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Potential For More
No, it isn't that good, though it's a pretty fine effort from a company which is still trying to shed its cheap-and-cheerless image in the same way that Seat, for example, was doing ten years ago. In fact there is a lot to commend the Compact (in all but name) with the 1.8-litre engine, the bodykit and the Lotus-tuned suspension. Ha, yes, the Lotus-tuned suspension. This is the most promising marketing concept the car has - to be associated with the internationally renowned former Grand Prix team and chassis miracle worker (what a quaint irony, then, that Lotus and Proton are actually under the same ownership). The phrase "suspension by Lotus" is usually tacked on to a car's name as if followed by the words, "so that's all right, then", though this need not always be the case, as you will know if you have driven a Vauxhall Corsa Sport. The GTi is far better than that, though it's still not the last word in hot hatch handling. In order to keep the ride quality reasonable, the suspension is much softer in the first couple of inches of travel than it becomes subsequently. The principle is fine, but the softness has been overdone, so that on undulating roads the ride manages to be both wallowy and crashy at the same time. The initial uncontrolled body lean also makes the car wander on anything but the smoothest roads, and allows the inside wheel to start spinning on tight corners even on gentle throttle, creating instant and alarming understeer. A Proton salesman with whom I discussed this reckoned that most buyers would not be sufficiently good at driving to notice all this. Personally, I reckon that enthusiastic drivers are exactly the ones the car should be aimed at. If you can persuade yourself not to mind this initial softness, the GTi actually handles not too badly at all. And it certainly goes well, with a rasping 136bhp engine which sounds terrific all the way to the red line (even if it doesn't seem to do a great deal after about 6000rpm). Even at lower speeds the engine sounds purposeful, and in fact that is one thing that is definitely in the Proton's favour compared with its most obvious rival, the Citroen Saxo VTS - it always feels like a hot hatch, even when you're not driving it like one. That doesn't mean it's harsh or unpleasant. It just means that you are always aware of the potential. The other important area in which Proton beats Citroen is interior space. Tall drivers who find the Saxo uncomfortably titchy won't have the same problem aboard a GTi. In most respects the GTi is not a bad car at all. The one issue that needs to be addressed urgently - even before going back to Lotus for another few days' tweaking - is the feeling of solidity. The test car produced quite a variety of rattles and squeaks (a different combination on every trip, it seemed, which I thought was quite a good trick). Most of the switchgear felt as if it was about to fall off. And something about the steering feedback made me suspect that not everything down there had been tightened up by the required amount, though I should add that there was no further evidence of this. Still, the GTi is an impressive first attempt at breaking into the hot hatch market. If the next generation version looks as good, and the various niggles of the current model are sorted out, it could end up being the market leader in a couple of years. Price: £14,499 Second opinion: Proton GTi Launch Report |
If there is anyone in the country who does not think that the Proton GTi is a great looking car, I didn't meet them during the week I was driving it. On the contrary, it gained a lot of admiring glances, to say nothing of admiring comments, from people who wanted to know if it was as good as it looked.
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