It’s Got the Looks, but Not Quite the Punch - 2017 Proton Iriz MC Review

Engine: 1.6L Campro VVT (I4 DOHC, NA)
Year: 2017
Drive train: Front Wheel Drive
Transmission: Automatic CVT
Price (Brand New in 2017): Approx. RM58,000
Second hand value (????): To be updated
This time around I have to thank my high school
friend, Hazim, who helped make this possible. Hazim is the owner of the Proton
Exora Bold I reviewed in the past (link). This Iriz belongs to a fellow BBBSS
alumnus with his name proudly displayed on the plate number. Thank you, Faeez,
for offering this Iriz for a review on Cars of Malaysia.
I’ve driven an Iriz before but it’s an earlier
version. This one is called an MC which has some minor updates done to it. I’ve
also driven a 2017 Proton Persona (link) so getting into this Iriz felt rather
familiar. Some minor modifications have been done to the car but they are not
extensive. Hence, I shall categorize this as a ‘Car Review’ instead of a
‘Feature Car’.
What does
the Iriz go up against?
Price wise,
we have the obvious alternative, which is the Myvi. We’ve also got the Kia
Picanto, but it is a little smaller. (The more accurate representative from Kia
would be the Rio). If we increase our budget limit, you could also go for a
Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Honda Jazz, Renault Clio, Kia Rio, Peugeot 208, VW Polo,
Suzuki Swift, or a Chevrolet Sonic.
But I won’t
be doing that.
If you’re
already thinking about the Iriz, the most sensible alternative for you would be
a Myvi. For every other option that I’ve just listed, you won’t be getting much
car for your money.
I have driven
a Mazda 2 previously (link) and as for now, it remains as the most fun hatchback
I’ve ever driven. It does come with a hefty price tag, but I’ll use the Mazda 2
as a benchmark when rating the fun factor of other supposed hot hatches.
How Shall We
Judge the Iriz?
Since this is a rather youthful looking car targeted at younger drivers, I shall be focusing on 3 things. The first being Youthful Aesthetics, the second being Fun Factor, and the third being Affordability (which includes fuel consumption, maintenance, and so on).
It’s Got the Looks…
With the subtle modifications done on the exterior, it does
look very pleasing to the eye. It looks mean and angry. The angular taillights
give a sort of futuristic feel and the overall design has a very good flow from
the front to the rear.
Upon first impression I visualized it to be a very fun car. I imagined making it
scream at the end of the rev range right before shifting gears. I visualized
tossing it around in B-roads and I imagined the car to jolt even with the
slightest touch on the throttle. I pictured this leaving a blazing trail of
light on some midnight drive, leaving people in awe at just how fast this puny
car is…
…but that was all just in my imagination.
The Iriz doesn’t really pack a punch. And I shall explain later in this article.
First, let’s have a walkaround on the exterior. Despite
having R3 badges, this is not an R3 Iriz. Proton never made an R3 Iriz for the
public. These badges are from a Proton Satria R3. So, this is a relatively stock
Iriz. The springs are from F-Tuned (a local suspension system specialist). It’s
got aftermarket wheels with Bridgestone Potenza RE003 tyres. The hood and front
bumper have a black wrap going on, the original Proton emblems have been
swapped with black versions, the spoiler is stock, a front lip has been added,
and this car sports a sticker from ‘biadap__’ on the right sidemirror. It’s
even got Martini inspired seat covers (stock) which is a rather nice touch from
Proton.
Click here to read thefeature on the ‘biadap__’ AE101.
Looks wise, the Iriz is considerably good looking. The lines flow well and it looks like a fun car.
What Is It Like to Drive?
Let’s dive right in. This is where the let-down happens. It wasn’t fun. The throttle response was slow and the CVT was boring. An aftermarket electronic throttle controller has been equipped, but to me, it hasn’t helped much in increasing the fun factor of the car. The controller has options such as ‘economical’, ‘normal’, and ‘power’, but like I said, it felt like it didn’t help much. The ‘power’ mode felt a little jumpy and perhaps needed some time to get used to. ‘Economical’ mode slows down the already slow throttle response so that’s no fun. In ‘normal’ mode, which is what the car is by default, it is very similar to the new Persona, which is not responsive. To drive it quick, you really need to put your foot down. And even when you do that, there always seems to be a delay before the engine responds.
In cases like this, I would lean towards the option
of a purely mechanical throttle control. It is way less complicated, yet super
responsive. The only problem with a mechanical throttle is the inability to
integrate with cruise control, which is something most Protons don’t have
anyway.
Cornering is great. It’s a slightly tall car but I think it
handled the corners like a champ. The electronic power steering was decent - Nicely
weighted. I might have to give some credit to the F Tuned Springs and the Bridgestone
Potenza tyres here. The chassis felt rather tight in the corners and the grip
was great. Despite being lowered, the ride was as comfortable as standard springs.
It was easy on my spine and driving over bumpy roads wasn’t a horrifying
experience. It’s definitely not track spec but good enough for the occasional
B-Road drives. The Iriz also handles high speeds pretty well. Mind you, it does
come equipped with ABS and ESC. It’s also got full airbags. When it comes to
safety, I have to give my thumbs up to the Iriz.
Although the corners were decent handling wise, there is a noticeable lack in power. If you just leave the car in ‘D’, it seems to not respond when you need the torque while exiting a corner. I received a few tips on how to get the most out of a CVT transmission but unfortunately, they were received after I drove this car. I was told to ease of the throttle as the torque starts to fade, and then floor it. I didn’t manage to try this. What I did instead was shift down to ‘L’ when I needed the torque. This does give the satisfaction of revving the engine a little but that’s as far as it goes in terms of options for your forward gears. You only have ‘D’ and ‘L’. It’s not that fun of a transmission. The small size makes it nimble for city driving, but I was expecting more in terms of responsiveness and agility.
The engine does sound a little raspy. I quite like that. It
might be due to the aftermarket airbox.
Do aftermarket airboxes
help?
Well, better flow does
help add a little more power. As a matter of where it happens (low end/high
end), we’ll have to look at dyno results. Usually it happens in the high end of
the rev range. Power increase is not that much, usually between 1hp to 5hp and
5 is being very, very optimistic already.
It runs a 1.6 L Campro VVT engine, which in terms of
capacity/swept volume, is large for a car this size. There’s not much grunt
from the Campro, yet fuel economy is not great. Highway + city driving gives an
average of 11.62km/l which is half of what my Axia gives.
My verdict on the
driving experience?
Lacks in both fun factor and fuel
economy. That’s not a good combination.
There are Loads of Features (If that’s your thing)
Not all of us buy cars for the speed or the driving
experience. Some of us buy cars for their features.
Safety features are on point for a RM58,000 car. It does
have a 5-Star ASEAN NCAP Rating, and the A-pillars didn’t buckle. It’s also got
full airbags. So, good job there.
Other features include an infotainment system, steering
radio controls, sufficient space for young drivers, fancy seat covers, a considerably
decent interior, a reverse camera, and fancy red stitches on the steering wheel.
Does it feel fancy?
It feels fancy in a youthful, sporty way. Although upgraded from previous Protons, the interior does have a hard, angular, rough edged feeling to it. It’s well done (less rattles) but the Myvi has a softer welcoming touch to the interior. The interior of the Iriz looks like it’s meant to be driven hard, but my experience with the car says otherwise.
Manual vs Conventional Automatic vs Automatic CVT
Let’s talk about transmissions. Since the Iriz
uses a CVT, I thought this might be a topic of interest for you. If you just
wanted to read about the Iriz, you can skip this section.
OK, I’ve driven all three types of transmissions (including
tiptronic). The most fun transmission is the Manual. Conventional Autos can
sometimes be great and sometimes disappointing. Automatic CVTs feel boring. I
believe that higher performance cars are equipped with much more refined
versions of Automatic CVT but I’m yet to try them.
What is the main
underlying difference between these transmissions?
They work on different
principles.
Simply put…
In a manual, you Slide the Gears to mesh them (using a clutch
and a gear selector)
Conventional
automatics use Planetary Gears
And an Automatic CVT
transmits power through a CVT belt.
Obviously, the
mechanisms for each transmission are a little more complicated than that, but to
highlight the differences, I shall mention those things only. Automatics also
have torque converters & clutch packs, and CVTs also have planetary gears
& clutch packs. You can look these up on YouTube to learn more.
Pros and cons of each transmission type…
Manual Pros – You
can select what gear you want to be in. Maintenance is a little cheaper. The
car is lighter.
Manual Cons – You
have to select what gear the car needs to be in.
Conventional Auto
Pros – You don’t have to select what gear the car needs to be in.
Conventional Auto
Cons – The Auto Gearbox sometimes doesn’t know what gear you want to be in.
CVT Pros – Smooth
ride (No gear shifts)
CVT Cons – Only
occasional high revs. Limited gear override options. CVT Belt is also a
potential point for failure or slipping.
Conclusion
Let’s get back to the three points I mentioned earlier and
see how the Iriz did…
Youthful Aesthetics
Considerably good looking with subtle tweaks. Decent aggressive looks.
Unfortunately, the good looks of the Iriz don’t translate so well onto its
sedan counterpart, the Persona. Also, the Iriz R3 (Track Car) and the Iriz R5 (Rally
Car) certainly spark some wild images of speed in the minds of young car
enthusiasts.
Fun Factor
Not fun. The weak throttle response ruins the whole experience. And we can’t
blame the electronic throttle in general. Because I’ve driven other cars with
electronic throttle control and they were better than this. The CVT was boring.
You don’t need CVT for an entry level car. The Myvi doesn’t have CVT and
neither does the Suzuki Swift. Heck, even and Mazda 2 doesn’t use CVT yet it was
extremely fun to drive.
Affordability
A 1.6L Standard Iriz would have been great (and probably push the price
down by RM5,000). Unfortunately, the 1.6L is only available in premium. All other variants are
1.3L only. Fuel economy isn’t great for a car this size. Is it a good price?
With all the features you get, I’d say it is reasonable.
I find most of the car decent with exception of the two
glaring problems which are the throttle and the transmission. Will I buy an
Iriz? I think I’ll take a Myvi.
Until then.
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