Behind The Name
by David Finlay (03 Jan 02)

The two major barriers I can see between the Proton Impian and sales success are the name and the looks. In recent years Protons have started to look, if not dramatic, then certainly quietly attractive, as in the Coupé and the Satria. Each to their own, of course, but I can't bring myself to like any aspect of the Impian's shape, and the front end in particular is quite off-putting. (Yes, okay, I can speak for myself, but I'm not putting myself up for sale on the medium-sized saloon market.)

And although "Impian" may mean something back home in Malaysia, it has no appeal at all in this country and should, I submit, be changed before further damage is done.

If you admire, or at least do not object to, the shape and don't mind telling your mates you own something called an Impian, then there is a great deal to be said for the car. Famously, its suspension benefits from decades of experience at Lotus, who did the same job on the Satria GTi we tested a couple of years ago.

It's obvious why potential GTi owners might be swayed by the association with a sports car manufacturer. Whether or not the Impian's target audience will be similarly impressed is another matter entirely. Still, the odd fact is that Lotus has done a far better job on the lower-performance car. I felt with the Satria that the project needed another couple of weeks spent on it, whereas the Impian handles beautifully and is a bundle of fun on twisty roads.

Don't get me wrong here. I don't for a moment believe that if both cars were driven hard the Impian would be able to keep up for long. The GTi corners much more quickly. But the Impian's suspension is better set-up for what it has to do than is the case with the Satria - that includes remarkably fine ride quality and a general level of comfort which I'm sure contributes to safety, since there are few more dangerous animals than a tired driver.

This Power Output Will Do 

The better the handling, the less need there is for power, so the 102bhp 1.6-litre Mitsubishi engine is quite acceptable, with adequately strong mid-range performance. If you insist on more grunt you'll have to wait until 2003, when a new series of engines becomes available. Those are the ones likely to need the traction control which is a slightly strange item of standard equipment on the current model. ABS, more obviously, is also part of the basic package.

The interior is spacious and the seats are fine once you've got used to the figure-hugging wings just above waist level. Personally, I prefer my side support a little higher up, and for the first few miles it felt as though someone was trying to lock my kidneys in place. Drivers of more . . . ahem, generous dimensions may not be able to make themselves comfortable at all.

As tested, in 1.6 X form and with a five-speed manual gearbox, the Impian costs £13,000, which is competitive if by no means startling compared with some of the Korean opposition. The mechanically identical but lower-spec 1.6 (without the X) costs £1000 less, for which you actually lose very little of any consequence (the leather upholstery, heated door mirrors and a central rear armrest being three of the more significant examples).

Quite a lot of nicely equipped car for the money, then. And if you find yourself being joshed about the name, you can divert people's attention by pointing out that, in an attempt to use indigenous materials wherever possible, Proton has made some of the sound deadening out of fully biodegradable palm oil husk. There, that'll wipe the smiles from their faces. For a bit, anyway.

Price: £13,000
Capacity: 1584cc
Power: 102bhp
0-62mph: 12.0 seconds
Maximum speed: 110mph
Economy: 52.3mpg extra urban, 42.2mpg combined
CO2 emissions: 161g/km
Insurance: Group 10
Proton figures.

Second opinion:
What I didn't like about the Impian were the diagonals of metal-effect trim slashed about the interior. Cheapened the whole thing, I thought. But there's an attractive instrument display in a neatly laid-out fascia, with the centre part angled towards the driver. Generous rear seat space, and a very roomy boot. EDAG of Germany has done a good job on the body engineering. Then there's Lotus. Yes, you can scamper this car along winding and undulating roads in a way that nothing else in the Proton range manages as comfortably. Actually, with that impressive ride/handling balance, it's dynamically right up with more impressively named class rivals. Yes, we are talking Proton here - that new Malaysian tiger badge isn't a spoof. And there are some special offers on the Impian till the end of March, especially for current Proton owners, who can qualify for a £750 price reduction. Ross Finlay.

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