Besides the Perodua Ativa, there's another model that vies for the title of Malaysia's most talked-about local car this year - and that's the 2022 Proton Iriz Active.

For good reason too. It was first conceptualised way back in 2014, and it's only made production 7 years later.

Fast forward to 2021, and this Active variant is the range-topper of the updated Iriz lineup, which was launched alongside the facelifted 2022 Proton Persona. Changes for both models are beyond skin-deep, and as such this Iriz has gained some points compared to the pre-facelift iteration.

For your reference, the pre-facelift Iriz Premium CVT (the then range-topper) scored 160/250, while this 2022 Iriz Active nets 164/250.

And as usual, all scores and judgements here are relative to the model's respective segments and not the new-car market as a whole.

2022 Proton Iriz Active: Driving Performance - 33/50, Standout handling

Don't let the pseudo-SUV looks fool you as underneath all that cladding is a fairly familiar Iriz. Note that there's no difference to its ground clearance (165 mm for variants with 16-inch wheels, 155 mm for 15-inch), identical to the Persona.

The cosmetic roof rails on the Iriz Active add just 10 mm to its body's height (1,574 mm here, 1,564 mm on the Iriz Executive, with identical 16-inch wheels), so there are no real compromises to the dynamism one would expect out of this hatchback.

That's helped along with a well-weighted steering wheel that provides decent feedback. The Iriz Active's strengths really does lie in its reassuring handling, and those inclined for a spot of spirited driving every once in a while will not be left wanting.

Besides the handling, what's also familiar is the 1.6-litre, naturally-aspirated four-pot mill. With 109 PS and 150 Nm, it completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 12 seconds flat, 0.4 seconds slower than the pre-facelift model.

Not to worry, that's still enough to smoke an Ativa and the Nissan Almera.

Also read: Video: 2021 Perodua Ativa vs Nissan Almera Turbo vs Proton Iriz Drag Race on KLIA

We attribute this to the bigger wheels and slightly heavier 16-inch wheels, an inch up from the pre-facelift's set.

But you, like most reading this, would be more interested to know how the Punch CVT is now. Yes, Proton has decided to stick to it, bringing improvements in the form of revised calibration, Eco and Sport modes, as well as Neutral Idle Control (NIC).

Lots of fancy terms, but we can attest to the updates. It's way more acceptable in traffic now, creeping forward naturally when the brake pedal is released, and gently accelerates as throttle is applied. Though it can still be caught lurching - especially in uphill, crawling traffic - the previous CVT's inherent jerkiness is all but eliminated now. 

Also read: 6AT mulled, is the Proton Iriz / Persona’s CVT that bad? Here’s what’s new

Sport Mode increases the revs, but it's a somewhat uncomfortable experience as you'll then get a rather annoying drone. On the other hand, Eco Mode - which disengages the clutch when you're coasting below 70 km/h and re-engages it above that - really is seamless, and you won't notice it doing its thing.

It's not the most polished out there, but the improvements felt are consistent enough to feel unintrusive in daily driving. 

2022 Proton Iriz Active: Ride Comfort - 36/50, Excellent suspension

Talk about a fine balance between handling and comfort, and this is where the Iriz Active shines. You'll feel its communicative chassis, and Proton's attention in this aspect sees the car make pretty short work of pockmarked roads and sweeping corners alike.

Playful as it is, it'll do cruising relatively comfortably too. Those sitting in front will find the seats supportive, particularly the side bolsters which holds one firmly (but not too tightly) in place. Decent seat bases too, which provides better-than-X50 levels of thigh support.

Cabin noise insulation is acceptable for the price range, and it's slightly better than the last time too.

More good news for passengers, as the rear seats are equally nice to sit in, offering a decent recline and made out of the same supple materials as the fronts. However, we found that those sitting on the exhaust side (left) will hear some droning.

2022 Proton Iriz Active: Quality and Features – 27/50, Could be better

Some might think the idea of an SUV-esque Iriz may need some warming up to, while others think it looks splendid. All we know is, those who crave attention best get one in Passion Red or Citric Orange, if the glances we got were any indication.

Besides the cladding, the Active's price premium nets you LED headlights (not full-LED, as the turn signals and parking lamps still use conventional bulbs), the aforementioned purely-cosmetic roof rails and 16-inch wheels, as well as some interior features.

At first glance it's all very familiar to the rest of the crop. But there's a few key differences, particularly its black combination leather seats, black headliner, and red accents all over - including the seatbelts. A touch too much?

In case you're wondering, the red interior details are not colour-coordinated to the exterior, meaning they'll stay red no matter what body colour you choose.

Then of course there's the new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment headunit sitting proud on the redesigned dashboard, and new digital air-cond controls replacing the knobs of old.

However, the headunit's lack of refinement makes us feel like beta testers of some sort. The irritatingly reflective screen struggles to register touches sometimes, and the 'Hi Proton' voice command really isn't worth writing home about.

Sure it's the only car in the price bracket to have such a function, but considering the breadth of what it can do isn't all that much anyway, it really just feels like a cut-rate gimmick.

The Iriz (and Persona) employs the Geely Key User Interface (GKUI), so buyers will get QD Link instead of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Credit where its due though, sound quality is better than 'just passable' this time around, and light fiddling of the equaliser will net you good results. For the most part I was fine with it on stock settings, but Shaun - the office audiophile - could tweak it to sound much better than it initially is.

Also read: Top 5 best-sounding in-car audio system we’ve tested

That said, the Iriz Active loses some points due to some disappointing rattles, squeaks, and vibrations within the cabin. Our unit had a rattly centre console (where the headunit sits), and incidentally the Persona had it in the same place too.

A grand total of zero ADAS features means the Iriz Active scores nothing in that respect - a shame because its nearest rival, the Perodua Myvi bundles them along despite being slightly cheaper.

In the Iriz at least you'll get automatic headlights, 6 airbags, and the standard suite of anti-lock braking system (ABS), traction control (TCS), and electronic stability control (ESC).

2022 Proton Iriz Active: Interior space – 29.5/50, Enough for most

While the Iriz Active seems like it'd do well on an autocross track, make no mistake it's also very happy to suit laid-back driving. It's a very well-sorted hatch this, giving one sure-footedness in the corners and a planted feel on the straights.

The seats are plush, providing more enough support for most. However, those who are slightly bigger might not get the same feeling compared to people who are smaller-sized.

Not much complaints about the cushioning - they're slightly firm, but hardly the most punishing and more importantly, they feel a touch above any Perodua offering.

The addition of the centre armrest - which required a redesign of the handbrake and gear lever - is a boon in long-distance drives, and we appreciate the extra space too.

The black headliner might hide it somewhat, but space is pretty generous. Round the back there's about two tennis balls of legroom, and about one-and-a-half tennis ball worth of headroom.

You'll also get 7 cupholders, but those in the middle are best used for small mineral water bottles or drinks that come with your burger set. The rest of the cubby spaces are pretty regular, nothing too big or small.

Boot space remains unchanged from before, so there's about 215 litres with the rear seats up. More space can be afforded with the seats folded, and underneath it is a space saver tyre.

2022 Proton Iriz Active: Fuel consumption – 13.5/20, Slightly better now

Proton says fuel consumption has reduced by around 10 percent on the NEDC cycle, with Eco Mode further improving it to 8 to 10 percent. But these numbers are according to Proton's internal tests, and in the real world the results often differ.

Driving the Proton siblings around in mixed conditions, here's what the Iriz Active returned:

This is a better result than the 2019 Proton Iriz, which achieved 8.4-litre/100 km. This slight improvement translates to about 4 percent improvement in fuel consumption for the Iriz.

2022 Proton Iriz Active: Purchase and cost – 25/30, Good value for its price

The Iriz range starts from RM 40,800 (Standard), but this Iriz Active costs RM 54,800, making the range slightly pricier than the Myvi (RM 41,292 to RM 52,697). Certainly cheaper than any similar-sized Toyota or Honda, and it's pretty good value for what you pay.

Also read: 2022 Proton Iriz facelift - Worth paying RM 7k more for the Active variant?

Maintenance wise, it's slightly pricier to maintain it compared to the pre-facelift model. The extra costs incurred are from more frequent coolant and N95 cabin filter changes.

Just for comparison, yes, maintaining a Myvi is slightly cheaper. Sans optional ProCare items, servicing a Myvi in the same 5-year/100k km period costs about RM 3,163.

Also read: 2022 Proton Iriz Active: Costs RM 3.6k to maintain over 5 years/100k km, here's the breakdown

2022 Proton Iriz Active: Conclusion – 164/250 pts overall

So there you have it - the Proton Iriz is a marginally better car than its predecessor, but not by a huge margin. It's still the comfortable-yet-nippy Myvi alternative that will please those who find joy in driving.

But for all that's good about it, its blemishes are becoming increasingly hard to ignore as the years go by. Even more so when you remember Serendah is gearing up to enhance their best-selling Myvi.

Also read: Spied: First look at the 2021 Perodua Myvi facelift

Sure, this Iriz has improved a lot since the name first burst into the scene, but underneath all the metal and plastic is a chassis that's 7 years old with technologies of similar vintage. Smaller, cheaper cars already come with ADAS features, so the lack of such features in the Iriz (not even blind spot monitoring!) is a bit of a toughie to swallow.

Being fun-to-drive is a good claim to fame, but it's only so long that one car can hold just that title.

Also read: Review: 2022 Proton Iriz Active – more tech, but has the CVT improved enough?