Proton GEN-2 Review
Published: 2nd March 2005
Proton GEN-2
How It Drove - Performance
The Proton GEN-2 is powered by a 1.6 litre, 16 valve CAMPRO engine which produces 110 bhp @ 6000 rpm. The manual car which we tested reached 0-60 mph in 12.6 seconds and will continue on to a top speed of 118 mph. The GEN-2 felt quicker than the quoted 0-60 mph time and coped well with all that we threw at it, including a long motorway trip during which it proved itself to be a competent cruising car. We did not like the weird jacking (revving) up of the engine when dipping the clutch to change gear, we are not really sure what was going on there - perhaps it was us. The engine and exhaust note are appealing although overall the top end performance is disappointing.
Proton quote a combined fuel consumption figure of 39.2 mpg - we saw nearer to the 35 mpg, but we did not measure this scientifically but on the range that we got from the 11 gallon fuel tank during the time we spent with the car.
Service intervals are 1,000 miles or one month service and thereafter 9,000 miles or 12 month intervals.
How It Drove - Ride/Handling
Proton own a 100% share in Lotus, therefore they are able to utilize their sports car engineering department. Lotus have worked on a number of Proton cars over the years to improve handling.
The Lotus developed suspension worked well, and we were pleasantly surprised by the GEN-2's road manners. It coped well with uneven road surfaces and speed humps giving the driver and passengers a smooth ride. Ultimately there was too much body roll for an enthusiastic driving experience but the steering was well weighted and responsive.
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