Proton Suprima S

Proton Suprima S - Overview

The C-segment hatchback Proton Suprima S was available from 2013 before it was discontinued in 2018. It is a hatchback version of the Proton Preve.

The Proton Suprima S competes with C-Segment Hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, and Peugeot 308. However, the locally manufactured Proton Suprima S is a much more cheaper  option compared to its continental rivals, with a rather bang for buck price tag that starts from RM 66,987.27 (Proton Suprima S Standard) all the way to RM 85,430.95 (Proton Suprima S Super Premium), when new.

Moreover, Proton Suprima S offers a 1.6-litre Campro Turbo engine mated to a CVT-type automatic transmission.   

Proton Suprima S  - Design

Derived from the sedan Proton Preve, the Proton Suprima S is a C-segment hatchback. One would assume that cutting off the back end of a sedan to make a hatchback  would probably make the Suprima S look odd, but not in this case as the Proton Suprima S looks rather good.

Proton Suprima S - Dimensions

In terms of buying the most metal from your money, the Suprima S offers very good value. It is a decently sized family car, regardless if it is for a short distance to the restaurant down your Taman, or a family vacation from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. Below are the dimensions for you to gauge its size from its competitors.

Proton Suprima S - Interior

The interior of the Proton Suprima S comes with water repellent fabric and also leather on the seats and door panels. Though, the leather interior can only be found in the highest specification  Premium spec.

Furthermore,  the Premium variant’s steering wheel  comes wrapped in  leather, with a pair of paddle shifters should you prefer to manually select the CVTs virtual ratios.

Proton Suprima S also comes with a 7-inch LCD touch-screen infotainment paired with Blaupunkt speakers. It includes GPS navigation, audio and video playback, a 4G dongle that lets you connect to Wi-Fi, and finally the most important Bluetooth. Although there are numerous features available on the infotainment system, the screen display quality is poor.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, the analogue dials in front are complemented by a small  digital screen that gives you basic vehicle status  information  such as fuel level,and remaining driving range. 

While the centre console is as basic as it can be with two (2) cup holders in the middle, a small middle compartment below the air ventilation knobs provides one (1) USB port, a 12V socket, and a storage space enough for your wallet and keys.

For a C-segment hatchback the rear seats are spacious enough even for a 170 cm tall person. It also comes with ISOFIX mounts  for seats. Behind, the Suprima S comes with a 427-litre boot , down by 81 litres from sedan Proton Preve. But with the seats folded, you can have a much larger and taller cargo area for your Ikea runs.      

Proton Suprima S - Features

The Proton Suprima S comes with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine mated to a 7-speed CVT-type automatic gearbox across all variants. Only the Premium variant comes with a leather-trimmed interior while the rest of the range make do with water resistant fabric seats.

Proton Suprima S (Standard)

The entry variant of  Proton Suprima S Standard comes with only 2 airbags. For lighting, it comes with standard halogen projector headlights. The tail lights are LEDs but the brake lights are normal bulbs.

Infotainment system is only a 2-DIN head unit with CD player, USB, MP3, and 4 speakers. Moreover, for the Standard variant, there are no engine push-start buttons.

For safety, Proton Suprima S Standard comes with ABS  and 2 airbags.

Proton Suprima S (Executive, and Premium)

The higher range Executive and Premium variants come with 6 airbags and electronic stability control (ESC). For the lighting department, it comes with halogen projector headlamps and LED tail lights, same as the ones found in Suprima S Standard.

Infotainment system in the Proton Suprima S Executive and Premium is upgraded to a 7-inch LCD touch-screen with DVD player, Bluetooth, and 6 speakers by Blaupunkt.

Also, the ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) rating for the Proton Suprima S is  5 stars, but it only applies to variants with 6 airbags (excluding Standard Variant).

It also comes  standard with an engine push-start button, Hill Start Assist, parking sensors in front and back, and a reverse camera. Furthermore, ABS, electronic stability control can also be found in the Executive and Premium variant of Proton Suprima S.

Proton Suprima S - Driving performance

All four Suprima S  variants (Standard, Executive, Premium, and Super Premium)are powered by the same 1.6-litre Campro turbocharged engine coupled to  7-speed CVT-type automatic gearbox, producing 138 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 205 Nm of torque at 2,000 – 4,000 rpm, with a top speed of 190 km/h. It is claimed to sprint from 0-100 km/h in 9.9 seconds.

Proton Suprima S - Ride comfort

Developed in partnership with Lotus, the Proton Suprima S has a very agile handling characteristic in the corners.

However it doesn’t sacrifice comfort in long distance drives. The suspension feels comfortable when driving over bumps or rougher roadsThe only complaint is cabin noise,  which gets quite high when the Suprima S is driven at higher speeds.

Proton Suprima S - Fuel consumption

Fuel consumption is a claimed 10.5-litre/km (mix of highway or urban roads). However fuel consumption is highly dependent on one’s driving behaviour, road condition and geographical area.

Proton Suprima S - Conclusion

The Proton Suprima S is one of the best value for money offerings in the C-Segment hatchback market. However, if comparing by specifications and build quality with its foreign rivals  as the Volkswagen Golf Mk7, and  Ford Focus, It has a lot of shortcomings but given its asking price, it’s a fair compromise.