Driven: Pre-production Proton Perdana 2.0 & 2.4 driven at the Proton Test Track - No Photos yet, but opinions and more details.

The other day I was invited with a the new Proton Perdana 2.0 and 2.4liter variants at the Proton semi-high speed oval track. This was another one of those hush-hush sessions where we were not allowed to take any photos. So there are no photos here. Just the drive report. But anyway, most of you who are on social media would have already seen leaked photos of the car floating around here and there. So it basically looks like what you have already seen in the photographs.

Now most of us were quite straightforward in our comments about the fact that Proton are taking their sweet time in launching the car. Their reason for this is that they want to be really sure that the product they launch this time ticks a lot more correct boxes that wrong ones. Do also note that there has been a change in the leadership of the company where there now is a new Chairman, CEO and Deputy CEO. So all of these must be taken into account on why it is taking so long for the Perdana to come out officially.

The new Proton Perdana is internally called the Perdana R. The 'R' here must stand for Replacement and not Racing, obviously. This is because the Perdana is a D segment sedan competitor. It is supposed to be the car that would be supplied to the Government of Malaysia as their official car for high ranking officials and to those in the Government Linked Companies also. Proton intends to sell at least 6,000 units of this new sedan annually with at least half going to the government. Now the question that begs to be answered is that whether the car is actually good enough for the regular managerial type Joes in the private sector to use.

We were first taken to view the car over at the R&D center where we got to view one 2.0liter and two 2.4liter Perdanas. It was essentially the same car that I managed to view last February but this time it was in production ready specification. So the car looks more polished than not this time around. The overall shape is quite splendid and well executed. The car does not look like the previous (8th) generation Honda Accord it was based upon. Proton had redesigned the whole front end – new design to the lights, grille, bumper, bonnet and fenders (which now have side air vents ala Jaguar). The rear end is also redesigned from the C-pillar backwards. The only thing kept is the doors (front and rear), A and B pillars. The rear features a rear quarter glass after the doors (like a big Jaguar XJ or a big Audi) and a sloping C-pillar with a whole new boot, lights and bumper. Everything at the rear is different. The car is actually longer than the Accord it was based on and the additions actually add 20kg. Of course, 

The interior has a double screen dashboard like the current Accord but with the material and tactile feel of the previous Accord. Not too bad actually. But there is no Jaguar Land Rover type of rotary gearknob as some rumours have mentioned. This still has the familiar Accord shaped gear shifter. Still a nice place to be seated in. Now bar one or two styling details which I thought needed more embellishment and more re-profiling in order to make it better.

The one that most distracted me or attracted me to critique was the rear bumper faux exhaust trim. This section of the bumper was actually the section of the Perdana that was exposed to the public at the recent MAA My Auto Fest 2016 auto show. I do think that if the car has faux, or fake exhaust vents at the rear, it should properly look the part and have a little more embellishment detail there. It should either be blacked out or have chrome or aluminium trimming so that it looks like exhaust gases are flowing through there. This is much like certain premium sedans from Mercedes Benz and BMW where they have faux tailpipes at the rear of the car and this part is still highlighted as exhausts. Those that wear suit jackets would know that the buttons on the sleeves of a suit jacket are mostly non-functioning (unless they are slightly more pricey or bespoke). The buttons on the jacket sleeve are just there to make sure the jacket looks proper. Some even have fake buttonhole stitching to make it look like the buttons work. But they do not. I believe this is why the items need to be either painted, removed or embellished. If you have it on a premium sedan, embellish it I say.

The second issue is the overhangs of the car but this is an issue based on the original body in white – the Accord chassis's mounting points for the bumpers, lights, up front make the nose stick far out in front of the front wheels. But the rest of the car is pretty good actually. Once I saw it on the move on the test track it was even better. There is road presence in this new Perdana The car actually looks very good on the move and when viewed from certain angles. But I am not going to comment more since the actual car hasn't been launched yet and there are no proper photos to show you guys.

The third issue is the rear doors. Proton has kept the rear door sheet metal of the Accord but changed to glass area of the rear doors. There is a small edge that juts out a little where the window frame meets the door sheet metal. The plastic mouldings covering this area would need a little more sculpting so that it would not snag on clothing of the people entering or exiting the rear of the car. Any changes, if made based on whatever comments made, if incorporated would be made into running production changes according to Proton. 

As for the drive experience, it is essentially the same as the Government specced Perdana 2.0 I tried earlier. Proton were not allowed to touch the engine, transmission, drivetrain, steering and suspension components of the car as the agreement with Honda does not allow much freedom to do so. But this Perdana does have some improvements in the Noise Vibration & Harshness (NVH). How this happened was due to the new Proton redesign of the C-pillar backwards and to some extent the front of the car also. As you know the Perdana has a completely redesigned rear end and this is actually more sloping than the Accord's rear end.

According to Proton, their computer simulated drag coefficient tests show that the Perdana is more aerodynamic than the car it is based upon. This meant that the Perdana has a more slippery design which makes it slightly quieter than the Accord on the move, especially at higher speeds. However, another journalist did mention that the rear windscreen area was noticeably louder with the pitter-patter of the water hitting the windscreen when it rained. Maybe this was due to the angle of the glass area and the thickness of the glass too. But in the dry the car is quieter than the car is was based upon.

Proton also made sure that both 2.0 & 2.4 liter variants run on 17inch wheels and tyres that were specially specced for the car. According to Proton, the Goodyears on the Perdana gave the optimum balance between grip, ride comfort and noise reduction. I think they actually work. The Perdana is quiet enough when I was sitting at the rear, at the passenger seat and whilst driving. As for steering feel, the 17inch tyres are better than the 16inch tyres fitted to the previous generation Accord 2.0 and the government special Perdana. There is slightly better weighting as the steering does not feel overly light until it affects turn in. A feeling of a little heft is also good to bring the drive experience up a notch. But this is typically a trait in that Honda Accord if I may be quite so blunt.

The ride is also typically Accord and it actually soaks up bumps quite well. The Proton oval test track has a bumpy section on one of the banked corners and the Perdana actually felt confident over this section at over 120kmh. Quite good body control once you get the hang of it. There is the usual understeer you get in a front wheel drive car but it feels accomplished. There is also a slight high speed wiggle from the rear tyres once speeds are over 140kmh. It could be because the track was damp as it has started to rain when we were on it. I do believe a little adjustment to the toe angles of the rear wheels could correct this slight tendency for the rear wheels to wanger a little. This trait could be inherent in the Accord. 

You will only see Proton fine tuning the ride and handling of the Perdana when they stuff in their new 2.0liter GDI engine and transmission unit inside this car sometime in the next 18 months or so. The arrangement with Honda changes once Proton utilises this platform with its new engine and drivetrain. But this is it for now. Quite good actually. More than acceptable.

Both 2.0 & 2.4 liter engines are from Honda as does the 5 speed automatic transmission. The 2.0liter does feel adequate but the 2.4 is the one to get if you want to haul away quickly. It does feel faster down the straights and when you want to gather speed again after the high speed corner. After all, it does have about 190hp compared to the 150hp of the 2.0liter variant. However, I somehow feel that the 2.0liter engine is a little quieter on the cruise and the handling is slightly better upon initial turn-in. I think this slightly better handling comes from the fact that it is lighter up front compared to the 2.4.

I think the new Perdana is a step in the right direction for Proton. The car is nice to drive with very acceptable standards and levels of NVH (as good or slightly better than the car it was based on). The car looks good and as I mentioned, it has road presence (Proton has styled it nicer than the original). The car should be priced between RM120,000 for the 2.0liter and RM150,000 for the 2.4liter. This is about RM20,000 cheaper than the nearest Japanese competitor. It basically should be priced in the middle of the C segment instead of the D segment. You're getting an Accord at Civic prices. And you're actually getting a lot of Accord in this car too. As this is essentially a Honda, this is the best Proton your money can buy when it is launched. 

This is not a conclusive verdict by Yours Truly. The car needs to be launched first and until I get to try the Perdana in the real world, this is what I shall say to be a very good first impression of the car. And you know me lah. I cannot stop typing. Wait until the car is launched for a proper verdict eh?

(C) 2016 motoring-malaysia.blogspot.com. All rights reserved. No copying permitted.