of the Year by Frost & Sullivan", replacing the previous "Our Pride and Joy" tagline.

Reception

With a more attractive price tag that ranges from RM44,999 to RM55,800 (about RM10,000 cheaper than the equivalent Gen-2), demand of the Persona continues to outstrip supply. Over 2,000 pre-launch bookings were made. Within two weeks after launch, the figure increased to 11,000 bookings. Demand hit close to 19,000 bookings barely 2 weeks later. Originally intending to produce Personas at a rate of 4,000 cars per month, Proton has pledged to ramp up the production to 8,000 units per month to meet the unforeseen demand.
As a result of the Persona's debut, sales for the Proton Waja and the Proton Gen-2 significantly slowed down, causing Proton dealers to offer large amounts of discounts up to RM 9,000 to sell off the remaining models of Waja and Gen-2. This has been somewhat offset by the release of the new CPS engine in the Waja and Gen-2, which attempts to place the latter two models in a slightly higher market segment.

Export market

On 10 March 2008, Proton UK announced the new addition of the Proton Persona sedan to the British market, which is known as the Proton Gen-2 Persona, while the Personas sold in other countries (such as Singapore and Australia) retain the name Persona. Besides the United Kingdom, Proton also uses the Gen-2 Persona name for the Indonesian market, and had also been launched in Saudi Arabia on November 22, 2008 and in Egypt on November 24; the Gen-2 model was also jointly launched in Egypt.
While officially marketed in the UK, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders sales figures for 2008 revealed only 4 units of the Persona were sold in that year, ranking the car as one of the least sold car models in the country in 2008.

Awards

• 2011 Best Practices Award – Value-for-Money Car of the Year (1.31 and Above) Malaysia Excellence Awards – Frost & Sullivan
• 2008 Asian Auto - Bosch Fuel Efficiency Awards – 1st place Family Car category (reported average fuel consumption of 6.8 L/100 km (42 mpg-imp; 35 mpg-US). )
• 2008 Frost & Sullivan Best Model of the Year.

Specifications

Powertrain Engine & Performance
Engine	CamPro / CamPro IAFM, 4 Cylinder, DOHC 16V
Maximum Speed (km/h)	180KM/H ~ 200KM/H
Acceleration 0–100 km/h (sec)	11.5 seconds
Maximum Output hp(kW)/rpm	110 hp [82 kW] / 6000rpm
Maximum Torque (Nm/rpm)	148Nm / 4,000rpm
Full tank capacity (Litre)	50
Tyres & Rims	195 / 60 R15, Steel or 195 / 60 R15, Alloy
Chassis
Power Steering	Hydraulic Power Steering
Suspension (Front/Rear)	MacPherson Strut/Multilink with Stabiliser Bar
Brake (Front/Rear)	Ventilated disc 15"/Drum 8" or Front Ventilated discs 15", rear solid discs

Proton Persona R

Main article: Proton Prevé
On November 9, 2009, the Italian design company Italdesign-Giugiaro has been contracted to develop a C-segment sedan that will meet tougher European and North American standards, as well as possibly utilizing Proton Exora's platform.
It appeared as the Proton Tuah concept in the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2010. In March 2011, it has been spotted several times on the road. A picture of the final build was later uploaded to the internet.

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Last updated on 29 June 2013 at 12:24.