List of Proton car models

This is a list of Proton car models, listed in chronological order by the year of release of each of the respective cars. Proton is the Malaysian national carmaker.

Proton Saga

The Proton Saga was the first Proton model, based on the Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore. It rolled off the Shah Alam assembly line for the first time in September 1985. The 100,000th Proton Saga was produced in January 1989. It remains the top-selling model even though newer, more advanced models have been launched. [http://www.newint.org/issue195/proton.htm] There have been a few other face-lifted models: Proton Knight, Proton CARES and Iswara Aeroback, Iswara Limited Edition (painted in light purple with power steering and sporty exhaust note). This model is extremely popular with taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur who repaint the vehicles red and white.

The Proton Saga Iswara is a face-lifted version of the Proton Saga; originally launched in 1992 and is still one of the top selling models for Proton in 2004 because of its low price. In past decades, this model had been well known for its low fuel consumption. However, with the advancement of technology Iswara has lost in this field. Sometime in 2005, the Saga Iswara was facelifted again and renamed back to the Proton Saga. This new version featured remodeled front and rear lights. It also had an Audi TT-inspired dashboard and 1st generation Lotus Elise-derived dashboard display. In 2006, the Saga was facelifted yet again to include a new wau grille to match the rest of the family.

The Proton BLM (Base Line Model) is a Proton model in the form of a subcompact four-door sedan, replaced the original Saga series and assume the Saga name. The car is launched on the 18th of January 2008.

Proton Wira

The Proton Wira (also known as the Proton Persona in Europe and some other international markets, not to be confused with the 2007 Malaysian Proton Persona) was introduced in 1993 and is based on Mitsubishi Lancer/Colt. More than 220,000 units were sold between 1996 and 1998 [http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/cars.html] . This car was, and still is, very popular in Malaysia. The word Wira translates into English as "Hero" but instead of using this as the name in English-speaking countries, Proton chose to use the word Persona. However, from about 2001 onwards, the car has been sold as the Wira in the United Kingdom, whilst in 2002 the Wira was put into production in Iran by Zagross Khodro. Variants of the Wira include the Proton Wira Aeroback and Proton Wira SE.

Proton Satria

The Proton Satria (also called the Proton Compact in the UK) is a sporty 3-door hatchback based on the Mitsubishi Mirage / Mitsubishi Colt. Proton gained a lot of valuable engineering knowledge from its takeover of Lotus which ultimately led to a special Lotus badged version of the Satria being produced.

The Proton Satria GTi is a 3-door sports hatchback. This was Proton's entry in the sport performance hatchback market. The Satria GTi is popular in Malaysia and has a large following in Australia. It is powered by a 4-cylinder 1,800 cc DOHC engine and featured Lotus-tuned suspension.

The Proton Satria R3 is a limited edition road-legal race-spec Satria with only 150 units in production. It features a double seam-welded lightened chassis and a tweaked engine with more aggressive cam timing.

The Proton Satria SE is the last batch of Proton Satrias to roll out. Featuring Proton Arena sports rims and grille, and many extras in the interior similar to the Proton Wira SE, this would be the last of the Satrias before the long-awaited SRM (Satria Replacement Model) rolls out.

The Proton Satria Neo is the replacement model of the previous Satria variants, using all-new design, chassis and powerplant. Launched on 16 June 2006, the Satria Neo is available in 1.6L and 1.3L variants, where both variants are powered by Campro engine.

Proton Putra

The Proton Putra (also sold in the United Kingdom and Australia as the Proton Coupe or Proton M21) is a 2-door sporty coupe based on the Mitsubishi Mirage. Considered by many as one of the better looking of the Mitsubishi-based models, the Putra was well-received and commands good second-hand value.

Proton Perdana

The Proton Perdana, based on the Mitsubishi Eterna, was first produced in 1995, and was intended for the higher-end market.

The Proton Perdana V6 was a facelifted version of the Perdana, featuring a more powerful V6 engine and new front and rear look. It was later facelifted to include the Alfa-Romeo-inspired grille that earned it the nickname Alfa-dana among enthusiasts.

Proton Tiara

The Proton Tiara was a supermini class 5 door compact car based on the Citroën AX. It was built under licence from PSA Peugeot Citroën by Proton from 1996 to 2000. The Tiara was powered by a 1.1L engine and featured a different grille, tail lights and bumpers than the Citroën AX. Its successor is the Proton Savvy.

Proton Juara

The Proton Juara was a microvan based on the Mitsubishi Town Box Wide. This model was the first batch being totally CKD models from Japan. The external appearance of the car, which was a modification of the original Town Box, was not popular with the Malaysian market and suffered poor sales. The Proton Juara was very economical in fuel consumption and was very versatile. It is also one of the best-equipped Mitsubishi-based models offered from Proton.

Proton Waja

The Proton Waja (Proton Impian in Europe) is the first Proton to be designed and styled in-house. However, the car's chassis and engine were sourced and adapted from Mitsubishi (except for the 1,800 cc variant, which was powered by a Renault engine). The word Waja translates into English as "steel" while Impian translates into "dreams" or "ambition". The name Impian was chosen as it was considered to be a more pleasant sounding word for the international market. In January 2006, the car was fitted with a CamPro engine which has been re-tuned to boost the horsepower to 86 kW (115 bhp) and 155 N-m of torque. This made it go full-circle, as the CamPro was originally developed for the Waja, but was deemed not ready for production when the Waja was launched, hence debuting in the Proton Gen-2. The facelifted 2007 Proton Waja was launched on 19 January 2007 with the new grille nearly identical to the Proton Savvy.

The Waja was also released as the Proton Chancellor in late 2005, a variant for the executive market with a 250mm wheelbase stretch and luxury fittings and accessories, including a space-robbing rear centre console that restricts seating to four persons. It is fitted with powertrain from the Proton Perdana V6. With a selling price of about twice that of a Waja, the Chancellor is a very rare sight on Malaysian roads.
*Proton Waja R3 MME Edition

Proton Arena

The Proton Arena (called Proton Jumbuck in the United Kingdom and Australia), a coupe utility vehicle. Based on the Wira platform, Proton engineers managed to develop a vehicle that would cater for those who have an active lifestyle and also those who need a small and economical utility vehicle as opposed to a commercial truck. 1200 units were sold in Australia in its first year. The Arena comes in 3 bodystyles.

Proton Gen-2

The Proton Gen-2 is the first fully Malaysian-developed (including chassis and engine) Proton car and the replacement model for the Proton Wira; launched on February 8, 2004. Proton still continued to sell the Wira after the Gen.2 was launched, due primarily to the popularity of sedan/saloon vehicles in the target market. The Gen.2, a hatchback design, is considered by many to be the best-looking Proton. It has a minimalist and modern interior with design cues from the Lotus subsidiary. However, very low quality of materials and fit and finish of interior components seriously hurt the public's perception of the quality of the vehicle at launch. Later models used improved quality materials and assistance from the TUV of Germany to help maintain the quality improvements. The Gen.2 was the first Proton to receive the (inappropriately) named CamPro engine, which at launch was widely criticised for the lack of low- to mid-range torque (pulling puwer), due to a late decision to drop Camshaft Profiling from the engine feature-list in production models. Attempts to improve this torque deficit by adjusting ECU parameters have largely been unsuccessful. Published engine torque curves still show a pronounced dip in torque output in the crucial 2000-3000 RPM engine speed region, presumably due to the missing engine feature.

The version with Campro CPS engine was previewed during the 24th Thailand International Motor Expo 2007 in Bangkok. [http://www.proton.com/about_proton/press/full_details.php?intArticleID=237 PROTON SETS FOOT IN THAILAND] - from Proton's official website http://www.proton.com] [http://paultan.org/archives/2007/12/01/facelifted-proton-gen2-with-cps-launched-in-thailand/ Facelifted Proton GEN2 with Campro CPS engine launched in Thailand!] - from paultan.org]

The Proton Gen-2 was also released in the form of two other variants:
*The Proton Gen-2 R3 MME Edition
*The Proton Gen-2 EVE Hybrid, a hybrid concept version of the Gen-2, revealed during the 2007 Geneva Auto Show. It retains the S45MPH Campro engine coupled together with a 30 kW, 144 V electric motor.

Proton Savvy

The Proton Savvy was launched on June 8, 2005. The 1,200 cc 5-door supermini car . The car is fitted with an engine and a gearbox sourced from Renault. In an official on-road test made by Proton in mid-2006, Proton Savvy recorded the fuel consumption rate of about 24 km/L at constant speed of 90km/h (or about RM0.08/km of fuel), making the car as the most fuel-efficient Malaysian car as verified by Malaysian Book of Records.

The Proton Savvy R3 Zerokit was based on the Proton Savvy R3 prototype and could be added to a Savvy purchase for an additional RM3000. It featured a roof spoiler, front and rear lips and side skirting.

Proton PERT

The Proton PERT (Petronas-EON Racing Team) is an identical copy of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The latest model resembles the Evolution VII and participated in the production class of the World Rally Championship. The PERT rally programme officially ended in 2006.

Proton Persona

The Proton Persona was launched on 15 August, 2007. The 1.6 liter sedan is based on the Proton Gen-2 and features a sedan body instead of the Gen-2's hatchback body. It retains the same 82kW Campro engine. The Persona is rebadged as the Proton Gen-2 Persona in the UK market.

Proton MPV

According to Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir at Proton’s PINTAR programme in February 2008, Proton will be unveiling its new MPV early 2009. [http://paultan.org/archives/2008/02/11/proton-mpv-due-in-early-2009/ Proton MPV due in early 2009] ] Proton is currently performing on-road tests of the new MPV and powertrain test mules using Toyota Wish bodies have been spotted on Malaysian roads. [http://paultan.org/archives/2008/02/27/first-sighting-of-new-proton-mpv-test-mule/ First sighting of new Proton MPV test mule] ] Proton has appointed AV Ventures Sdn Bhd to develop and supply components such as steering, wiper and washer and window regulator systems. [http://paultan.org/topics/cars/proton-mpv/ Proton MPV] ]

Proton gave the Malaysian public a sneak peek of the upcoming Proton MPV at the Proton Technology Week, where a bare chassis of the Proton MPV was displayed together with a model interior hidden in a box with peek holes. [http://paultan.org/archives/2008/08/02/proton-mpv-exclusive-initial-details-revealed/ Proton MPV exclusive initial details revealed] ] Like the first-generation Proton Saga, a naming contest for the upcoming MPV model has been launched. [http://paultan.org/archives/2008/09/08/win-a-proton-mpv-in-protons-naming-contest/ Win a Proton MPV in Proton's Naming Contest] - paultan.org]

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