The facelifted 2022 Proton Persona is offered in three variants – Standard, Executive, and Premium. Prices for the 2022 Proton Persona starts at RM 45,200 and tops out at RM 54,900. These include SST discounts that are valid till 31-December 2021.

The variant pictured in this article is the Executive variant.

To recap the changes, the Persona facelift gets the new roundel-shape “Thundercats” logo that made its debut on the Proton X70 CKD. The logo is placed on the middle of the front grille which sports Proton’s trademark Infinite Weave design.

Also read: Old vs New: Here are the changes in the new 2022 Proton Persona facelift (MC2)

Premium variants receive a few more extras like LED headlamps, a black roof finish, and an all-new 16-inch wheel design. The latter is also available with the Executive variant while the base Standard only comes with 15-inch wheels. The rear fascia is mostly carried over from before.

All variants of the Persona are powered by a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine that makes 109 PS/150 Nm. The 5-speed manual transmission has been dropped, which leaves the Punch-sourced CVT as the sole option.

Inside, the centre console has been redesigned and there’s a new floating-style 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Standard variant of the Persona comes with a "floating" radio unit with Bluetooth connectivity instead of the touchscreen unit.

Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity is still absent. The Premium variant has a more advanced voice command system, which controls the air-conditioning (A/C) and power windows.

All variants of the new Persona get a digital A/C. Though there is no automatic climate control as it is still manually adjusted, the digital display does add an air of premium. The A/C also comes with an N95 filter.

The Premium variant gets brown leatherette seats and the leatherette material also continues on the steering wheel and the door panels. The Standard and Executive variants come with black fabric upholstery instead.

Which is the pick of the range?

As for the pick of the range, we think you should opt for either the range-topping Premium variant or the base Standard variant.

With the Standard variant, you’d get most of the necessities like stability control and 4 airbags. And while the 15-inch wheels may appear tiny, tyre replacement cost will be lower.

The additional features in the Executive variant like the LED DRLs or even the new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system aren’t enticing enough, for us, to justify the slightly higher price. 

Which is why we’d say skip the Executive and head straight for the Premium variant, which nets you 6 airbags, premium-looking brown leatherette seats, and the attractive-looking LED Headlamps. Ultimately, we think the Premium variant is the pick of the range as it represents what the Persona has to offer.

Also read: Want to buy a 2022 Proton Persona? Here’s the minimum salary required