The Proton Prevé is a four-door compact saloon developed by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. It was launched on 16 April 2012 and is based on Proton's next-generation P2 platform. The Prevé is the saloon complement to its sister car, the Proton Suprima S hatchback, and is also the successor of Proton Inspira.
The Prevé is claimed to be Proton's first global car, evident in the name Prevé itself, which means to prove or proof.
History
Proton started out in 1983 as a manufacturer of badge-engineered Mitsubishi vehicles. Proton cars managed to sell in great numbers because they benefited from the superior engineering and reliability of the Mitsubishi cars they were based on, among other reasons. However, with the dawn of the 21st century, Proton moved forward with the introduction of indigenously designed models such as the Proton Waja and Proton GEN•2. Unfortunately, these next-generation Protons were universally criticised for being poorly engineered vehicles. Consequently, Proton's Malaysian market share declined significantly in the early 2000s, hitting a seven-year low in 2007. In response, development of the Proton Prevé (code named P3-21A) was initiated in 2009 under the leadership of the then Managing Director of Proton, Syed Zainal Abidin. Former BMW Vice President of Quality Management R&D, Dr. Wolfgang Karl Epple was also appointed that same year as Proton's Director of Quality. He was later promoted to Senior Director Group Operations, where he contributed to the development of the P3-21A project.
The Proton Tuah, a concept car designed by Italdesign Giugiaro was exhibited at the 2010 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS). It previewed the various design elements and features in the upcoming Proton P3-21A. Development of the P3-21A was completed a year later and production took place at Proton's Tanjung Malim plant. The company claimed 94% of the car's parts were locally sourced in an effort to reduce capital outflow. The official name Proton Prevé was only revealed days before its launch.
The Proton Prevé was finally unveiled on 16 April 2012 at Seri Kembangan by the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak. It launched with a choice of six colours and three trim variants, the Executive MT, Executive CVT and Premium CVT. Both Executive trim variants are powered by Proton's 1.6L CamPro IAFM+ engine. The Executive MT is paired with a five-speed manual gearbox whereas the Executive CVT is equipped with a CVT. The Premium trim is offered with the superior 1.6L turbocharged CamPro CFE engine, mated to a CVT, also known as ProTronic, Proton's version of a manumatic transmission. Safety-wise, the Executive variants are equipped with dual SRS airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), whereas the Premium trim features an additional two airbags, brake assist (BA), traction control (TCS) and electronic stability (ESC) on top of those offered in the Executive. The Premium variant is also equipped with exclusive kit such as steering-mounted paddle shifters, automatic headlights and wipers, cruise control, climate control, a built-in touchscreen GPS head unit with Bluetooth, USB & iPod connectivity as well as push-start engine ignition. All Proton Prevés are equipped with a Smart Information Display system (SiD) that displays information such as average fuel consumption, battery health and distance to empty. Another standard feature is in-car WiFi, made possible by a collaboration between Proton and Malaysian ISP, Yes 4G.
The Prevé is priced between RM59,540 and RM72,990. It received over 11,000 bookings within two months of its official launch and became the 7th-best-selling car in Malaysia for the month of May 2012, topping all rivals in its category.
The Proton Prevé Sapphire Concept was also exhibited at the launch ceremony. It was developed by Proton Design in an effort to demonstrate the Prevé's market and technical potential. It features a unique matte gun-metal paint job in addition to custom front and rear bumpers which are complemented by chrome plated highlights, side skirts and 18-inch alloy rims. The interior sports beige coloured panels and leather upholstery for added luxury appeal, and the ride height and brakes of the car were also revised. 3 months later, Proton announced the Proton Prevé R3 Concept at the Malaysian leg of the 2012 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship season. It was fitted with a new RM3,000 body kit styled by Proton's Race, Rally, Research (R3) division as well as optional R3 rims and performance tyres. On 8 October 2012, Proton revealed the Prevé R3 racing car. It is powered by the 107 hp CamPro IAFM+ engine and features extensive exterior and interior modifications. It later competed in the 2012 Sepang 1,000 km endurance race in December that year, where it placed second after R3's Proton and ahead of Type R Racing Team's Toyota Corolla Altis.
The Prevé made its debut in Australia on 18 October 2012 at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show. Only the CamPro IAFM+ variants were made available at the Australian launch, but the turbocharged CamPro CFE model was delayed to a November 2013 launch instead. The Prevé was introduced in the Thai market during the Thailand International Motor Expo on 28 November 2012. It has been tuned to run on E20 fuel and an improved Blaupunkt 2-DIN touchscreen head unit is offered in the Thai-spec Premium trim variant. In addition, a new budget-oriented Standard trim line was introduced in that market, priced significantly lower than the Executive and Premium trim variants. Brunei became the third export market to receive the Prevé on 7 February 2013, where it is made available in three variants. The Prevé was also met with a less publicised launch in Singapore during the first quarter of 2013, where it is offered in two trim lines. On 13 June 2013, Indonesia became the fourth official export market for the Prevé, where it is currently available in just one high-end variant. Proton unveiled the Prevé LE on 18 October 2013 in its domestic market, offering the 5-star ANCAP safety rated specifications of 6 airbags, ABS, BA, EBD, TCS and ESC in addition to leather seats and a special R3 bodykit, complemented by 17-inch R3 alloy rims. Only 100 units will be produced, with each retailing at RM79,688, or around RM7,000 more than the Prevé Premium trim. The Prevé also joined the Royal Malaysia Police patrol fleet in 2013, making it the latest in a long line of Proton saloon cars which include the widely used Saga, Wira and Waja, respectively.
The updated 2014 Proton Prevé was quietly introduced into the Malaysian market in November 2013. All Prevé variants on sale in Malaysia are now equipped standard with all engineered safety features, bringing them up to 5-Star ANCAP specifications and thus placing them on par with the Australian market Proton Prevé. Proton launched a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) variant of the Prevé exclusively for Thailand in early 2014. The Prevé LPG is fitted with a dedicated 58-litre tank in the boot and a fuel gauge module on the dashboard, as well as a separate inlet inside the petrol filler compartment. Both the CamPro IAFM+ and CFE engines have been modified to run on both LPG and E20 petrol. All other specifications remain unchanged over the launch models, and the Prevé LPG is priced between 664,000 and 798,000 baht, whereas the regular Prevé continues on sale between 625,000 and 759,000 baht, respectively.
The Proton Prevé had a planned 2014 launch in the United Kingdom. A left-hand drive Prevé prototype was also caught in action in May 2012, hinting at a future launch in China and the Middle East as well.
In July 2015, Proton signed a distributor agreement with Chile-based Andes Motor, and the first left-hand drive Prevé and Exora evaluation units were shipped to Chile in November. On 1 March 2016, Proton commenced the first official shipment of 50 Prevé units, the first of an anticipated 1,000 Chilean bound Protons this year. The Chilean launch of the Proton Prevé commenced in May 2016 as planned. Three variants are available, namely Standard, Executive and Premium, ranging from $10,490 to $14,490. Both Standard and Executive variants are fitted with the 107 hp CamPro IAFM+ engine and a five-speed manual transmission. The range topping Premium is equipped with the 138 hp CamPro CFE/Turbo, paired to the updated ProTronic VT3+ CVT from the Suprima S. The Standard and Executive lines are only fitted with dual front airbags, while the Premium model offers additional twin side and twin curtain airbags. Nonetheless, Electronic Stability Control is standard on all Chilean market Prevés, along with a 5-year/150,000 km warranty. The launch of the Prevé in Chile marks Proton's return to the market after an 18-year hiatus. Chile is currently Proton's only South American export market, and the first and thus far only country to receive the left-hand drive Prevé.
In March 2015, Proton announced plans to assemble the Prevé in Bangladesh through a joint-venture with PHP Group. A new Tk 400 crore (RM 190 million) assembly plant would be constructed in Chittagong to facilitate an annual production output of 1,600 Proton cars.
In 2015, Proton Australia dropped the Prevé from its lineup, but sold any remaining models in their dealerships.
In May 2017, PHP Automobiles launched the Bangladeshi-built Proton Prevé 1.6 Turbo. The company intends to market the Prevé as an alternative to used imported cars which dominate the local market.
In 2018, Proton quietly updated the Prevé for the Malaysian market. The manual transmission was discontinued and the Executive variant engine was upgraded to the CamPro CFE/Turbo engine. NVH was improved and for the exterior received blacked-out grille, black bootlid garnish, black roof and black wing mirrors.
The Prevé is also sold in Egypt with two variants: Executive and Premium. Both variants are powered by Proton's CFE engine paired to a CVT transmission. The specifications are close to that of the Malaysian market Prevé apart from safety where the Executive variant only has 2 front airbags opposed to 6 in the Malaysian Executive Prevé. A batch of Proton cars including the Prevé departed Malaysia in September 2018 and arrived in Egypt in October 2018. Finally in March 2020, the Preve was removed from Proton's official website.
Design
Proton sought to create a new signature façade with the Prevé. The result is Proton Wings, a unified design element that fuses the headlights, Proton emblem and air-intake grille, giving it a distinctive look of a bird ascending. The Prevé is the first Malaysian-made car to be factory-fitted with LED position lamps. The exterior of the car was styled to sport a reduced drag coefficient in an effort to enhance fuel efficiency. Proton collaborated with Italy-based Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. for the styling and likeness of the Prevé. Italdesign is also responsible for the styling of the 2010 Proton Tuah concept car. Additionally, Azlan Othman, Proton's Head of Styling was dispatched to Turin under the collaboration with Italdesign which lasted almost a year.
Proton's then Senior Director Operations, Dr. Wolfgang Karl Epple revealed that the Prevé was developed by an international consortium consisting of experts from Malaysia, Italy, France, Germany and South Korea. Additionally, several components of the car are also sourced from Japan, South Korea, Australia and Europe. "If you put global ingredients in the components, people, processes, styling and packaging, you get something which is global", Epple commented. Nonetheless, Proton later claimed that 94% of the Prevé's components are locally sourced in an effort to reduce capital outflow.
The Prevé is also one of the larger cars in the C-segment traditionally popularised by Japanese and Korean offerings in the Malaysian market.
Safety / - ANCAP -