The Proton Gen-2 is a medium family car which is inexpensive and feels cheap. It does come with an impressive warranty and a nice-looking exterior design. Other than that the car holds no bragging rights. Proton's Gen-2 is aimed at bargain basement buyers. The Proton is inexpensive, and uses a much cheaper quality of materials. Some models offer good levels of kit, but this car offers only the bare minimum for transportation and comfort.
Insurance Groups: 6 - 16
MPG Range: 35 - 43
Latest Proton Gen-2 Car Reviews:
If a car badge is not the first consideration you look for in a car, then the Proton GEN-2 should interest you. It is not powerful enough to top the medium family car category, but sound engineerin...
The GEN-2 is the replacement for the old Wira, but even when it was first launched it felt and looked dated next to similar Kias or Hyundais. It does offer plenty of practical space in the boot and...
The Proton GEN-2 1.6 GSX 5 door is relatively good to drive thanks to its Lotus-developed chassis. However, the whole car feels dreadfully cheap and nasty and the noise from the engine at higher re...
The Proton GEN-2 is an affordable alternative to cars such as the VW Golf, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Skoda Octavia. The drive is acceptable and handling is decent but it is not particularly e...
Oh dear. Whilst Hyundai are Kia are raising the bar for cars from the Far East, Proton are still in the doldrums. The GEN-2 drives well thanks to a chassis developed by Lotus, but the rest of the c...
Proton Gen-2 Overview
The current Gen-2 offers engine sizes from 1.3 litres to 1.6 litres with a fuel economy ranging from 39.0 to 41.0 miles per gallon. The ride is pretty good and handling is also impressive, yet the quality of the cabin and the comfort levels are a bit of a let-down.
Protons have a reputation as cheap cars geared towards bargain seeking buyers. The Gen-2 is no different. The firm has given the car a more European style, but the car is still made of cheap materials in order to keep the price of the car down.
Background
The Proton Gen-2 was first introduced to the market in 2004 and was built on a platform that Proton had developed with Lotus. It is often regarded as the successor of the Proton Wira that came before it.
The Gen-2 was the first Proton to use the Campro engine, an engine developed by Proton and Lotus which was redesigned in for the 2008 facelift model after worries about the original Campro engine’s torque dip. There were also a number of exterior changes made to the Gen 2 in 2008, which included a new grille and a new spoiler.
There are a number of Gen-2 variants; the Special Edition, the R3 Concept, the Hybrid Concept,the Proton Gen-2 Persona and the Proton Gen-2 ecoLogic.
Summary
Despite the Protons affordability and the company’s reputation for reliability the car is neither fun nor enjoyable in any way. The car does come with an excellent mechanical warranty, but that may not be enough to seriously get buyers attention.
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