Following a surprise announcement on Valentine's Day, Proton has officially brought back the R3 moniker with the 2021 Proton Saga and Iriz R3 Limited Edition, both of which were launched alongside the 2021 Proton Persona and Exora Black Edition.
Do they have any other claim to fame other than being your shot at getting a factory-painted black Proton, typically reserved for government use? Let's find out.
Rather notably, this is the first time the R3 badge has found its place on a production Proton model since 2012's Satria Neo R3.
But the R3 trimmings this time are mainly just that - trimmings. Barring the yellow pinstripes à la last year's quick-selling 35th Anniversary Edition, the Saga R3 LE gets new window banners, badging and of course, these funky new graphics along the sides.
The R3 LE is based on the 1.3 Premium variant, so it keeps the standard 15-inch wheels which are now in matte grey.
The yellow detail flows inside too, with the stitching, instrument cluster surrounds, cubby spaces, and air-conditioning vents getting a splash of yellow.
At least there's nice R3-branded carpets and leather seats.
Mechanically, everything is unchanged - it's still the same bog-standard 95 PS/120 Nm 1.3-litre, naturally-aspirated mill mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
The Saga R3 LE starts from RM 42,300, on-the-road without insurance.
Right next to it is the Iriz R3 LE. With a subtle, R3-designed bodykit highlighted in yellow, we think it does a much better job of communicating its sporting aspirations than the Saga.
Beyond the multi-piece bodykit (that also includes the rather nice spoiler), keen-eyed observers will note that the 16-inch wheels on the Iriz R3 LE were once worn by the Satria Neo CPS.
Moving inside, the Iriz R3 LE keeps all the bells and whistles of the 1.6 Premium variant, with a few fine additions such as leather seats and yellow detailing everywhere.
Performance-wise, buyers will still get the same 1.6-litre, naturally-aspirated four-cylinder mill making 109 PS and 150 Nm, paired to a CVT.
The Iriz R3 LE starts from RM 52,900, on-the-road without insurance.
Now that we've got the R3s out of the way, let's check out the Black Editions.
If the R3 duo are a little bit too shouty, then the Black Edition cars are the total opposite.
Yellow is out here, with the Persona getting light gold-coloured bumper surrounds, side stickers, and rear bumper details.
The Persona badge is also finished in light gold, as are the 15-inch wheels.
Stepping inside, the Persona BE now features a more premium-looking black headliner to go with the champagne detailing the rest of the interior gets.
Like the other two R3 models, the Persona retains its standard 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder/CVT combo that's shared with the Iriz R3 LE.
On-the-road prices for the Persona BE starts from RM 54,700.
Aha, here's the surprise wildcard - the Exora Black Edition.
In a bid to refresh the brand's only MPV (that was first introduced in 2009), the Exora BE gets the same colour trimmings as the Persona, with a few small differences.
For one, the tail light cluster also gets light gold touches, and the 16-inch wheels now have a dual-tone, silver/light gold colourway.
These little touches give the Exora a rather premium feel.
The cabin also gets the other light gold-coloured details on the centre console surrounds, gear lever area, and seat stitching.
New on the Exora is the rear entertainment screen. So far, it's unclear whether this will be an option on other Exora variants moving forward.
The same 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mill/CVT combination drives the Exora BE, with power rated at 140 PS and 205 Nm.
On-the-road prices (sans insurance) for the Exora starts from RM 67,800.
If you like the current Persona and Iriz, then this could be your last shot at getting them.
With things like LED headlights and even bigger wheels spied so far, we can expect the facelifted versions of both models to turn up not long after these special editions sell out.
Never mind the Saga - which was facelifted in 2019 - the Exora is expected to continue trundling along, at least until its replacement arrives. Could it be the Proton X90?
Sanjay
Senior Writer
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
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