1. Exterior
The Proton GEN-2 signalled a design shift for the Malaysian manufacturer, which had long adapted vehicles based on Mitsubishi models and now had a clean sheet of paper. It wanted to create something more curvaceous, aerodynamic and to take inspiration from Lotus, the sportscar manufacturer largely owned by Proton. The result is largely successful, the GEN-2 looking quite European in its design.
2. Interior
Sadly, this is the GEN-2 saloons weakest area – you can’t help but feel the interior is like a step back in time to cars of a decade ago. The Chevrolet Cruze has a much more modern cabin, while the more expensive, but wholly mainstream, Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf are leagues ahead in their interior quality. The plastic dashboard feels brittle and scratchy, while the upholstery looks out-dated. Soft seats prove comfortable, so long as you are under six feet tall, at which point there’s a lack of headroom. Rear legroom is good, but head space is an issue here too. Top models get a black and red steering wheel and leather trim, which is far better, but still disappointing.
3. Practicality
As long as you aren’t too tall, the GEN-2 is a practical car, with plenty of space for four occupants and a good boot. It has 460 litres of luggage space and expands to 850 litres with the rear seats folded down. EcoLogic models fitted with an LPG tank in the boot do not have luggage space greatly reduced owing to its fitment in the spare wheel well beneath the boot floor.
