Inspired combination

Proton's newest car picks the best from different brands and puts them together in an affordable package.

FINALLY! Here's the Proton Inspira – in its entirety.

Proton launched the car with much fanfare on Wednesday to a packed hall at its Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam, Selangor. Last month, it had a soft launch by revealing only the front portion of the car to the public.

The Inspira, the result of an OEM collaboration between Proton and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, has been improved further by Proton in terms of its performance and ride comfort.

According to Proton Holdings group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir: "We have further enhanced the car with several new features including the Lotus DNA of exceptional ride and handling and now, what we present to you here, is a product that is more affordable for Malaysians."

Public response has been encouraging. "Since our soft launch on Oct 14, we have received 1,800 bookings nationwide," he said of the new model that has 40% local content, and which is expected to be raised to 60% in future.

The Inspira is available in three variants – a 1.8-litre with a five-speed manual transmission, 1.8-litre with a INVECS-III six-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a 2.0-litre with CVT.

The Inspira, derived from the Malay word "inspirasi" (inspiration in English), differs from the Lancer model with a revised front end featuring a grille with the Proton logo and a winged chrome bar.

The Waja replacement will be available in maroon, silver, white and black.

The Inspira is a model jointly-developed by Proton with Mitsubishi under a new strategic alliance that is based on the global ideology and benefits of product sharing.

The automatic CVT or Intelligent & Innovative Vehicle Electronic Control System (INVECS-III) is an advanced system that automatically selects the optimal gear ratio based on road and driving conditions with a self-learning ability to match an individual's driving style.

Elsewhere, changes are not easily noticeable.

The engines, meanwhile, are Mitsubishi's all-aluminium MIVEC type with variable valve timing.

The suspension system has been tweaked for a "Lotus handling and ride" with changes to spring and shock absorber ratings, as well as bushing stiffness.

Features include a strong body with a five-star crash rating, airbags, an anti-lock braking system, 16-inch wheels with all-round disc brakes, remote trunk release, steering wheel audio control buttons, cruise control, wipers with rain sensor and fully automatic climate control.

The high-end 2.0-litre variant gets additional features such as steering column mounted paddle shifters, a portable GPS device and leather seats.

The Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, unveiled the car, accompanied by Proton advisor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.

Pricing is cheaper than earlier indicated, starting at RM78,999 for the base variant, RM84,999 for the 1.8-litre CVT, and RM91,999 for the 2.0-litre version.

Syed Zainal said 60% of orders were surprisingly for the 2.0-litre model, followed by the manual variant and the 1.8.-litre CVT version. The Mitsubishi Lancer EX starts from RM120,980.

Those who book now until Nov 15 will enjoy a two-year free service package (inclusive of labour and service parts) worth RM1,658.

In conjunction with the Inspira launch and Proton's 25th anniversary, 11 buyers of the car received their keys at a presentation ceremony. The first was former journalist and mushroom entrepreneur Arish Qutb Ahmad Khan of Kuantan.