A 2013 hatchback from Malaysia that kept its sister car's bones, added a turbo engine and a sharper face, and was sold on value and handling abroad.
The Proton Suprima S is a five-door compact hatchback that Malaysian manufacturer Proton launched in August 2013. Built on the P2 platform and closely related to the Preve saloon, it used a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with a CVT and was sold in several Asian markets and Australia before disappearing from Proton's website in 2019.
Proton built the Suprima S to give its Preve sister car a sportier and more international face. Launched in Kuala Lumpur, it was the company's attempt to show that a Malaysian car could win buyers abroad on value, handling and a turbocharged engine.
What is the Proton Suprima S?
Proton engineered the Suprima S as a five-door compact hatchback, releasing it on 17 August 2013. Its P3-22A codename reflects its development path, and the S suffix stands for Sports, a nod to a sportier character aimed at younger buyers. Its name comes from the English word Supreme.
The car was positioned as a complement to the Proton Preve saloon, with a greater emphasis on overseas markets. It sat on Proton's next generation P2 platform, which was shared across the company's newer models.
A sportier sister to the Preve, built for export and sold on value, handling and a turbo engine.
How was the Suprima S developed and revealed?
Photographs of a P3-22A prototype first leaked on 14 December 2012, and the final name was confirmed by a test-drive sighting in August 2013. Proton had filed for the Suprima trademark in January 2013, and the full brochure leaked about two days before launch.
Development ran alongside the Preve, which was code named P3-21A and had been in progress since 2009. Early prototypes wore masking tape but showed that most exterior panels had been carried over from the Preve, apart from the area behind the C-pillar.
A prototype with seven-spoke alloy rims followed eight days later, where the Preve used 16-inch ten-spoke wheels. Later spyshots showed front parking sensors, extra interior speakers and a dark blue paint option, plus a revised honeycomb grille and brighter LED lamps captured during a television commercial shoot in Kuala Lumpur.
Where did the Suprima S launch first?
Malaysia came first. The Suprima S was unveiled on 17 August 2013 at two events in Kuala Lumpur: a VIP launch at the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre, which was endorsed by Proton founder Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, and a public launch at Pavilion KL. The VIP event was streamed live on YouTube by the Malaysian automotive portal paultan.org.
Prices at launch were RM76,338 for the Executive and RM79,988 for the Premium. Proton said it had sold more than 835 units between mid-August and September.
Indonesia followed on 30 October 2013 with a launch in Jakarta, where the Premium was the offering. Proton Edar Indonesia targeted 150 Suprima units a year, against 240 for the Preve, and it sold 11 units on the launch day alone. Four more were sold during November.
Australia was previewed at Sydney Harbour on 15 November 2013. The GX automatic cost AUD$21,790, while the GXR automatic was AUD$26,590. Six-speed manuals were listed at AUD$19,790 for the GX and AUD$24,990 for the GXR. Sales started on 1 January 2014, and the car came with Proton Cars Australia's 5-Star Service cover, with the manuals following later that year.
Brunei took the car on 19 November 2013 in Bandar Seri Begawan, in a single high-end trim matching the Malaysian Premium. Thailand followed on 29 November 2013 at the Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok, where it was sold only in Premium guise at 805,000 baht and was tuned to run on E20 fuel.
Which trims and prices did the Suprima S offer?
At launch the Suprima S came in the Executive and Premium trims, in five colours. The Premium added the most equipment, including leather seats, parking sensors and a reverse camera.
The Premium gained exclusive interior kit that the Executive did not have. Among them were Anthracite-shade leather seats, parking sensors at the front and a built-in reverse camera. Carried over from the Preve's Premium were paddle shifters on the steering column, self-adjusting headlights and wipers, plus climate control, cruise control and a push-start button.
In January 2014 the Super Premium arrived at a Malacca sales event. It added a Race.Rally.Research bodykit and seven-spoke 17-inch R3 alloys at RM8,350 over the Premium, and was offered only in Fire Red or Solid White. Mechanically it matched the Premium, and it became the top model in Malaysia.
In December 2014 Proton added a Standard trim that undercut the Executive by as much as RM6,900. It lost several items, including the Android head unit in favour of the simpler unit from the Preve Executive, the steering audio switches and the front foglights. The Standard came in at RM69,438 for solid paint and RM69,888 for metallic, both on-the-road with insurance. Proton hoped the cheaper model would triple sales.
What technology did the Suprima S offer?
The Suprima S carried the Proton Infotainment System, a 7-inch Android touchscreen with GPS, DVD, Bluetooth, USB, iPod and WiFi support. Executive cars had four speakers, and Premium cars added two A-pillar tweeters for six in total. Online access ran over a WiMAX network, through a deal with the Malaysian provider Yes 4G.
For safety, the browser, YouTube and Android games only worked when the handbrake was engaged. A WiFi dongle created an in-car network with downloads of up to 20 Mbit/s, which dropped away where there was no Yes 4G coverage. Proton offered a smartphone or portable hotspot as a workaround, and the built-in GPS ran independently through Telekom Malaysia's Lokatoo service.
The Suprima was the third Proton to offer internet-based services, after a limited-edition Inspira and the Preve. Its interior was largely the Preve's, with the new infotainment system and a few upgrades to the look and feel of the cabin.
What engine and gearbox sit under the Suprima S?
The Suprima S uses a 1.6-litre CamPro Turbo four-cylinder, designed in-house by Proton with Lotus. Output is 138 horsepower (103 kW), arriving at 5,000 rpm, and torque of 205 Nm comes in between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. It drives through a Punch Powertrain VT3+ continuously variable transmission.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Body | Five-door compact hatchback |
| Platform | Proton P2 next generation, shared with the Preve |
| Engine | 1.6-litre CamPro Turbo I4 petrol, low-pressure intercooled turbo |
| Power | 138 horsepower (103 kW), peaking at 5,000 rpm |
| Torque | 205 Nm between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm |
| Transmission | Punch Powertrain VT3+ CVT, known as ProTronic |
| Front suspension | MacPherson struts |
| Rear suspension | Multi-link with stabiliser bar |
| Wheels | 17-inch diamond-cut on Premium, 16-inch on Executive |
| Airbags | Up to 6 SRS airbags |
| Malaysian price at launch | RM76,338 Executive; RM79,988 Premium |
| Australian price | AUD$21,790 GX automatic; AUD$26,590 GXR automatic |
Proton says the turbocharged 1.6 is the equal of a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre unit, and that it meets Euro V emission standards. The CamPro Turbo and the VT3 CVT first appeared in the 2011 Proton Exora Bold and the 2012 Proton Preve Premium respectively.
A new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine was in development for the Preve and Suprima S together, and a six-speed manual was also being developed. Neither changed the car sold at launch.
How did the Suprima S handle and ride?
The Suprima S borrowed most of its ride and handling from the Preve. The Preve had been tested in ice and snow in Sweden and in heat in Spain, and the suspension was retuned in-house by the local Ride and Handling team. Lotus approved the result during a short joint test.
The front suspension uses MacPherson struts and the rear is a multi-link with a stabiliser bar. Unlike the Preve, the Suprima S carries a Lotus Ride and Handling badge on the bootlid, while the Preve used only Proton Ride and Handling badging in its promotional material.
Reviewers generally credited the chassis with the car's sportier feel. The CVT was revised for a more spirited drive without upsetting the balance between sharp handling and comfort.
How safe is the Suprima S?
The Suprima S became the second Proton after the Preve to claim the full five-star rating from ANCAP, the Australasian assessment body. It was not officially crash tested by ANCAP, but MIRA in the United Kingdom crash tested and assessed it, and ANCAP recognises that body. Full-specification cars carried up to six SRS airbags.
Proton's safety reputation had been poor before the Preve and Suprima S. The Jumbuck had scored one star out of five in 2009, and the company responded by building a reinforced frame. The REinforced Safety Structure was developed for this pair, with twelve Hot Press Forming components strengthening the passenger compartment.
Hot Press Forming, a process first developed in Germany, gave the body a torsional rigidity of 19,000 Nm/degree and saved weight. Proton said it was the only original equipment manufacturer in South East Asia to use the process. The Suprima's curtain airbags and full electronic stability control were not available on the Standard trim.
How did reviewers rate the Suprima S?
Early reviews were broadly positive. Hafriz Shah of paultan.org praised the looks, the reduced noise and vibration and the value for money, and he singled out the revised CVT as the biggest improvement. He said Proton could now compete without leaning so heavily on price alone.
Hafriz also criticised the head unit, the driving position, the build quality and the refinement at the top end. Daniel Wong of Live Life Drive agreed about the ride and handling but questioned the quality control, saying the car was better than the Preve in most respects but deserved better build quality.
The Suprima S won the People's Choice Award 2013 in the NST-Maybank Car of the Year event for 2014.
What happened to the Suprima S later?
Malaysia was not the lead market for the Suprima. Proton targeted only 750 units a month there, so the car was primed for export. A UK launch was planned for mid-2014, with followed later by Turkey, Egypt, the Gulf states and South Africa.
Proton also confirmed a performance R3 edition, and a masked Suprima was spotted on British roads in September 2013. By 2014, ten Suprima S units had been registered with the DVLA. Nine were GLS CVT models and one was a GSX CVT, and they were thought to be test units run by Proton Cars UK.
Malaysia lost the Executive trim in the first half of 2018, when the Standard picked up ESC. The Standard was then dropped in the second half of 2018. An updated Suprima S never appeared, despite several spyshots, and in 2019 the car was removed from Proton's official website.
