Proton Suprima S - Driven.

It's quite a large hatchback isn't it? The newly launched Proton Suprima S looks as big as the Proton Inspira nee Mitsubishi Lancer parked in front of it. Now this is the actual problem that Proton needs to highlight when it comes to launching new cars or variants. I should harp a little about this before we get to the slightly more interesting details about how the Suprima S drives.

Priced from RM76,500 around RM79,988 the Suprima S isn't a cheap Proton. In fact it is slightly cheaper than the Inspira and slightly more expensive than the Proton Preve. It is also more expensive than the Proton Satria R3, which is supposedly Proton's hottest model (which sadly does not come with a turbocharged 1.6liter engine like the Preve and Suprima S). It also sits in the region where one could opt for the cheapest non-Malaysian cars like the hot selling but really big arsed Nissan Almera, the dull Toyota Vios and the slightly better than window dressing Honda City. There are even smaller hatchbacks within the same price range like the Suzuki Swift and the Ford Fiesta. These are world class superminis that are actually the best in their class. 

 And I happen to believe that most Malaysians aren't that patriotic when it comes to car purchases. Those who are 'patriotic' would end up buying the cheaper Persona, Preve as well as a Perodua. The only thing that would happen is that the Suprima would pinch some sales from the higher priced Proton models mentioned herein and maybe, just maybe a smattering of sales from Honda, Nissan, Kia, Toyota buyers. Only if these buyers are drunk, high on ganja or forced to sign the purchase documents at gunpoint. Why so? Ask yourself again....Do you actually know of anyone out there who wouldn't want a Toyota, Honda, Nissan over a Proton? Of course there are some. But not many. Not as many as Proton would want. 

But this does not mean that Proton should pack up and call it a day. If you aren't aware, Proton has thousands of employees and is a catalyst for tens of thousands of other Malaysians (and Bangladeshis, Vietnamese etc) who toil at Proton's supplier plants. These plants and Proton's are growers and movers in the Malaysian economy which in turn adds to the GDP and jobs to a whole lot of Malaysians. This is a good thing. Of course this good thing must be supplemented by the fact that Proton must produce cars that people buy. So are people buying Proton? Yes. Take a look at our roads today. But will people buy an Eighty Thousand Ringgit Hatchback? I'll try to help you make that decision. 

 Proton has launched the Proton Suprima S in two variants. One is priced slightly short of Eighty Thousand Malaysian Ringgit and another about three thousand Ringgit less. In the more expensive car you get stuff like leather seats and steering wheel instead of fabric and plastic, reverse camera instead of no camera, parking sensors all round instead of just the rear, hill assist for the transmission instead of no assistance, 17 inch wheel and tyre combo instead of a 16 inch wheel and tyre combo. If you add up all the items and the cost for each item you could see that it would be impossible for you to buy these items separately for only three thousand Ringgit. What this shows is that the full specced Suprima S is a very good buy. Or you could also say that the car has been overpriced to such an extent that Proton could throw in more goodies than Santa Claus for a measly sum of three thousand Ringgit. Whatever the case, in monthly installments, the extra amount would be negligible. So if you want a Suprima S based on its specs and you are too lazy to read further, buy the full specced version.

I am not going to get into the specifics of the Suprima S. It has tons of equipment and wifi connectivity and a whole lot more impressive features that you could get in a Kia or a Hyundai or any modern sub One Hundred Thousand Ringgit car. The Suprima S has all the goodies you want. Except that inflatable rubber doll of Katy Perry that you'd want to cuddle at night with.

The question that bugged me before test driving the car was whether it deserved a whole new name instead of just being called the Proton Preve Hatchback. After driving the darn thing I have to say that it doesn't. It may have that 'handling by Lotus' badge stuck on the rear ala Proton Satria GTi which the Preve doesn't have but does that warrant a name change? The lack of boot also does not warrant a name change as a lot of cars keep the same name in either version of the car. Of course this is the same syndrome that affected the Proton Persona and the Gen2. Maybe its a Proton thing and we should let it slide. For now.

And so to the driving. It drives decently well. The driving position is similar to the Preve and everything looks and feels the same to me. The leather wrapped steering wheel is a little small compared to most cars these days with the exception of the Peugeot 208 which is go kart small. This one is sporty enough but could be slightly thicker for added grip. The perceived quality of the interior is average. It may have soft touch plastics here and there but the overall shape and design of the dashboard leaves much to be desired. It is too simple to look fashionable or luxurious. But that's about it. Once you press the start button it drives decently well.

The suspension is firm yet supple on broken tarmac. There is little road noise from the tyres and at speeds of around 130km/h little wind noise around the a-pillars that I can tell. The only slightly noisy bit about this car is the drivetrain. It uses a CVT transmission with 7 virtual gears which you can play via the paddleshifts. I basically left it in automatic most of the time as I was a little lazy during the test drive. Hey, I'm lazy. What can I say. The CVT gearbox whines slightly at low speeds but it is actually quieter than the one in the Proton Preve when it first came out. Proton has made some progress here. I still do not like CVTs due to the fact that it will hold a gear at the engine's peak output for rapid progress to be made. This meant that on full song, the Suprima S makes quite a riot. Revs do not climb like a usual torque convertor or a manual gearbox. It just sits at 5,500rpm and you want it scream whilst the speed climbs. I wished Proton added more soundproofing or a sweeter sounding engine. But the Suprima is made to a certain price. You won't get super refinement here. 

It isn't that fast too. 0-100km/h is achieved slightly under 10 seconds. 138bhp and 205 Nm torque isn't all that rapid during acceleration and while being turbocharged and aside from the CVT drivetrain whine and noise at full bore acceleration, the CFE engine isn't that impressive also compared to, say a Peugeot 1.6 turbocharged lump or the one in a VW Golf 1.4. Direct injection and other more expensive goodies make such engines smoother and a little more powerful. Note that the Pug and the VW makes over 240Nm from their engines. I have to say that the engine is adequate and coupled to the efficient CVT, it makes the 1.6liter turbocharged Suprima S pulls well but not impressively well. Its mid-range is pretty good because of this. But if you read the specs, you'd note that the Preve reaches 100km/h faster than the Suprima which is heavier by about 20kgs due to its larger glass area at the rear. So the sportier car isn't the faster car.

But it is sportier though. I believe that the Lotus badge in the rear is put there due to the fact that Proton spent more time tuning the suspension (with Lotus' input) compared to the Preve. The car can corner slightly better than the Suprima sedan...ie Preve. Maybe its the 17inch wheels and tyre combination that made the difference. It is only slightly stiffer in the ride department compared to the Preve. In the slightly wet conditions I drove the Suprima in the front still holds the line very well into a long sweeping corner. In a high speed turn there was no push whatsoever from the front wheels and no scrabbling from the front tyres. The traction control systems that came with the car wasn't intrusive and could be felt only on one occasion when I was flinging the car through some corners which I was familiar with. There was very little understeer and no torque steer. You can actually use the throttle to correct the car mid corner and the car obediently follows. Not much tail wagging, but not much understeer too. It also feels planted at speed yet has a decent ride. The steering may lack some feel but is pretty responsive. You can place the car where you want it without drama. This is a very good thing for enthusiasts. This is Proton's trademark. Good ride and handling. The rest is suspect. 

Pros: good ride, handling, great specs, equipment, tunability, best Proton from Proton and by Proton on sale today.

Cons: noisy drivetrain (too much efficiency can be a bad thing), image issues, price, dull interior design

Cars to consider : Suzuki Swift (big car feel from something smaller), Ford Fiesta (same as the Swift), Proton Preve (it's lighter, faster and cheaper and only slightly less on the handling front...very very very slightly less so), Proton Inspira (nicer interior,its basically a mitsubishi lancer for cheap - cant go wrong with that),