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

Now in its sixth year on sale, the Proton Iriz has received a number of updates over its lifecycle.

The first update for the Proton Iriz came in 2017 when Proton improved the model’s noise, vibrations, and harshness (NVH) levels by reducing the number of engine mounts (from four to three), a revised exhaust set-up, and better noise insulation materials.

Subsequently in 2019, Proton introduced a more comprehensive update for the Iriz, this time encompassing a redesigned exterior and updated interior with a new meter cluster as well as Proton’s fancy voice command head unit.

Pros – Matured ride and handling

Compared to its closest rival, the Perodua Myvi, the Iriz trumps with a much more engaging driving experience. The steering is nicely weighted and gives decent amount of feedback, which is surprising as it features an electric power steering (EPS), not the first word when road feedback is mentioned.

Proton’s ride and handling team also did a swell job with the Iriz. Never mind the Myvi, the Iriz’s ride and handling can easily match rivals that cost twice as much. The Iriz offers a supple ride when going over rough patches of roads, something which other segment rivals struggle with.

It is also worth noting that the Proton Iriz’s seats are miles ahead of the Myvi. In the Myvi, the seat base and seatback are too short for an average-sized adult, making it rather uncomfortable for some. But in the Iriz, the seats offer decent amount of support and comfort for the driver and passengers.

Cons – That CVT needs to go, pronto!

As engaging as the driving experience of the Proton Iriz may be, the Punch-sourced CVT-type automatic transmission is its Achilles’ heel.

Not only is the CVT jerky in stop-go traffic, it is also noisy and unrefined, which are very uncharacteristic for a CVT.

Furthermore, in-gear acceleration is lacking, as there is a mild delay in power delivery when you gun the throttle. To makes matters worse, with four adults in the car, the Punch CVT takes a while before shifting to a higher rpm to deliver its peak torque at 4,000 rpm.

Conclusion

Despite how nasty the Punch-sourced CVT may be, we believe that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel as Proton was recently caught testing heavily-camouflaged versions of the Iriz and Persona, fuelling speculations that Proton is planning for a third update for its B-segment duo.

That aside, we believe that Proton could take a leaf out of the 2019 Saga’s books by replacing the Punch-sourced CVT in the Iriz and Persona with a more conventional four-speed automatic.  

The updated Proton Iriz (and Persona) could be introduced some time next year, so stay tuned for that.