The Inspira, in whatever description – “a Mitsubishi Lancer clone” or “a product of Proton’s technical collaboration with Mitsubishi” – has managed to stir up significant public interest judging by these Internet searches.
However, the fact remains that the Shah Alam-assembled car, which looks like a tamer twin of the four-door Lancer sedan, comes with the familiar Proton budget pricing instead of an imported Japanese C-Segment car typically around RM130K.
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To recap, the Inspira shares its underpinnings and a significant portion of components with the Lancer which it is based upon.
Both the Inspira and the Lancer were supposed to have started out as a joint platform development and sharing project between the national carmaker and Mitsubishi Motors Corp some four years ago.
The regional economic downturn caused Proton to postpone its Inspira project but Mitsubishi pressed ahead and out came the Lancer.
But when Proton revived the Inspira project much later, its management decided to leapfrog the upper-body development and began with the completed Lancer instead of just the Lancer platform as the new starting point.
The front and rear bumpers, and alloy wheels along with its suspension system are among the items redone by Proton for their own look.
Now available in three variants, our Inspira test unit was the entry level 1.8-litre Executive trim with a five speed-manual transmission at RM78,999.
The other two are the 1.8-litre Executive with the Mitsubishi INVECS-III continuously variable transmission (CVT) priced at RM84,999 and the 2.0-litre Premium edition with the same CVT at RM91,999.
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At this price level, the Inspira 1.8 manual lands right in the territory of the Toyota Vios, Honda City, Ford Fiesta and Mazda2.
When it comes to size, the Inspira is running with the likes of the Toyota Altis, Honda Civic, Kia Forte, Chevrolet Cruze and of course, the Lancer.
At the front, the Inspira loses the aggressive Lancer growling face, since the target market is more mature drivers who would not want a boy racer image.
The smaller 16-inch wheels fitted instead of the 18-inch ones in the Lancer also convey a more subtle appearance.
The rear end looks rather naked without the spoiler which comes only with the 2.0-litre variant. Our suggestion for buyers is to invest a few hundred ringgit and get a spoiler installed.
Those familiar with the Lancer will find the interior space of the Inspira no different.
All-round head and leg room are more than enough for Malaysians of average height. One portly friend did complain, however, that the rear seat sagged somewhat under his weight.
You do not need to have sharp eyes to spot the similarities between the Inspira’s dashboard and instrument panel cluster and the Lancer’s.
But once we got moving, the differences were telling.
The suspension which has been tuned by Proton’s Lotus-trained engineers slants towards comfort settings while the exhaust note sounded more civilised than sporty.
Going over our pothole-riddled roads of Petaling Jaya, we had to admit that judders and shocks caused by these unkept roads were very well absorbed.
The Lancer, which we are well familiar with,would give a more jittery ride here with its harder suspension set up and lower profile tyres.
At speeds exceeding 110kph, the Inspira feels planted with outside noises kept well in check through good sound insulation.
Spirited driving is handled with sufficient poise with body roll kept well in check.
The car feels more predictable than the Lancer but exhibits more understeer if pushed hard around corners.
The 16-inch Continental ContiContactComfort CC5 tyres selected by Proton indicate a bias favouring a more comfortable drive than a spirited one.
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| All-round head and leg room are more than enough for Malaysians of average height. |
The Mitsubishi-sourced 1.8-litre aluminium MIVEC variable valve engine has 140bhp, and when coupled to a manual transmission, allows more control and powerful drive.
The 1.8 manual might be the base variant of the Inspira line-up but it’s the fastest with a 0-100kph sprint in 10 seconds flat while the 1.8- and 2.0-litre with CVT will get there in 11.4 seconds and 10.5 seconds respectively. Its top speed levels out at 202kph, staying ahead of the 1.8 CVT’s 191kph and 2.0 CVT’s 198kph.
The gear shifter is precise with short throws, making gear changes fast and delightful.
Coupled with a light clutch pedal, driving the Inspira manual even through KL’s incessant traffic jams was not too much of a chore for the left foot.
Coming in at RM78,999 on-the-road with insurance, the 1.8 manual comes with equipment expected for cars in this price range – dual front airbags, anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution, fog lamps and reverse sensors.
The Inspira also gets a trip computer which calculates your fuel consumption and driving range.
Pay a few thousand more for the more expensive Inspira variants and you get stuff like cruise control, paddle shifters, automatic air conditioning, CVT with Sports mode, leather seats and bodykits.
Whatever it's called, the Inspira 1.8 manual is certainly a lot of car for your buck.
