A four-door compact from 2012 with a naturally aspirated and a turbocharged engine, a five-star safety rating and export markets from Australia to Chile.
The Proton Preve is a Malaysian four-door compact saloon launched in April 2012 on Proton's P2 platform. It came with a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated or turbocharged CamPro engine, earned a five-star ANCAP rating, and was sold in several export markets before being removed from Proton's website in 2020.
The Proton Preve is a four-door compact saloon that Malaysian maker Proton launched on 16 April 2012 on its P2 platform. Proton positioned it as the saloon partner to the Suprima S hatchback and the successor to the Inspira, and it claimed the car was the company's first global model. Over the next few years it went on sale in a string of export markets.
Where did the Proton Preve come from?
Malaysian manufacturer Proton launched the Preve on 16 April 2012. Built on the next-generation P2 platform, it succeeded the Inspira and sat alongside the Suprima S hatchback, and Proton claimed it was its first global car.
Proton started out in 1983 as a maker of badge-engineered Mitsubishi vehicles. Those cars sold in large numbers because they benefited from the engineering and reliability of their Mitsubishi originals. The indigenously designed models that followed, such as the Waja, were widely criticised for poor engineering, and Malaysian market share hit a seven-year low in 2007.
Development of the Preve, code-named P3-21A, began in 2009 under the managing director of the time, Syed Zainal Abidin. Dr. Wolfgang Karl Epple, a former BMW quality executive, also joined Proton as its director of quality that year and later worked on the P3-21A project.
A concept called the Proton Tuah, designed by Italdesign Giugiaro, previewed the look and features at the 2010 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show. The P3-21A reached completion a year after the Tuah, and cars were built at the Tanjung Malim plant. The company said 94% of the parts were locally sourced to reduce capital leaving the country.
A car built to prove that Proton could make a global product, and judged in every market by what it cost against what it offered.
How did the Preve launch in Malaysia?
The Preve was unveiled on 16 April 2012 at Seri Kembangan by Najib Razak, the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia. It launched in six colours and three trims, with prices from RM59,540 to RM72,990. It took more than 11,000 bookings within two months and was the seventh-best-selling car in Malaysia in May 2012.
The three trims were the Executive MT, the Executive CVT and the Premium CVT. Both Executive versions used the 1.6 L CamPro IAFM+ engine, with a five-speed manual on the MT and a CVT on the other. The Premium used the turbocharged 1.6 L CamPro CFE with a CVT that Proton called ProTronic, its version of a manumatic gearbox.
Premium cars added steering-mounted paddle shifters, automatic headlights and wipers, cruise control and climate control. They also had a touchscreen GPS head unit with Bluetooth, USB and iPod connectivity, and push-start ignition. Every Preve carried a Smart Information Display showing average fuel consumption, battery health and distance to empty, and in-car WiFi came as standard through a deal with Yes 4G.
Two concepts followed the launch. The Sapphire, shown at the ceremony, had matte gun-metal paint, 18-inch alloy rims and leather upholstery. Three months later the R3 concept gained a RM3,000 body kit from Proton's Race, Rally, Research division, and on 8 October 2012 the R3 racing car was revealed with a 107 hp engine.
What engines did the Preve use?
The Preve offered two petrol engines, both designed by Proton and Lotus. The normally aspirated 1.6 L CamPro IAFM+ produced 107 hp (80 kW), and the turbocharged 1.6 L CamPro CFE produced 138 hp (103 kW) and was limited to a CVT.
The IAFM+ name stands for Intake Air Fuel Module Plus, and CFE stands for Charged Fuel Efficiency. Proton claimed the turbocharged 1.6-litre CFE was equivalent to a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine, and it was the variant that reviewers in Malaysia rated most highly.
| Feature | CamPro IAFM+ | CamPro CFE |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | 1.6 L I4, normally aspirated | 1.6 L I4, low-pressure intercooled turbocharger |
| Power | 107 hp (80 kW) at 5,750 rpm | 138 hp (103 kW) at 5,000 rpm |
| Torque | 150 Nm at 4,000 rpm | 205 Nm between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm |
| Transmission | Five-speed Getrag manual or Punch VT2 CVT | Punch VT3 CVT (ProTronic) only |
| Fuel use | Unlisted | 6.6 L/100 km at 90 km/h |
Malaysian reviewers found the IAFM+ variants short of power and torque, which made them slow to accelerate even though they were competent in normal driving. The turbocharged CFE was the car most critics preferred.
How safe was the Preve?
The Preve became the first Proton to earn a full five-star rating from ANCAP, and it also scored five stars from Malaysia's MyVAP programme. The car was built on a Reinforced Safety Structure frame using hot press forming, and it was designed to carry up to six SRS airbags.
Proton's safety reputation had suffered badly. The Jumbuck scored one star out of five in ANCAP testing in 2009, and Proton raised its standards significantly while the Preve was being developed.
The RESS frame includes twelve hot press forming components, and Proton said the result was torsional body rigidity of 19,000 Nm per degree. The process also saved weight, which helped fuel economy, handling and performance. Proton was the only OEM in South East Asia using the method.
The airbag story took time. The Preve launched in Malaysia in April 2012 with four airbags, while six came with the Australian launch in October 2012. The Preve LE brought the Australian specification to Malaysia in October 2013, and the following month the whole Malaysian range was updated with all safety equipment as standard.
Proton also tested the car in ice and snow in Sweden and in intense heat in Spain. Its suspension used MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link rear with a stabiliser bar, and the tuning was carried out by Proton's British subsidiary, Lotus.
What did the Preve look like and how was it styled?
The Preve's face was built around Proton Wings, a unified design element that joins the headlights, the Proton emblem and the air-intake grille. Italdesign Giugiaro collaborated on the styling and likeness of the car, and the Preve was the first Malaysian-made car to be factory-fitted with LED position lamps.
Proton's head of styling, Azlan Othman, was sent to Turin for almost a year as part of the Italdesign collaboration. The exterior was also styled to reduce its drag coefficient, which helped fuel efficiency, and the car is one of the larger models in the C-segment.
The Preve was developed by an international consortium of experts from Malaysia, Italy, France, Germany and South Korea. Several components were sourced from Japan, South Korea, Australia and Europe, which gave the car a broadly global parts list.
Which export markets took the Preve?
The Preve went to Australia in October 2012, Thailand in November 2012, Brunei in February 2013 and Indonesia in June 2013. Singapore followed in early 2013, Chile received it in 2016 and Bangladesh assembled it locally. Egypt also took two variants before the model was removed from Proton's official website in March 2020.
The Australian debut on 18 October 2012 offered only the IAFM+ variants, and the turbocharged CFE was delayed until November 2013. The GXR CVT then arrived for $23,990 drive-away, with an early bird factory bonus of $1,000. Proton Australia dropped the Preve from its range in 2015, but sold the remaining stock.
The Thai launch was held at the Thailand International Motor Expo on 28 November 2012, and the cars were tuned to run on E20 fuel. The Thai-spec Premium had an improved Blaupunkt 2-DIN touchscreen, and a budget Standard trim sat below the Executive and Premium. An LPG version for Thailand followed in early 2014 with a 58-litre tank in the boot.
Chile was Proton's only South American export market, and it was the first and so far only country to receive the left-hand drive Preve. The first official shipment of 50 units left on 1 March 2016, and the car launched in May 2016 in Standard, Executive and Premium variants priced from $10,490 to $14,490. The launch marked Proton's return to the market after an 18-year hiatus.
In March 2015 Proton agreed to assemble the Preve in Bangladesh with PHP Group, through a plant in Chittagong that was to produce 1,600 cars a year. Bangladeshi-built 1.6 Turbo versions went on sale in May 2017 as an alternative to the used imports that dominate the local market.
How did reviewers judge the Preve?
Malaysian reviewers mostly praised the Preve's ride, handling and looks, although they criticised the CVT powertrains and build quality. Australian reviews were mixed: CarAdvice gave the GX two out of five stars, while CarsGuide gave three out of five and stressed its value for money.
Danny Tan of paultan.org praised the looks, practicality and NVH, and he called the ride and handling unrivalled in the Asian C-segment sedan class. He criticised the IAFM+ engines for lacking power, and he pointed to a poorly designed head unit and instrument panel. Live Life Drive gave the car four out of five stars, and Autoworld.com.my called it Proton's best product to date.
In Australia the CarAdvice review argued that the car was too expensive for what it offered. Proton responded with a $3,000 price cut on 1 August 2013, and driveaway prices fell to $15,990 for the manual and $17,990 for the CVT, from $18,990 and $20,990.
The price cut helped change the tone of later reviews. CarsGuide gave the 2014 GX three out of five stars, CarShowroom also gave three, and Drive.com.au awarded two-and-a-half stars. Proton sold 270 GX units in Australia in 2013 and aimed to take 1% of the small sedan segment, about 74 sales a month.
Thai pricing drew praise as well. A Bangkok Post reviewer noted that the range-topping Premium at 759,000 baht could not be matched on price by any rival in the Thai C-segment. In Indonesia, journalists drove a convoy of five Preves between Jakarta and Bandung on 27 June 2013, but only 7 cars sold in the first 14 days after debut.
How did the Preve's run end?
In 2018 Proton quietly updated the Preve for Malaysia. The manual transmission was discontinued, the Executive gained the turbocharged CFE engine, and NVH was improved. The exterior gained a blacked-out grille, black bootlid garnish, a black roof and black wing mirrors.
Egypt took Executive and Premium variants, both with the CFE engine and a CVT. A batch of cars left Malaysia in September 2018, but the Executive had only two front airbags there, against six in the Malaysian Executive. Proton removed the model from its official website in March 2020.
The car collected awards along the way, including Best Local Assembled Family Car at the 2012 Asian Auto Allianz Auto Industry Awards, value-for-money honours from Frost and Sullivan in 2013 and 2014, and ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix awards in 2014 and 2016.
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