Earlier this week, you've read about the 2021 Proton Iriz facelift. Coming roughly around the same time as that is the 2021 Proton Persona facelift. It'll bring with it a host of goodies, so let's take a look.

Wow, there's a Proton Persona facelift?

Well it's not quite here yet - but its coming soon. Numerous spyshots are floating on the Internet of the upcoming Persona touring around with the 2021 Proton Iriz facelift. 

And then there's this small glimpse we caught during the 2020 Proton X50's launch, which may very well be a sign of things to come. 

There's also a Proton Iriz facelift?

Yes, that's also coming. It's been frequently spotted alongside the Persona. We did an entire roundup on it - which you can read here.

So what to expect from the new Persona?

Right at the top of the list is a new transmission. 

Depending on variant, the current Persona is available with either a manual transmission or a CVT. The problem we have with the Punch-sourced CVT is that its rather unrefined and noisy.

CVTs can be good, but this one is rather off the mark. That's why we're glad to note that one of the biggest changes the facelifted Persona is bound to get is a conventional torque-converted 4-speed automatic transmission. 

It'll most likely get the same gearbox found in the Proton Saga. We know some comments might come up about how it could be a step in the wrong direction - but its undeniable how much better it is than the CVT.

Nice. Can we expect new engines too?

Okay, chances for a new engine are slim to none. This is because the Persona is a pre-Geely era car, so it wasn't originally designed to accommodate a Geely-sourced engine.

For the record, the Proton Persona comes with a naturally-aspirated, four-cylinder engine making 109 PS and 150 Nm. 

What else will be coming?

In one of the spyshots, we can see that the Persona was equipped with a bigger floating headunit. This points to a newer infotainment system, possibly installed with the latest Geely Key User Interface (GKUI), as seen in the 2020 Proton X50 - something that could also find its way into the updated Iriz.

Very interesting! Can I still buy the current Persona?

Of course! Here's the current available Persona lineup:

Before you grab one, grab a cup of coffee and read our review or watch Adrian talk about it in our review video.

And as always, you're welcome to discuss with fellow owners in our Forum and WhatsApp group.