PROTON EXORA – IMPRESSIONS AFTER A 300KM DRIVE

After half a day of trying to drive the wheels off Proton's MPV, I am left with no doubts that the demands of the family will be well catered for as the Exora offers space, practicality, safety, performance and economy. And also style and trendiness.

Space is very definitely best in class, comparable to the Innova which is one class larger.

This is a full 7-seater, with commendable legroom way at the back, as well as space for luggage in the ‘boot’, even with the rearmost seat in place. The amount of head room will win anyone over. The Exora gives new meaning to the word: Roominess.

Thanks to its balanced proportions, its size and height are not obvious. While not as low and streamlined as the Honda Stream and Toyota Wish, the Exora looks more like a luxury MPV than the Innova does. It also looks more ‘stable’ as it has a more favourable footprint – ratio of wheelbase and tracks in relations to the body.

Body integrity is solid. The Proton MPV looks and feels well engineered and constructed. Noise and vibration dampening is far superior to anything else in this segment, or the one above.

The chassis is outstanding. It has a commanding stance at high speed on the highways, and a prowess and agility on fast curving roads that will astound even those used to tackling such challenges in well sorted out sedans.

The performance is highly commendable, considering that the engine is only a 1.6L petrol, and that the weight of the vehicle is close to 1400kg. Both the Auto and the Manual will easily pass the ‘drive-round-the-block’ test, even with a full load of seven adults, and with a slope or two thrown in. The drivetrain does not show signs of struggling; the engine does not run out of breath, the auto gearbox is not constantly ‘hunting’, the manual easily goes through its five speeds even with change-up done at below 3000rpm.

The engine does not sound harsh, even when revved near to the redline, which is set at 7000rpm. In fact, the atmosphere in this vehicle can be judged truly impressive if you were to jump in from any of its rivals, driving it the same manner. This is even more so when you pick the pace up. I was maintaining the speed at about 150kph, with seven guys on board, with the tachometer reading about 4300rpm, and we could converse in normal tones, even between me and the two rearmost guys.

But it was the Manual that bowled me over. I drove it for about 160km, a lot of that with the fun pedal nailed to the floor, and at the end of it I did not experience the usual attack of nerves – a tingling sensation in the hands, a buzzing in the ears, a feeling of being dehydrated, and the onset of a headache – which I would get driving most cars on the limit.

"Look, Ma, no hands!" - Check out the speedo reading. We were on a slight decline. The Exora Manual can sustain very high speeds.

I would not consider driving over that Karak stretch in most MPVs. I recently did it with the Mazda5 and the Kia Rondo because I needed their carrying capacity. The Mazda showed its bulk, comfort-oriented chassis and a lack of grunt, while the Rondo fared better, except that it was let down by its over-assisted steering. Both of these have 2.0L engines, with the Kia being a 5+2 seater. I went through most of the bends cutting through the lanes in order to minimise body roll, or slowing down when it was not possible to do that. I did not feel confident enough to commit these cars to the bends at the speed I was going.

The Exora is leagues ahead under such circumstances. With three adults on board, it could be kept on the fast lane in the most sweeping of turns, going at 140kph, and even overtaking large vehicles taking up the middle lane. There was no nervousness in the passage, the steering remaining wonderfully balanced and communicative; the sizeable MPV moved as one unit, able to handle mid-corner corrections without drama. It was both confidence- and awe-inspiring. This is a 7seater with real driving dynamics. The only other one I can think of is the X5, and even then you can feel the mass under load. Yes, I am referring to the engineered-to-the-nth-degree SAV from BMW, the price of which can buy seven of this Proton MPV.

The steering feel is exceptional – a nice balance of heft and assistance, very linear and consistent, regardless of load. At dead centre on the straight, the vehicle felt planted and yet I could easily get it to change direction. I was barreling through the sweeping bends holding the wheel with thumb and forefinger. At parking speed, it did not feel weighty or assisted to the point of me hitting full-lock easily.

The ride quality of the Exora reminded me of that of the Honda Odyssey, which is one of the best riding Japanese vehicles.

Another easily appreciated feature is the turning circle; due to the compactness of the engine, the front wheels of the Exora can be turned so much that anyone can execute a neat turn in any tight spot.

And a most crucial point for most people considering a full 7-seater is the fuel consumption. I can report that after some 260km of very hard driving with a heavy load, the Auto returned a figure of 11.4L/100km, while the Manual registered 10.7. The worst figure I saw on the trip computer was 16.9, right next to the speedo reading more than 170kph. I would think that with normal driving the figures should average 9.0 and 8.3. With the 55L tank, the range can easily extend over 600km.

This is quite the Super MPV, with an amazingly pleasing balance of space, performance and efficiency. It is what many of us need, and it is long overdue. If you familiar with the Toyota Avanza 1.5 and feel that its performance is adequate, you will find the Exora Auto spacious, solid and spritely. The Manual will change your perception of MPVs.

Sales of Exora remain strong

The order book for Proton Holdings Bhd’s MPV model, the Exora, is strong at the moment with a backlog of up to three to four months even at a production rate of 3,300 units per month.

Managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed said he thought there was more stability in its distribution.

“Of course it is supported by the Exora … we are very thankful for the support of the Malaysian public,” he told reporters at Invest Malaysia 2009 yesterday.

“So, going forward, as long as we can maintain a very healthy order bank (or book) and continue with what we are doing, such as the cost measures, for example, I think the company will be in a better position.”

Referring to Proton’s recent Master Dealership Agreement with Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd, which was announced on May 8, Syed Zainal said: “By controlling the dealers, we will make the dealers more efficient.

“From an efficiency point of view, our distribution system will be much better, which means maybe margins can be improved and revenue further enhanced.”

He added: “These are the opportunities that we can look forward to, at least for this financial year (ending March 31, 2010).”

However, it was still too early to say if the national carmaker would return to the black this year, he said, adding: “The only thing I can say is that it (the first quarter ended June 30) will be an improvement over the last quarter.”

At present, there were 5,000 Exora MPVs registered in the market with pending orders for about 14,000 vehicles.

On expected developments in new variants of Exora models, he said that having first introduced the automatic model of the MPV to the market, “it was only a matter of time” before Proton introduced a manual model.

He said the manual model could be expected this year.

Proton was also planning to launch the Exora in Jakarta on July 24 at the International Motor Show.

This was an important move for the company, because in the 1½ to two years it had been in the country it only had a small presence in the Indonesian market dominated by MPVs, Syed Zainal said.

On foreign competition to Proton, both locally and overseas, he said: “I think competition is healthy. We have to strategise our plans and others – Toyota and Nissan – would also strategise their plans.

“So, it is something I think we should not be totally worried about.”

This year Proton will focus mainly on the Asean market, including “Singapore,” soon.

Next year, the company will focus on other markets, like the Middle East, and also try to do the CKD (completely knocked-down) assembly in China and other markets.

Apart from Indonesia, the company plans to introduce the Exora to Thailand in November.

Proton Exora MPV

Say hello then to the Proton Exora MPV, the country’s first fully homegrown MPV. As the third part of the great comeback, following on the successes of the Persona and Saga, the vehicle - developed from design to completion in 18 months and at a cost of RM450mil - is quite a sterling showpiece, and essentially completes the circle of reinvention for the brand.

As a platform, there’s nothing radical about it - a seven-seater MPV isn’t exactly a new type. But for what it is, it’s a very clever offering, rolls in at an excellent price point and incorporates enough winsome features that there surely must be little to complain about, and there really isn’t, but more as we go along.

At the point of launch of this Proton Exora MPV, two versions of the Exora go on sale - the 1.6l AT Medium-line and 1.6l AT High-line, and both only come with a four-speed automatic gearbox, which features a retuned transmission control unit and a revised final drive. There’s a manual variant, though this is only slated for launch later in the year.

Visually, the Exora is best described as elegant; shades of the Toyota Wish and Honda Stream, benchmarks in the development of the vehicle, as well as the Mitsubishi Grandis, can be traced in the exterior lines and general flow, but the Exora has enough of its own identity, helped by a prominent enough looking front end and a tail that has one of the best looking tail-lamp clusters in recent memory.

The sleek vehicle, which has a coefficient drag of 0.33Cd, looks sizeable, and once you get inside, you’ll find it is indeed quite the spacious offering it promises to be. The dashboard is unfettered, there’s plenty of space, and the legroom on the second row is rather good, with the third adequate for short hauls. The rear doors open to a maximum angle of 80 degrees, making for easier ingress and egress for passengers.

As for seating layout combinations, the Exora does pretty well in this regard too, with six different seat folding configurations. Granted, with the rear seats up, there's little cargo space, but with the third row seats fully flat-folded and the second row stored forward the load-carrying space becomes very convincing. Ingress to the third row is by means of a single-lever seat-folding mechanism on the second row, and in use getting in and out is accomplished easily enough.

In terms of trim, the Medium-line version comes with a simple grey interior with fabric seats, whereas the High-line variant features leather and Alcantara-finished seats in light grey. Surprisingly, I thought the fabric seats offered a better visual perspective, both in terms of shade and texture - the leather looked a little on the pasty side.

Much attention has been paid to reducing the noise levels in the cabin - the firewall, door panels and floor pan have been given soundproofing insulation treatment, and all the pillars are injected with foam; effectively, it makes everything less zingy. As for fit and finish, there were some small assembly imperfections here and there on some panels, but nothing that would make you scream murder.

Plenty of new and subtle features abound, courtesy of an integrated Body Control Module (BCM) unit from Siemens VDO; this is the first Proton to be equipped with BCM and offers a whole new range of application options and items. With a total of 24 different functions, from follow-me-home lights, programmable door locking configurations and wiper speeds (this one is done rather neatly) to automatic hazard light activation during emergency braking from above 96kmh, the list is pretty comprehensive.

Indeed, there’s no shortage of mod cons throughout - yes, items such as 10 cup holders may seem like overkill, but better to have more than less, yes? Among the many small, but nice, touches is the inclusion of what is tagged a teh tarik holder, located below the glove compartment area, for your takeaways. Not new, but handy nonetheless.

In terms of safety, twin front airbags - standard fitment in both versions - and front seat-belt pretensioners are part of the kit, as well as ABS and EBD.

Elsewhere, the primary differences in both variants, besides the seat material, are with equipment levels, as the chart below shows:

Opting for the High-line version bags you fog lights, front seat armrests, cruise control, a remotely mounted navigation system, a roof-mounted DVD/LCD monitor - with SD/MMC card slots and USB port - for rear passengers, a rear spoiler and tinted glass. And of course, those leather seats.

Powering the Exora is the tried and tested 1.6l Campro CPS engine, here offering 125bhp at 6,500rpm and a maximum torque of 150Nm at 4,500rpm. Placed in a vehicle that weighs in at 1,422 (M-line) and 1,442kg (H-line), the result isn’t ever going to be breathtaking, but surprisingly the Exora goes about its business ably enough as an entire package.

The chance to sample the final product came at a press preview last week, and as is usually the case with previews, there wasn’t enough time spent with the vehicle to offer a firmer opinion than a mere skim-through, but it’s certainly a very likable sort.

First impressions reveal a vehicle that is as comfortable and pliant as promised. Ride comfort is high, and in general everything is geared towards cosy, though the softness comes through without being overly mushy.

A quick ride being seated in the third row showed very little undue modulation, with only large dips causing some discomfort. The lack of lower-end support here means that if you’re an adult - and a strappy one at that - it’s definitely not going to be rosy if you decide on say, doing Penang from KL, but at least you won’t be shaken senselessly while at that.

Performance-wise, the 1.6l pot is adequate enough for the job, under most conditions - at the preview, the vehicle showed a slight lack of urgency on take-up unless pushed, and doing so results in the block being a little shouty, but once you get moving the vehicle pulls along well enough, and at cruising levels the car feels tractable. This, mind you, with five adults on board.

As for fuel consumption figures, the claim is 7.2l per 100km at a steady rate of 90kmh, while for a combined cycle it is 9l per 100km. In the real world, with some of the loads that are going to be expected in many Exoras, those figures might differ a fair bit. Still, we’ll be able to tell you more about how well it does in terms of actual fuel economy - as well as operation over a wider range of conditions - when a full road-test is done, hopefully soon.

The pricing for the Exora Medium-Line is RM69,998, while the High-Line goes for RM75,998 (both on-the-road, without insurance). Six colour choices are available - Pyrite Brown, Gaia Blue, Genetic Silver, Tranquillity Black, Blue Haze and Solid White - and the vehicle comes with an extended warranty of 175,000km or five years, whichever comes first.

On the whole, this one the Proton Exora MPV should hit it right on the spot for a very large audience, and there are 2,500 of these so far from pre-launch bookings. Undoubtedly, detractors will continue to do the usual, but surely three out of three is more than commendable.

Proton Exora: Malaysia’s First MPV

Malaysian Prime Minister Dato` Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak has officially launched the much anticipated Proton Exora, Malaysia’s first home-grown multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) last night.

Unveiling the new MPV with the Prime Minister were PROTON Holdings Berhad Chairman Datuk Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh and Managing Director Dato` Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, the person instrumental in launching the national car project in 1983, was also present with Tun Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali to witness the launch.

The launch was attended by several Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers, foreign dignitaries and other distinguished guests.

The launch marked a milestone not only for PROTON but for the country as well as the Exora is Malaysia’s first locally produced MPV encompassing almost 90% of local parts and components. The Exora is also the first wholly “Malaysian-Made” MPV from design and concept to engineering and manufacturing by PROTON.

The Exora emphasizes the three main feature elements – comfort, performance and safety, which were translated into the design and quality of the vehicle. PROTON Holdings Berhad Chairman Dato` Mohd. Nadzmi bin Mohd. Salleh described the Exora as PROTON`s answer to the needs and requirements of PROTON customers who are more discerning.

“PROTON is now venturing into the MPV segment which has grown in popularity. The Exora will be our answer for the customers out there who are now more conscious about comfort and safety of their family members while traveling. It is designed, engineered and manufactured based on research and market studies made by PROTON over the years,” said Dato` Mohd. Nadzmi.

Dato` Mohd. Nadzmi added that the introduction of the Exora indicated the advancement of the Malaysian automotive technology as it is locally produced from ground up, from the initial R&D activities right through to the design and production processes. “Being one of the pioneering team members who helped set up PROTON 25 years ago, I am indeed very proud of the achievements made by the PROTON family who have turned a vision into a reality,” he added.

“I am certain that PROTON will not stop here, but will continue to improve and increase its efforts to ensure it remains relevant and able to compete with other established global car makers,” said Dato` Mohd. Nadzmi.

Meanwhile, PROTON Holdings Berhad Managing Director Dato` Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the Exora was an engineering feat for PROTON as it was developed in merely 18 months from the time PROTON fixed the design (model-fix) to production stage. “This feat has gained us much respect from our peers in the automotive industry,” he said.

“It indicates our success in not only producing cars but also in developing a pool of capable and experienced engineers and skilled workers in the Malaysian automotive industry. We have proven that the impossible is now possible with hard work and determination.

“The Exora meets our aspiration to produce the right car at the right time and at the right place. Malaysians have already warmed up to the Exora ever since the booking for the MPV was opened on 21^st February 2009. So far, we have received more than 2,500 bookings and this is a very encouraging development for us. The level of trust given by our customers towards the MPV is heartening,” said Dato` Syed Zainal.opment

“Don’t take our word for it. Please do come over to any of the 293 Proton Edar and EON sales office nationwide to see and experience the Exora yourself,” added Dato` Syed Zainal.

The night also saw the first four Exora owners receive their keys from the Prime Minister and driving home in their brand new Exoras. The Exora owners were three early bird customers, Syed Mohd Lutfi bin Syed Hamzah, Ramamuthie a/l Varathan and Teng Kim Hong and winner of the MPV Naming Contest, Norsholihan binti Abd Eaanich.

The Exora features the 1.6 CamPro CPS engine with 4-speed automatic transmission and is available in two variants, Medium-Line at RM69,998 (OTR) and High-Line at RM75,998 (OTR), with 2 airbags as standard. The Exora is available in six colors – Pyrite Brown, Gaia Blue, Genetic Silver, Tranquility Black, Blue Haze and Solid White