2014 Proton Suprima S

4 December, 2014   By: Alex Forrest

Proton has taken some important steps over the last two years towards improving their reputation for vehicle safety.

Now, its Suprima S hatchback has a 5-star ANCAP rating thanks in part to its front, side and curtain airbags plus ESC and seat belt reminders for the front seats.

Pricing for the Suprima S starts at $21,790 drive away for the entry level GX, moving up to $26,590 for the GXR. The latter comes with extras such as leather seats, front parking sensors, cruise control and GPS.

However, there are several areas where the Suprima S could improve if it is to become more competitive against the mainstream models in the small car class.

Some of those issues stem from the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) attached to it.

The engine makes 103kW, but even at low-speed city driving, a considerable amount of engine noise and vibration comes through into the cabin and can also be felt in the steering wheel.

This is accentuated by the CVT, which backs up the reputation these gearboxes have for making the engine drone on excessively.

The engine also uses more fuel than average, drinking 8.8 litres/100km for the combined cycle in the official test. By comparison, a Toyota Corolla Levin SX auto has the same power but uses only 6.6L/100km.

The CO₂ emissions of the Suprima S are also considerably higher than average, at 202g/km. The aforementioned Corolla emits only 152g/km.

Keen observers will have noticed there’s a large badge on the tailgate which says ‘Turbo’, with another badge right under it carrying the words, ‘Handling by Lotus’.

Lotus has indeed had input into the car’s suspension tuning, and its handling and grip is reasonable but not class leading.

There were some quality issues with our test car, such as the interior clock which reset every time the car was turned off, and the touchscreen which was lacking in contrast and resolution and was occasionally glitchy.

Clearly, the Suprima S represents a big leap forward in safety and features for a brand which really needed it, though opportunities for further refinements remain.