Friday, April 17, 2009

Proton Cars Being Ridiculed in UK

Before a car is being put into the market, car reviewers will usually give their expert verdict on how good a car is.

One of them is Top Gear, a famous United Kingdom TV show that has its car review magazines being published worldwide and their website being read by potential car buyers internationally.

Malaysia's national car, the Proton brand, is being sold in UK and therefore they are being reviewed as well. Want to know what was Top Gear's verdict? Here goes nothing (the following write-ups and pictures were sourced from Top Gear's website):-

We don’t know what Malaysian motorists did to upset the gods, but it must have been something pretty serious, judging by the punishment they seem to be getting. Still, at least the domestic audience thinks this stuff is the norm – what on earth do they think they’re doing bringing it to the UK? Walk away.

Proton Gen-2
That sounds like an illegal muscle-building milkshake. Should we call the IOC?

The Proton Gen-2 was the first indication that Proton might be capable of building a car that wasn’t completely dreadful. But it’s out of date now, and still wasn’t much cop way back when.

A budget five-door hatchback intended to make you think twice about buying a Focus. Frankly, we think a medium-size cabbage makes a more sensible alternative.

Proton Satria Neo
‘How do you tell your mates you drive that without getting a slap? And that’s before they even know how bad it is.’

Proton’s concerted bid to attract a younger audience starts here, and it could have been a lot worse. The oddly named Proton Satria Neo both looks good and drives pretty well. But it is still just a Proton…

Not half-bad hatch with decent Lotus-aided chassis, but lack of space inside, awful badge and ridiculous name make it a must-not-have for the youth it’s aimed at.

Proton Savvy
‘What the hell happened here? It looks like someone cracked the designer over the head half way through the job.’

The Proton Savvy is a new-ish and sharply styled offering, both of which facts might lead you to believe that it was half decent. But you’d be very wrong. The Proton Savvy is a stark reminder of just how good cars like the Aygo and Panda really are.

Truly awful, but we are grateful to Proton for reminding us of how good every other small car on sale in the UK is. We suggest you try buying one of those instead.

I wonder how will Top Gear rate Proton Exora, the first home-grown MPV model that had just rolled out of the car factory.
Tags: Top Gear, Proton, Proton Gen-2, Proton Satria Neo, Proton Savvy, Proton Exora, Car Review

17 comments:

PemudaNegara said...

I take it that Jeremy Clarkson's one of the reviewers. Anyhow, it's expected from Caucasians that get all haughty and pompous with their 'Englishness'. I mean, what's his beef with the name 'Satria'? That retard might as well get used to us comparing 'Aston Martin' with 'Aston Martian'. We'll see how he defends that.

Not that I'm in favour of these substandard Protons. Heck, they give our nation a bad name. I still think that for Proton to be of some quality, it has to do away with protectionist measures from the UMNO regime.

Anonymous said...

Typical british snobbish statement. You got to be there to understand their snobbish statement. Dont you believe them. They said that to other car manucacturers as well.

Nick Chan Abdullah said...

"The oddly named Proton Satria Neo both looks good and drives pretty well. But it is still just a Proton…

Not half-bad hatch with decent Lotus-aided chassis, but lack of space inside, awful badge and ridiculous name make it a must-not-have for the youth it’s aimed at."


An obvious biased review. The reviewer loses integrity with those remarks.

But personally I think, with all the money available to proton, proton could have bought a japanese car company, instead spending billions on R&D on new platforms, in which the profit is clearly insufficient to break even.

Even with a good car, proton does not deserve to exist. Even with so-called "profit". WASTE OF TAX PAYER'S MONEY

avanray said...

you are being too harsh.the gen2 cps is not entirely that bad.give ppl a break.toyota,hyundai and kia quality is not that great either.just the brand.

Unknown said...

wunderbar! makes me sad to think how badly M'sians are gettin stiffed with high import duties on all other makes just so proton can jam the crap down their throats that no one elses wants.

meanwhile hyundai has come out with their new luxury & sporting Genesis series that giving established marks hiccups.

why has proton not learnt that they have to build good cars instead of using exorbitant duties as a substitute from competition.

Ahmad Kasa said...

That Exora or whatever is based on a discontinued Mitsubishi Spacewagon/Spacegear model!!! it is already a 15 year old model.

Anonymous said...

Proton is not making cars. They are making money. Low quality but charging high price. Please don't compare prices with other marque to Proton as they have been unfairly taxed. Until Proton make cars, every model that has been made by Proton is a bloody WASHING MACHINE!!! Yes, Exora is the newest washing machine from Proton. How can you make your own people take up a 9 year car loan. It doesn't make sense while you say that Proton make affordable cars. Rubbish i say. Proton = Washing Machine

And for those people who say it is all about getting from A to B, try the pogo stick. It gets you from A to B.

Anonymous said...

well, thats just the outlooks or first impressions comments... wait till they drive one and find out the fittings, power windows, door handles etc. falling apart (rosak) all within one & a half years time, averagely.

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emtri_KSA said...

Proton Gen2 1.6 Manual (full specs) will cost u only SR42000 (RM41150) & lowest specs can go down to SR38000 (RM37220) in Saudi Arabia..So how the hell that we 'Rakyat Malaysia' pay more for the same models??

Bloghound said...

There are always difference between quality and profit. Proton is a profit-driven not quality driven company. If Proton and Perodua is doing so darn well, do you think the tax on import cars would be high? Smart people would know that for the same price, people would go for quality and usually the quality in import cars, especially Toyota, is superior.

Anonymous said...

it may sound bias but still, true, IT's STILL JUST A PROTON, dude, just thinking the price, and the quallity of the proton. How much a year we spend to maintain the freaky thing, and proton designer just based thier inspiration on outdated cars, if wasn't for the highly over import tax, no one would even wanna buy a proton

arisitb said...

What a biased review.
If you don't like the brand, you'll definitely dislike the product.

think 60 years ago, dude.
",... it wast just a honda, an ugly japanese car, unlike ford.."

Lye said...

bias or not try think this way, assuming you live in UK, without import car tax which like in malaysia, and im pretty sure we all rakyat malaysia know the quallity of proton, what you will say? go for other brand, anyone?

also this is how topgear rates people, im sure those who keep saying bias, bias, sure didnt watch topgear show before, and if wasnt for the constant low quallity work of proton, who would say it is just a proton, and please go to the official webpage of topgear and look for the full review, the listed out all the fault of proton

~ Xi@nGCooL ~ said...

I think that proton exora is kind of copy citra design...

Anonymous said...

While Malaysians should aupport Proton, people who have tried other cars will understand Proton's cars (Exora included) are really crappy and lousy. They are grossly overpriced and the only way Proton still sells is because of government protection (that's costing hell lots of money for taxpayers. Damn this Idiot who started Proton). And quality ... Just check prices and specs of cars in US and other countries. I would bash Proton too if I compare Proton with other cars.

Unknown said...

To all Proton bashers,

It’s funny that as Malaysians, we always look at ourselves with that feeling of inferior complex & always like to criticizing & bashing our own car manufacturing company and car, however good they are. I believe Malaysians should be given an award for the most people in the whole wide world who have the most negative thinking about themselves & the ability of their own kind to produce a good car. Criticize, criticize, criticize & bashing, bashing, bashing our Proton company & car. I guess it’s the colonial mentality that we still inherited from the British, where the British are always the superior race, while we Malaysians are always the inferior ones.

The British and Americans never never criticize their own kind. Even when their national football team sucks & didn’t manage to enter the last European Cup in 2008 or the World Cup. And when foreigners, either Italian, French or Spanish people criticizing the British or American national football team, they will defend their reputation like hell! Even in reality their national football sucks! They will always defend their reputation, even though the reality is like that. They are even willing to fight & go war just to defend their reputation! Remember the England hooligans? The England hooligans always ran amok everytime their national football team or club football loses to a foreign national team or club football. The reason, maybe after the game, when an opposing team won the game, their supporters start to insult the England supporters. What happen next? Mayhem! Nobody mess with them! That’s why they advance further & become world class & 1st class people.

Whereas some Malaysians here have a 3rd world mentality, giving the harshest critic & bashing to their own fellow citizens working in Proton. Luckily, these few Malaysian citizens who receive the harshest critic & bashing from 3rd class mentality Malaysians; remain patience, preserve, work harder & someday would like to prove these 3rd Class mentality Malaysian fools that they are wrong.

A good example is when the British Topgear, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson was making fun of the Perodua Kelisa. Instead of Malaysians defending our pride & joy, most of us join him in cruising & bashing the Perodua Kelisa. That’s what I call a colonial mentality!

The British people are like that! They like to make fun of other people cause they think they are the superior race. With the price so cheap, Perodua Kelisa is design for a specific purpose. It is designed for people looking for cheap, low maintenance, convenience, easy parking, petrol saving & city driving environment. This car is not make for performance, speeding or racing! What do u expect? Buying one of the cheapest car & expect it to run like a Ferrari, handle like a Lotus & safety like a Volvo? WTF! DON’T compare Kelisa to a Ferrari or a Mitsubishi Evo stupid!

If you want to compare a car, compare it apple to apple. Compare it within the same car class or similar price. Don’t compare an apple with a durian you moron!

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