The curse of Proton’s tiny hatchback trio – Why are the Tiara, Savvy and Iriz slow sellers?

Okay, settle down, fans of the Proton Iriz (Irizians?). We’re not putting down the facelifted Iriz before we even have a chance to get behind the wheel of one and frankly, we could be seeing Proton's sole hatchback for a little bit longer.

That said, the Iriz is in bad company. It was supposed to be a contender against the Perodua Myvi and though it received praises when it was launched in 2014, that whole excitement quickly died down.

Things only became worse when the second “national” carmaker unveiled the third generation Myvi in 2017 which featured the Advanced Safety Assist (A.S.A) ADAS suite. That skyrocketed the King’s appeal even further and the Iriz just couldn’t play catch up.

Also read: Perodua Ativa (D55L) with full ASA 3.0, brace yourselves for dumb owners testing its limits

This was Proton’s third attempt in fighting directly against its local rival and though the Iriz actually sold far better than its predecessors, it’s simply not enough compared to Perodua’s golden goose. Is there a curse on Proton’s hatchbacks?

The curse on small hatchbacks

The truth of the matter is Proton’s hatchback curse only applies to its smaller models. The Aeroback models of the Saga/Iswara and Wira sold decently. Ditto the Satria and Satria Neo which have a cult following among fans and to a little extent, the Gen.2.

Also read: What are the 5 Best (and 5 worst) pre-Geely era Protons?

One reason why the smaller Proton hatchbacks have always suffered in sales is simply because of Perodua, obviously. To be more precise, the larger hatchbacks have few or even no rivals that could match in terms of price.

Also read: Perodua Kancil vs Proton Saga – Which is the original Malaysian people’s car?

Here is where we see the controversial “protection tax” come to play. Had the tax which favoured locally-made models be removed, perhaps we might see the larger Proton hatches see a bit of fair competition.

In an alternate universe, an EG Civic could be priced closer to the Satria but of course, the variant responsible for that timeline has been pruned (pitted too even).

Simply put, the issue with the Tiara, Savvy, and the Iriz is that they have similarly priced competitors in the form of the Kancil, Myvi, and uh…Myvi. It’s impressive that the Myvi managed to stave off two different Proton models.

Also read: Proton tried fighting Perodua with the Tiara and Savvy, and lost miserably

The Malaysian Tiger must’ve wished for things to go back to the early 2000s when it controlled captured the majority of the market.

Also read: Once unbeatable, Proton lost its No.1 rank not because of Perodua, but the PC. How?

That being said, what exactly went wrong with each of Proton’s tiny hatchbacks? We’ll go in chronological order beginning with the Tiara.

The curse of the Tiara – Too much quirkiness

The Proton Tiara was the first and only production Proton model that wasn’t a rebadge of Asian origin. Based on the Citroen AX, the Tiara was built at DRB-HICOM’s plant in Pekan, Pahang alongside some truly great cars like the Citroen Xantia and the Proton Putra.

Also read: 8 reasons why the Proton Putra was more than just a prince on wheels

The Tiara wasn’t great. In fact, even though it was based on a French car, it didn’t have that joie de vivre (excitement) you come to expect from the French.

The AX itself was developed as a European budget car. It’s kind of like the modern interpretation of the Citroen 2CV and the Tiara kept some of the charming features from the AX. This included a horn placed on the indicator and a clock in place of a tachometer. Malaysians were probably not too ready for this sort of quirkiness.

At least the Tiara was more powerful than the Kancil thanks to its Citroen-derived 1.1-litre TU1/K engine (60 PS) with a top speed of 161 km/h. That engine was only paired to a 5-speed manual transmission which might also cause its appeal to be lost on city folk that preferred the ease of changing gears without a clutch.

Also read: The world doesn’t need manual cars anymore

Besides, parts for the Tiara were notoriously hard to find. The most prominent issue being finding replacement wheels as they came with 3 lug nuts instead of the standard 4. With few units sold, Proton decided to end production of the Tiara in 2000 after 4 years in the market.

The curse of the Savvy – Three letters – A, M, T

Internally, Proton planned a replacement for the Tiara that was based on the Citroen Saxo. However, that project was scrapped and Proton returned back to the drawing board with a new project for its Tiara Replacement Model (TRM).

That eventually turned out to be the Proton Savvy which was an original design unlike the Tiara. Launched 5 years after the Tiara ended production, the Savvy still kept a little bit of French engineering underneath the local design.

The only engine available was a Renault-sourced 1.2-litre 4-cylinder D-Type engine that made 75 PS and 105 Nm. Unlike the Tiara, the Savvy did come with a clutchless transmission but that turned out to be an automated manual transmission (AMT).

Though the 5-speed manual transmission combined with the Lotus-developed ride and handling made the Savvy a surprising little package, most Malaysians weren’t too concerned about speed. What they wanted for a small hatchback is practicality and ease of maintenance.

Also read: Owner Review: A perfect car to daily commute for around RM3,000 - Proton Savvy 2005 (Manual)

The AMT gearbox was clunky to use and introducing Malaysians to new technology can be a hit or miss with the latter being the result of Proton’s AMT. Many owners complained of difficulties in changing gears and the gearbox not being smooth.

Perhaps it was due to an agreement with Renault that forced the Savvy to be offered with the dreaded transmission. However, the opposite seemed to be the case as a few Renault models that used the same engine were paired to a conventional automatic transmission.

Besides the troublesome gearbox, another common issue with the Savvy was its inability to start which was mostly due to a loose flywheel sensor. Having said that, the Savvy was built at a time when Proton was facing quality issues with most of its products.

Hence, most buyers went for the Myvi given it’s a much more reliable car which quickly turned the tide for Perodua in becoming Malaysia’s best-selling brand. Unable to catch up with the Myvi’s sales and despite attempts at convincing buyers with more basic offerings like the Savvy Lite, Proton ended sales of the Savvy in 2011.

The curse of the Iriz – It’s not the CVT

Right before Proton killed off the Savvy, the Malaysian Tiger was convinced that third time’s the charm in its pursuit to challenge Perodua. It unveiled the Giugiaro-designed Proton EMAS at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and it previewed Proton’s “phoenix”.

Also read: Is the Proton EMAS a wasted golden opportunity?

The Proton Iriz was launched in 2014 and at first glance, you can tell that Proton learned its lessons. No more horns placed elsewhere instead of the steering wheel and no more strange gearboxes, it was a proper redemption against the reigning King.

Compared to its predecessors, the Iriz is practically a better hatchback. The quality issues that plagued the Savvy slowly disappeared and it’s a fun car to drive. Even though the CVT automatic is often derided, it’s still a lot better than the AMT gearbox.

Also read: Pros and Cons: Proton Iriz – Excellent ride and handling, but the CVT is a pain

Yet, despite its conventional practicality, the Iriz still fails to catch up with the Myvi. In the two updates given to the Iriz, the third-gen Myvi looked unchanged throughout.

Also read: How is the Proton Iriz still on sale 7 years later and is it still relevant?

There are a few reasons for the Iriz's inability in overcoming the Myvi but one of the biggest reasons is that the little Proton has reliability baggage held by its predecessors. The Myvi has been pretty faultless throughout its lifespan while Proton's quality issues still linger even if they have been improved all these years.

Besides, the Myvi is more spacious, practical, and fuel-efficient than the Iriz. Those traits overcome performance and handling which the Iriz does better in spades. Hence, most Malaysian buyers would rather have an effortless mode of transport than one that stirs their hearts.

The Iriz's lack of ADAS is another deterrent against the car's success too but it's really the practicality that sees it struggle against the Myvi.

Also read: Proton Iriz Active still falls short of the Perodua Myvi on one crucial aspect

Unsurprisingly, some Myvis are even used by pasar malam traders and even as mobile cafes given their sheer practicality and proven reliability.

The Iriz might be cheaper to buy than a Myvi and the latest update adds a jacked-up variant called the Active as well as a more modern interior. However, we think that no amount of fancy additions would convince most buyers who would still go for the Myvi.

Also read: Old vs New – New 2022 Proton Iriz Facelift, what's new?

The Iriz is missing the crucial ADAS as compared to the Myvi. It might receive the full 5-star result from ASEAN NCAP but this was based on the older 2017-20 methodology. The newer 2021-25 methodology requires ADAS in order to get 5-stars.

Also read: ASEAN NCAP to assess AEB systems starting Jan 2021, motorcyclist safety included

Perhaps there is not much of a curse with Proton’s trio of entry-level hatchbacks but rather a complicated mix of poor decisions as well as financial issues during their developments. Though it has perfected the recipe with each generation, Proton simply couldn’t match with what Perodua offers.

Also read: Perodua Myvi vs Proton Iriz, the choice is obvious, or is it?