SUBANG JAYA: Finally! Here's the Proton Inspira - in its entirety.



Proton launched the car with much fanfare this morning to a packed hall at its Centre of Excellence in Puchong near here.



Last month, Proton had a soft launch for the Inspira by revealing only the front portion of the car to the public.

Mustapa getting a feel of the Inspira as Mahathir speaks to Proton Holdings chairman Datuk Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

The Inspira, the result of an OEM collaboration between Proton and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, has been enhanced further by Proton in terms of its performance and ride comfort.



According to Proton Holdings group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, "we have further enhanced the car with several new features including the Lotus DNA of exceptional ride and handling and now, what we present to you here, is a product that is more affordable for Malaysians."



Public response has been encouraging, he said.



"Since our soft launch on Oct 14, we have received 1,800 bookings nationwide as of yesterday," he said of the new model that has 40% local content, which is expected to be raised to 60% in future.



The Inspira is available in three variants - a 1.8-litre with a five-speed manual transmission, 1.8-litre with a INVECS-III six-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) and 2.0-litre with CVT.



The Inspira, whose name is derived from the Malay word "inspirasi" (inspiration in English), differs from the Lancer model with a revised front end featuring a grille with the Proton logo and a winged chrome bar.



The car will be available in maroon, silver, white and black.

The Inspira interior revealed at last. This is the 2.0-litre variant.

The vehicle is positioned as a high C-segment/low D-Segment vehicle.



It  is a model that has been jointly-developed by Proton with its Japanese partner under a new strategic alliance that is based on the global ideology and benefits of product sharing.



The automatic CVT or Intelligent & Innovative Vehicle Electronic Control System (INVECS-III), is an advanced system that automatically selects the optimal gear ratio based on road and driving conditions with a self-learning ability to match an individual’s driving style.



The engines are Mitsubishi’s all-aluminium MIVEC type with variable valve timing.



The suspension system has been tweaked for a “Lotus handling and ride” with changes to spring and shock absorber ratings, as well as bushing stiffness.



Features include a strong body with a five-star crash rating, airbags, anti-lock braking system, 16-inch wheels with all-round disc brakes, remote trunk release, steering wheel audio control buttons, cruise control, wipers with rain sensor and fully automatic climate control.



The high-end 2.0-litre variant gets additional features such as steering column-mounted paddle shifters, leather seats and a portable GPS unit. 

 

The car will be available in maroon, silver, white and black.

Unveiling the car was Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, who was accompanied by Proton advisor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.

Pricing starts at RM78,999 for the base variant, RM84,999 for the 1.8-litre CVT and RM91,999 for the 2.0-litre version.

The "value-for-money" pricing was greeted with applause as previously, the tentative pricing was slighly more across the three variants.

Syed Zainal said 60% of orders were surprisingly for the 2.0-litre model, followed by the manual variant and the 1.8.-litre CVT version.

In comparison, the Mitsubishi Lancer EX starts from RM120,980. Vehicles within the C-segment includes makes such as the Honda Civic or Toyota Altis while the D-segment comprises models such as Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.



Syed Zainal said the Inspira would replace the Waja sedan that is being phased out.



Bookings for the car can be placed at any Proton Edar dealership with a RM1,000 deposit. Those who book now until Nov 15 will enjoy a two-year free service package (inclusive of labour and service parts) worth RM1,658.



In conjunction with the Inspira launch and Proton's 25th anniversary, 11 buyers of the car later received their keys at a presentation ceremony. The first was former journalist and mushroom entrepreneur Arish Qutb Ahmad Khan of Kuantan.