First introduced in 2016, the Proton Iriz joined the B-segment hatchback market eager to give the reigning Perodua Myvi a run for its money with all kinds of gadgets and creature comforts that easily trump the competition. Though Perodua responded to the challenge with a new generation of the Myvi 2018, Proton was quick to update their challenger as well. The 2019 Proton Iriz features 5 variants, ESC and traction control on all variants and 6 airbags and the comprehensive GKUI infotainment unit on the Premium variant to sooth a techy's soul. (Perodua Myvi vs Proton Iriz; what are the differences?)
With a flurry of spyshots in 2020, Malaysians can expect to see the 2021 Proton Iriz breaking cover soon, alongside the 2021 Proton Persona. However, this is not merely a small nip-and-tuck facelift exercise - there's a lot of new things that are bound to appear this time around.
Let's start with what remains: the choice of a 1.3-litre or a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine. It's a bit far-off to expect a Geely powerplant in there as the car was not originally designed to fit that engine. What's new however is the unrefined Punch CVT giving way to a conventional four-speed automatic transmission, touted to be adapted from the Proton Saga. Also, since the Persona was spotted with a larger floating headunit, it could even make its way into the Iriz - possibly running an updated version of the Geely Key User Interface (GKUI).
More excitingly, we could also see a crossover Iriz, highly anticipated to be called the Iriz Cross. Lending credence to this claim are the many spyshots featuring an Iriz with fancy roof rails, chunky claddings, taller ride height and different wheels. Besides that, there's rumours of sportier variants of the Iriz, carrying the 'Black Edition' and 'R3 Edition' monikers.
With current prices ranging from RM 36,700 to RM 50,700, the Iriz competes against the 2020 Perodua Myvi.