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Proton Iriz 1.3L Manual Reviewed

In this day and age, its difficult to find a decent econobox that is enjoyable to drive but offer decent fuel consumption figures. These two traits are considered mutually exclusive and as a result, will never be offered in the same car.

This is the general consensus for the vehicles of today and most often than not, that seems to lend credence to the notion that you can’t eat your cake and have it at the same time. I was a firm believer of that, until I came across a little upstart from Proton called, the Iriz.

Granted, this isn’t a performance vehicle, not by a long shot. Instead, its one that ticks all the right boxes of a frugal and simple supermini, yet still allow you the ability to throw it around narrow corners without having to worry about much understeer or instability.

See, Proton’s acquisition of niche sports car maker, Lotus, was one of the savviest engineering decisions the automaker has ever made. The British automaker, since the glory days of Colin Chapman’s F1 winning feats, concentrated more on handling than outright performance. At Lotus, the rule of law is that handling takes precedence over power.

He proved that a vehicle that had a power deficit compared to its rivals would be able to overcome this disadvantage by having a well balanced chassis and suspension. This recipe for success was proven time and time again by the Lotus team in F1 and other Motorsport categories.

This wealth of knowledge has allowed Lotus to create some of the most agile vehicles the automotive world has ever seen. And it is this same expertise that Proton has incorporated into the development of suspensions of cars like the Satria GTi, Iriz and Preve.

Granted, these vehicles aren’t in the same league as Lotus’ cars in terms of handling, but that isn’t the point we are trying to convey here. The Iriz, has a supple ride quality, is agile enough to react to sudden changes in steering input and stable enough to offer some decent driving enjoyment. It’s an affordable super mini that doesn’t mind being manhandled on occasion.

The ride isn’t that comfortable though, its supple enough for daily commutes but not enough to make long journeys relaxing. It’s leaps and bounds better than its predecessors but not enough to make it the ‘go-to’ car for road trips. Though stable at high speeds, the rather skinny tyres don’t invoke the necessary confidence needed to take the vehicle to its limit.

Equipped with electric power steering, the Iriz is able to whiz around city back lanes with relative ease, making parallel parking a one-handed affair on most occasions. But that in itself is a problem because feedback that you would get, is mild at best, which isn’t very reassuring especially when throwing the vehicle around certain roads.

When it comes to stopping power, the Iriz is more than capable of holding its own regardless of the situation. The feedback from the pedal is consistent and stopping power more is more than adquate as long as you keep to city speeds. This isn’t a performance car, and it needs to be treated as such. If not, and you venture outside the Iriz’s comfort zone, things may get a little bothersome for you.

That said, the charm of the Iriz is due to its slick shifting manual transmission. Though it may not be the best shifter in the world, but it gets the job done just as easily. The clutch is relatively light and predictable, the gears slot home effortlessly and the overall feel is relatively positive.

Driving the Iriz with a stick shift would have been more enjoyable had we received the 1.6-litre car instead of the basic 1.3-litre four pot. But latter is more than adequate at handling the Iriz’s power requirements. Its peppy at the low end but tends to run out of steam as the revs start to climb towards the top end.

The only major drawbacks with this particular variant is the lack of tech and creature comforts. Unlike the top end car, you have to do without the touchscreen infotainment system, comfortable leather seats as well as the convenient and user friendly switch gear. Though not a deal breaker, their absence does reduce the appeal somewhat.

Fit and finish isn’t that great either, because some interior trim pieces don’t seem to line up exactly right and certain imperfections are visible in a few different places. Proton needs to buckle down more on QC in this area and things should look a whole lot better.

Apart from the few minor gripes that I have, there isn’t much to fault with this Iriz. It’s an affordable runabout that is easy to maneuver, has decent power, offers excellent fuel consumption, seats four comfortably, supports your latest media devices and is able to charge them too.

If I were a college student or a young working adult looking for a new ride, the Iriz would be at the top of my list. Proton has come along way since its rather humble beginnings and the Iriz is a testament to that. The 5 Star ASEAN NCAP safety rating, ABS and Traction Control, and decent build quality make it one of the most sensible choices at its price point.

Piston Review Rating: 7/10
Proton Iriz 1.3L Specifications
Engine: 1.3L (4 Cylinder DOHC 16V VVT)
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
Horsepower: 94bhp
Torque: 120Nm

Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer is a sleeper we need

AMG is Mercedes-Benz’s performance arm and is responsible for taking standard family oriented vehicles, upgrading their parts and making them faster, more agile and brake harder. It’s a formula that has spawned generations of AMG versions of standard Mercs.

The company was founded by a couple of ex-Mercedes-Benz engineers, and started out as a racing engine forge in 1967. The name AMG, is an abbreviation of the surnames of both co-founders, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher. And the G in the name, stands for Großaspach, which is Aufrecht’s home town.

Originally, AMG and Mercedes-Benz were two separate entities with the former functioning as an independent engineering firm that modified new Mercs with performance parts. It wasn’t until 1999 did Daimler-Benz AG, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, acquired AMG and turned it into it’s performance arm.

Visual dissimilarities between an AMG Mercedes-Benz and the car that is based are quite striking. Normally, the AMG one will feature more aggressive looks, side skirts, more prominent spoilers and larger yet lighter alloy wheels.

Despite the extensive changes, the vehicles still resemble their docile brethren, which is why many refer to AMG models as sleeper cars. These are vehicles that have the performance of sports cars but are still practical enough to function as a family oriented ones.

Overall, they will have a higher level of performance, handle better and incorporate more carbon-fibre in the construction of their body panels and interior. Basically, AMG cars are a direct rival to BMW’s M divsion, which is responsible for the M3, M4 and M5.

If you aren’t sold on the allure of an AMG version of a Mercedes-Benz like many car aficanados, take a look at the youtube video released by Petrolicious. It depicts the life and and experience of an owner of one of the best known AMG station wagons in existence, the 1987 Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer Wagon.

Granted, it wasn’t the original car, but extensive work was put into the base one, which is exactly what AMG used to do back in the day, to create the ultimate sleeper Benz. Take a look at the video and let us know what you think.

Honda celebrates 25th anniversary of the Type-R

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Type R nameplate. Introduced in 1992 to signal a vehicle’s performance oriented heritage, it went to become a set of letters that is revered all over the world.

The first Honda vehicle that received the R in its model name was the NSX-R, which was fitted with Motorsport-inspired upgrades that improved the base car’s characteristics. The R version had a powerful and high revving engine and finely tuned suspension.

Within Honda, the NSX-R was known as the R-Type, which eventually reversed to form Type-R. It’s a name that went on to adorn a number of high performance Hondas that include the Integra DC2, Civic and Accord.

Honda’s Type-R vehicles were in high demand up until 2011 when the global financial recession hit markets around the world. But things eventually picked again as economies around the world began to recover.

Fans of the brand are commemorating this milestone with a celebration event in Rockingham this week. Apart from that, Honda UK also gave a select group of people the opportunity to experience the best that Type-R vehicles have to offer including the Civic, Accord and Integra models.

TVR Griffith finally revealed to general public

TVR has finally launched the Griffith, its first ever vehicle in more than a decade, at the Goodwood Revival. Staying true to its heritage, the new car’s design seems to be inspired by a number of its predecessors, which is made evident by the long and sleek silhouette, angular contours and ostentatious front fascia.

It largely stays true to the TVR formula safe for the large gaping hole at the front and faux side vents integrated with the headlights. There seems to be a hint of McLaren 570s in the entire look, which isn’t a bad thing but dilutes the TVR representation of the car.

The rather elegant design was a culmination of work by Gordon Murray’s Design house and incredible manufacturing efforts of iStream who were responsible for the car’s carbon composite structure and body panels.

In fact, the car is so highly engineered, that it happens to be the second front-engine production car to feature a flat floor, which equates to better cabin space. Buyers can also opt for a full ground-effect aerodynamic package, that will improve stabilty and handling at higher speeds.

Inside, the car is more driver focused than most of its rivals, featuring minimalist switchgear that flank the LCD based instrument cluster. The short but chunky gear knob leads us to believe that the Griffith will be offered with a short-shifting manual transmission, a nod to the purist in all of us.

Weighing just 1250kg, the Griffith boasts exceptional torsional rigidity and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Powering the new TVR Griffith is a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre Cosworth-enhanced V8, that is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

As such, the car is able to achieve a top speed of more than 322km/h, and accelerates from 0-100km/h in less than four seconds. This puts it in the same league as top guns from the likes of Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Though not ground breaking, these specs are nothing to scoff at because it could point to the idea of the Griffith being marketed as a more sensible and less expensive supercar. In the UK, the car is priced at £90,000 (RM 499,064) and production of the new TVR Griffith Launch Edition will begin in late 2018.

Speaking of the new car, TVR Chairman, Les Edgar said, “Today’s unveiling is the culmination of nearly three years of tireless work by the team, and we’re all proud to be able to show the new TVR Griffith to the world.”

He then added, ” This is unmistakably a TVR, a British muscle car that’s as awesome and brutal as it is charismatic and refined. Importantly, the new TVR offers levels of technical sophistication, comfort, reliability and practicality never seen by the brand before.”

The new Griffith is being previewed in a pace car livery, which the automaker says signals its seriousness of returning to racetracks of the world in the very near future.

Aston Martin appoints new president for its Europe division

There’s been a bit of a shake up at Aston Martin Europe’s leadership. Mark Kenworthy has vacated his position as President and taken on a new role as Head of Global Dealer Network at the Aston Martin headquarters in Gaydon.

Ulrich Schäfer, the former Managing Director at Polaris, will take over from Kensworthy as President of Aston Martin Europe. Born in Trier, Germany, Schäfer has been in the automotive and motorcycle industry for brands like BMW, Indian Motorcycles, Renault and KIA for more than 20 years.

Speaking of his appointment, Schäfer said, “I am delighted to be joining Aston Martin at what is an exciting time for the brand. I’m looking forward to working with the team and our partners in developing the brand for the future.”

He held various senior management positions in marketing and brand management, dealer development and sales while at the aforementioned companies. A learned man with an MBA from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany and a degree in International Economics from the University of Sorbonne in Paris, France, Schäfer has his work cut out for him.

Regarding the new appointment, President and Chief Executive Officer Dr Andy Palmer said, “I want to personally thank Mark Kenworthy for his support job in the region, under his direction, Aston Martin in Europe has doubled the total sales on a year-to-year basis, significantly extending our market share.”

He later added, “We are delighted to welcome Ulrich Schäfer to the Aston Martin team. He brings profound knowledge and a wealth of experience by serving more than 20 years in the automotive industry. We are looking forward to working with Ulrich in delivering the Second Century plan.”

Aston Martin has been making several big changes lately, which include a partnership with AMG that will see the former use the latter’s engines to power its cars. Let’s hope these big decisions will help the Gaydon based automaker, get back it’s winning ways.

Kia will unveil impressive Procee’d concept at Frankfurt

Kia has released more images of a concept vehicle that is meant as a precursor to the new Procee’d, and it will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motorshow. Coincidentally, the new car was designed in Frankfurt, which is home to the Korean automaker’s European design centre.

Based on first impressions, the new concept features sleeker lines and a raked roof that add to its sporty character. A more subtle tiger nose grille adorns the front fascia, which is a nod to Kia’s current design language.

The curved projector headlights are able to blend in with the fluid nature of the vehicles contours, which add to the appeal. And unlike the car it will replace, the new Procee’d features a hatchback design, which should be more practical and provide more luggage space for customers.

That said, the actual production ready vehicle may not look identical to this. Admittedly, Kia have said that the concept is meant to provide the public with a glimpse into what the actual car could look like.

That said, it would be prudent to say that a number of the more ‘futuristic’ elements of the car will be retracted and replaced with more sensible and ‘production-ready’ ones. But as a whole, the silhouette including the racked roof, extended hatchback style rear and sleek side profiles should make it onto the actual Procee’d.

Speaking of the concept, Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer Europe for Kia Motors, said, “With many European drivers now seeking performance alternatives to the three-door hot hatch, we began thinking about a different halo model for the cee’d family.”

He later added, “The Proceed Concept represents a bold new vision of how the vibrant soul of the pro_cee’d could be reincarnated and revitalized for a new generation of performance-oriented drivers.”

Information regarding the technology aspect still remains scarce, but we are sure Kia will divulge more when the covers come off teh actual car in just a few days time.