New Proton PREVE tested....in KL

By now, most Malaysians would know what Proton has decided to call its first global car.

It is a name that sounds difficult to pronounce at first blush, so the car-maker has decided to set the record straight: Roll it on your tongue and blurt it out as “prae-vae”.

That’s how the national car-maker wants you to call its new C-segment sedan, previously known by the code name P3-21A.


The Prevé was first shown in full camouflage at Proton’s Power of 1 showcase last month.

Last week, the car-maker decided to organise a media preview of the car in the run-up to the official launch later this month,at which point we will be able to show you the car in its entirety.

Indicative prices of the car is from RM62,000 to RM75,000 but it is expected to be slightly lower at launch time.

Three 1.6-litre model variants will be offered.

Executive variants come with a 5-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Both use the CamPro IAFM+ engines while the top of the line Premium variant is fitted with the turbocharged Charged Fuel Efficiency engine with a 7-speed CVT.

Proton senior director of operations Dr Wolfgang Karl Epple said the body of the car was the most rigid Proton has ever produced.

The torsional body rigidity, achieved through Hot Press Forming Technology, also ensures cabin integrity during a crash, said Dr Epple, who was formerly BMW’s E90 3 Series project director.

Safety is a mantra in the Prevé. Apart from a highly rigid chassis, a number of active safety feature are built in to enhance safety.

First off, two front airbags are standard, with the Premium getting two side airbags as well. The pre-tensioner helps to secure driver and passenger during the initial moments of a collision.

Front seats have active headrests that allow them to move forward and upward during rear impact to lessen neck injury. The doors will also auto unlock in the event of a collision to enable occupants to escape the car.

Parents will be glad to hear the car has ISOFIX mountings for child seats that help to minimise seat movement and reduce injury to the child in a collision.

In addition, sudden braking above 96kph will activate the hazard lights in the tail lamp cluster.

Conveniences include four cupholders and storage spaces in all four doors. The cupholders at the back are integrated into the rear centre armrest while those in front are near the gearshifter.

The Premium Prevé gets extra goodies such as four airbags, paddle shifters, auto rain sensor, start-stop button and a CD Player with Bluetooth and built-in GPS Navigator.

The start-stop button was positioned on the right side of the steering wheel apparently for safety reasons. 

A Proton engineer said many Malaysian families may have a child sitting in the front passenger seat and children, being inquisitive, are likely to fiddle with dashboard buttons.

By positioning the ignition to the right and in the full control of the driver, it minimises a child's ability to push it inadvertently and prevent wayward incidents, he said.

An Antilock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution is standard while Electronic Stability Control is available in the Premium variant.

Media members were given the opportunity to drive the partially camouflaged Prevé from the administrative capital to Setul, Negri Sembilan, and back covering a distance of 157km.

The car, with its low front and high tail, looks handsome and creases on the sides add elegance to the proportions. It features a profile that reminds one of the BMW E90 3 Series.

The driver seating position is good, allowing for fine adjustments. The steering column can be adjusted for height but not for reach, although the release lever felt rather flimsy to handle.

Little details matter. As one motoring hack told Proton group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir during a debriefing session, the column should be tweaked to fall progressively rather than drop down to give it that premium touch.

The dashboard keeps things simple with minimal buttons while the meter cluster adds a layer of “enriched” information via the Smart Info Display that shows useful details such as journey time, distance to empty tank, key fob and car battery low warning as well as bulb failure warning.

Luggage space is 508 litres, which is generous for a car this size. As a yardstick, the Waja boot space is 100 litres less.

On the move, the Prevé was able to keep up with fast-flowing traffic and lane changes to overtake other vehicles was accomplished with minimum drama in the turbocharged variant though more effort on the gas pedal was needed to push the non turbocharged version to do likewise.

What should appeal to the sporty driver in the Premium Prevé is the discernible turbo whine that kicks in after 2,000rpm to give the car a much needed boost.

Push the S (Sport) button near the gearshifter and the revs goes up between 300rpm and 1,000rpm (dependent on driving speed) for a surging sensation. But then, of course, fuel economy suffers if you keep this up.

Paddle shifters on the steering wheel add to the feeling that you are driving a sports-oriented car.

Traffic light take-offs were less than satisfying in the non-turbo version as you need to work the gas pedal harder before it gets moving, but it was not an issue in the Premium Prevé .

It felt stable at high speeds, and the firm suspension absorbed road irregularities well so they don’t prove a jarring distraction in the drive. Although firm, we reckon the ride is still comfortable enough for a daily family car.

The steering felt light although it transmitted fairly good feedback on how the front wheels were behaving. That, combined with a stiff chassis, allowed corners to be tackled with confidence.

The Preve runs on 16-inch GT Radial tyres that Proton said has low rolling resistance and high grip.

While exiting a slip road to Seremban, the car took the tight turn with minimal roll and tracked its intended path without straying off. Certainly, there was less drama than if we had been at the helm of a Proton Persona.

At cruising speeds, NVH (noise, vibrations and harshness) was well controlled with wind and engine noises seeping into the cabin only past 150kph. In the CamPro IAFM+ Prevé, such intrusions came in earlier ostensibly because it is not as well padded as the top of the line variant.

Like version 1 of any software, there are bound to be kinks waiting to be ironed out. That is certainly the case with the development of hardware as important as the Prevé for Proton.

All said and done, the Prevé represents a good shot at introducing Proton as a global auto player in the making.