Proton GEN-2 (2004 – 2016) Review

January 2005

Attractive 4 door saloon. 4,310mm x 1,725mm x 1,435mm. Weighs 1,175kg to 1,195kg.

110bhp 1,597cc engine giving top speed of 118mph and 0-60 in 10.5 seconds. Auto does 115 and 0-60 in 14.7. Combined consumption 39.2/34.7. CO2: 169/192 g/km. Insurance Group 7A. Tows 1,000kg braked trailer.

Chassis developed by Lotus. Replaces Proton Wira.

3 year 60k mile warranty, plus 6 year 100k warranty on engine and transmission.

Prices £8,995 to £11,395. In UK from September 2004. 3 Years Servicing included in price from December 2004.

February 2005

GEN-2 1.6 GSX from February 2005 at £10,595. Has tailgate spoiler and body coloured door mirrors and door handles, four airbags, and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). Also climate control with pollen filters and electric rear windows, electrica door mirrors with defoggers. Auto comes with cruise control as standard. 3 years free servicing extended to cars bought before end of March 2005.

March 2007

Mild upgrade for 2007. Cars now with grey interior or optional black leather.

October 2007

Until December 2007 offer of 'limited edition' (LE) GEN-2 GLS with either 1.3 or 1.6 litre engines, at £1,000 off the list price, with prices now starting at £7,995 OTR for the 1.3 and £8,595 for the 1.6 GLS LE model. Spec includes 15" alloy wheels, Air conditioning with pollen filter, Blaupunkt radio/CD player, ABS, Remote central locking, Alarm and engine immobiliser, light cloth interior. Upgrade for £225 includes front fog lamps and spoiler.

March 2008

GEN-2 Persona 4-door saloon added powered by a 1.6 litre Lotus engineered Campro engine which delivers a maximum output of 110bhp, 148Nm of torque and a top speed of 118mph. All manual transmission models have a five-speed gearbox with a four-speed automatic option also available and superb ride and handling comes courtesy of Proton’s sister company Lotus. Has flat-folding 60:40 rear seats and ample boot space. Climate control with pollen filter. Electric windows. Integrated Blaupunkt radio/CD player, with an MP3-capable CD player and four way speaker system. ABS with EBD, driver and passenger airbags, side impact protection bars, power assisted steering and reverse distance sensors all come as standard. Available in UK Proton dealerships from the end of March 2008 with Proton offering £1,000 discount off the £10,795 (MT) and £11,595 (AT) on the road price.

September 2008

'Free' LPG conversions announced on Proton ecoLogic GEN-2 1.6 hatchback or saloon, priced at £10,995 and £10,795 respectively. Also have distance sensors, air conditioning with pollen filter, electric front and rear windows, automatic central locking and alloy wheels. Both models are available with a leather interior, an option at £1,000, but for a limited time customers can benefit from a stylish black leather interior on the GEN-2 ecoLogic hatchback absolutely free.

December 2010

As unleaded petrol prices soared to a record average of 121.76p for a litre of unleaded petrol, Proton Cars re-emphasised its GEN-2 ecoLogic dual-fuel cars. Now priced from just £9,995 for a 1.6 hatchback (£1,000 less than at launch), the Proton GEN-2 ecoLogic is significantly cheaper to drive off the forecourt without compromising on quality or reliability. What’s more, it can be run at a fraction of the cost of either petrol or diesel.

Across the UK, LPG fuel costs just 69.4 pence a litre, compared to 125.73 pence a litre for diesel and 121.76 pence a litre for unleaded petrol - meaning that the GEN-2 ecoLogic can offer great savings when filling up at the forecourt.

Because the GEN-2 ecoLogic is sold at the same price as its petrol counterpart, anyone buying a GEN-2 ecoLogic will instantly save between £1,500 and £2,000 – the standard price for installing an LPG conversion. As well as this saving – the equivalent of the average annual UK council tax and energy bills combined – the GEN-2 ecoLogic also comes with a full 3 year/60,000 mile warranty and 3 years free RAC cover.

This is combined with an alternative fuel discount of £10 on road tax and the standard new car benefit of a three-year MOT ‘break’ (saving £160 in test fees).

With over 1,420 LPG filling stations in the UK, and in excess of one new station per week opening in 2010, LPG is fast becoming an interesting offer to motorists watching pennies or refusing to pay the high fuel prices for unleaded petrol or diesel.

December 2016

No longer sold in the UK. Official website unreachable.