Proton Inspira Review - Motorstop

Motorstop Review Summary Styling Roominess Handling Running Costs Comfort Value for Money Quality + Reliability Equipment Performance Environment

Styling

 

Thanks to the agreement between Proton and Mitsubishi, the Proton Inspira is visually very much a carbon copy of the Mitsubishi Lancer. Alterations to the exterior are minimal, with no body panels changed. The only aesthetic enhancements are the single chrome-bar front grille, modified front and rear bumpers, alloy wheels with a different design, and of course Proton badges all round. The interior architecture has been retained as well, which means a fairly simple cabin design with different-coloured trims and Proton badges as the only visible changes. 

Handling

Much of the work Proton did was concentrated on improving the Inspira's ride-and-handling. Even so, Mitsubishi limited the scope of changes: Proton was allowed to choose the tyre supplier (tyre size still 205/60 R16), use different shock absorbers, increase the size of the front/rear stabiliser bars, and tune the stabiliser bar and damper settings. The end result, Proton says, is the Inspira that rolls less through corners and is more predictable at the limit compared with the Lancer. On the move, the Inspira is indeed less twitchy, containing body roll well, gripping on strongly and feeling very composed even when pushed hard. The steering is accurate though short on feedback and heft. While not as sporty to handle as the Proton Waja, the car it replaces, the Inspira provides a better balance between handling prowess and ride comfort. 

Comfort

The ride comfort is excellent, as road irregularities and undulating surfaces are nicely isolated. Cabin refinement is much better than any Proton's, but still some way short of a Toyota's, with engine drone at higher revs the biggest issue. The carried-over interior, dominated by a simple dash design, offers good ergonomics with controls and instrumentation that are intuitively positioned, easy-to-use and plain-in-sight. The seats are supportive, while the driver's seat adjusts for height. The steering, however, does not adjust for reach, which could pose a problem for certain drivers. 

Quality + Reliability

Proton claims to have found better methods of manufacturing the interior panels, and that the Inspira is equipped with a higher-quality interior than the Lancer as a result. While we cannot be certain of that, the Inspira is much better-built inside than any Proton is, and that will probably remain true for years to come. Quality plastics are used for high-contact areas, the fit-and-finish are completed to Mitsubishi standards, and the switchgear feels tactile to operate. What's not to like? The engines and transmissions have been proven reliable in the Lancer, and should remain so in the Inspira. 

Performance

Carried over unchanged from Mitsubishi, the 150 hp, 197 Nm 2.0-litre engine offers a strong on-road performance that never leaves you wishing for more power. Likewise, the 140 hp, 177 Nm 1.8-litre engine churns out enough oomph for your daily overtaking and highway cruising. Both engines prove willing to rev, hitting their peak power at 6000 rpm and peak torque at 4250 rpm. However, the 1.8-litre's engine note becomes especially loud and unpleasant at high revs—a situation made worse by the CVT. Keen drivers will find the CVT's six virtual ratios very handy, though those yearning for mechanical interaction will find pleasure in the five-speed manual gearbox (only with the 1.8-litre), which features a light clutch and feels precise to shift. 

Roominess

Like in the Lancer, the Inspira is never lacking in space whether up front, at the back or in the boot. The driver and front passenger have plenty of room at their disposal, along with excellent support from the front seats. Those behind should not have too much to complain about, either, with no lack of leg- or head-room. Shoulder room is compromised with three passengers at the back, and the rear seating bench is not as comfortable as the front seats—though both remain true for rivals. The 400-litre boot can be expanded using the 60:40 split-fold rear seatbacks if required. 

Running Costs

The 1.8 manual, 1.8 CVT and 2.0 CVT variants return fuel economy of 15.9 km/litre, 16.1 km/litre and 15.9 km/litre, respectively. All figures are highly impressive for a mid-size car, except that these figures, supplied by Proton, are only achievable when travelling at a constant speed of 90 km/h; frequent stop-start driving, common in an urban environment, would be much less economical. Car maintenance and servicing costs should be affordable, even in the longer term considering the car's proven reliability. Despite the Proton badge, the Inspira should hold on to its value relatively well compared with other Proton models. One would expect the trusted Mitsubishi underpinnings rather than the less desirable Proton reputation to dictate the Inspira's value in the resale market; only time will tell, however. 

Value For Money

Born out of a technical agreement with Mitsubishi, the Proton Inspira is almost exactly the same as the Lancer, except for some visual differentiation and suspension tweaking. The fact is that, with such a good base to work upon, Proton simply cannot go wrong with the Inspira, which exhibits traits like good looks, excellent ride-and-handling, and refinement and quality that are years ahead on any Proton. The Inspira is easily the best Proton model to date, and, when you consider the value-for-money proposition, it is clearly the best car in the sub-RM 100K segment. 

Equipment

Standard items include 16" alloy wheels, front fog lamps, “Welcome Home” and “Coming Home” light system, auto-off lights, keyless entry, power-adjustable side mirrors, reverse sensors, trunk lid remote release, leather steering wheel with audio controls, and Arkamys audio system with CD-player, MP3-compatibility and Bluetooth-connectivity. Safety features comprise dual front SRS airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, ISOFIX points, and ABS with EBD. The Premium trim adds on a body kit complete with rear spoiler, paddle shifters, automatic headlights, automatic wipers, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, GPS navigation system, and auto cruise function controllable via steering wheel switches. 

Environment

Proton has not supplied figures for the Inspira, but Mitsubishi has listed the fuel economy and carbon emissions of comparable Lancer variants: the 1.8 manual variant emits 183 grams/km and consumes 13.0 km/litre; the 1.8 CVT variant with 188 grams/km and 12.7 km/litre; and the 2.0 CVT variant with 196 grams/km and 12.2 km/litre. These figures are about average in the mid-size sedan segment. With no changes to the powertrain, it is fair to assume the same set of data for both the Inspira and the Lancer.

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At a glance, there’s almost zero difference between the Inspira and Lancer save for Proton’s unique front end design, which is of a V-shape as opposed to Mitsubishi’s trademark trapezoidal “jet fighter” grille. Besides the obvious fact that the change is needed to differentiate the cars, Proton deliberately wanted to move away from the Lancer “too aggressive” look, according to the engineers.

At the rear, you’ll find 2.0 P or 1.8 E to mark the variants, the latter available in both manual and CVT versions. As mentioned in our preview drive, P stands for Premium and E stands for Executive in Proton’s new naming scheme, P being the higher spec. There’s a chrome strip at the bottom edge of the boot, like on the Lancer EX. The Proton’s bumper is unique as it has a black painted “diffuser style” design, as opposed to the straightforward item on the Lancer. The reflectors sit within the black area.

Like the Lancer EX, the Inspira wears 16-inch wheels with 205/60 rubber. With the Proton, you get unique Continental Comfort Contact CC5 tyres with compounds that were specifically developed for the car. The rim design looks much better without the black disguise tape on the pre-production cars. Suspension tuning also differs from the Lancer, as detailed in two rounds of preview tests we did. 

 

Inside, the differences are minimal. The three-spoke steering design has a Proton badge of course, and the instruments look the same. However, we just noticed that the “left speedo, right tacho” layout of the Lancer has been reversed for the Inspira, which has its rev meter on the left side. The multi-info screen is the orange one as per the Lancer sedan, not the full colour version on the Lancer Sport back. The wood trim in the P spec Inspiras are dark brown coloured (Lancer EX has grayish wood) while the 1.8 E gets a matte silver trim that’s nice to touch. All else is identical to these eyes, including the grade of plastics.

 

The 4B10 1.8 litre pot found on the two Executive variants offers 140 hp at 6,000rpm and 177 Nm at 4,250rpm, while the 4B11 2.0 litre block in the Premium has 150 hp and 197 Nm at the same rpm as above. Performance-wise, the 1.8 manual has a claimed top speed of 202 kph and a 0-100 kph sprint time of 10.0 secs, while that of the 1.8 CVT is 191 kph and 11.4 secs. As for the 2.0 Premium, it gets to 198 kph and does the century sprint in 10.5 secs. As for kerb weight, the manual rolls in at 1,300 kg, while the 1.8 CVT and 2.0 P are 1,325 kg and 1,335 kg respectively.