Submitted by Niklas on Sun, 24/07/2011 - 11:41am
Inspired by Lancer clone



IT'S difficult to differentiate the Proton Inspira and Mitsubishi Lancer from far.

After all, the Inspira is a rebadged version of the Lancer, save for Proton's V-shaped front end design as opposed to Mitsubishi's trapezoidal "jet fighter" grille.

Essentially, the Inspira is a Lancer with minor make overs at the front, rear, suspension settings and wheels.

It offers a choice of a Mitsubishi's 4B10 1.8-litre engine (Standard) with a 5-speed manual, a Mitsubishi 4B10 1.8-litre engine with a 6-speed virtual ratio CVT gearbox (Executive) or a top of the range 2-litre 4B11 engine with the same CVT transmission with added steering column paddle shifters (Premium).

The Proton's bumper is unique as it has a black painted "diffuser style" design, as opposed to the straightforward item on the Lancer with the reflectors sitting within the black area.

Like the Lancer EX, the Inspira wears 16-inch wheels with 205/60 rubber.

Cabin architecture is taken wholesale from the Lancer.

Inside, the differences are minimal. The three-spoke steering design has a Proton badge and the instruments look the same.

You can find similarities between the Inspira's dashboard and instrument panel cluster and the Lancer's.

However, the "left speedo, right tacho" layout of the Lancer has been reversed for the Inspira, which has its rev meter on the left side.

The multi-info screen is the orange one as per the Lancer sedan, not the full colour version on the Lancer Sportback.

The Inspira gets a trip computer which calculates your fuel consumption and driving range.

All else is identical, including the grade of plastics.

It is pleasantly free of mistakes in ergonomics such as awkwardly positioned power window switches, reflecting instrument panel covers or misplaced air-cond vents. In fact, the signal stalk is now back on the right side, which is where it should be in a right-hand drive vehicle.

Leg room, head room and boot space is generally what you can find in 1.8L cars.

All-round head and leg room is more than enough for Malaysians of average height.

Unfortunately, the boot volume is still smaller compared with the Persona's.

An oversight is the parking brake lever positioned away from the driver, separated by cup-holders, presumably overlooked in transferring the left-hand drive to right-hand drive system. Imagine having to reach for the lever across a large cup and a big bottle of mineral water.

Also, it would be useful if a USB port is in the unit instead of having to use the cigarette lighter port to stick in the USB drive.

The 4B10 1.8-litre pot on the manual offers 140 hp at 6,000 rpm and 177 Nm at 4,250 rpm.

Performance-wise, the 1.8 manual has a claimed top speed of 202 km/h and a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 10.0 seconds.

As for kerb weight, the manual rolls in at 1,300 kg while the 1.8 CVT and 2.0 P are 1,325 kg and 1,335 kg respectively.

We took the 5-speed manual for a spin and eventually ended up at Genting Highlands.

The ride comfort over rough roads has improved, not just because of the higher profile rubber, but the spot on damping.

Pushing it to the max was a confidence inspiring affair.

Suspension was much softer than the Lancer's, body movements in fast cornering controlled, allowing one to push the car to its limits with relative confidence.

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels were noticeably lower than the Lancer, perhaps mainly due to the narrower tyres with less aggressive pattern.

This 4B series of engines wasn't the smoothest in town but a self shifter.

The steering somehow felt more precise and had better feedback compared with the other models. According to Proton, the entire set-up was designed mainly on the 1.8L manual version so that could be why it felt sharper, presumably because it has a lighter front end compared with its siblings with heavier CVT transmission and larger engine block.

The winding roads down from Genting to the Karak Highway with long sweeping corners were taken at high speeds with ease.

Paired to the 5-speed manual transmission, the all-alloy engine has enough grunt to move the Inspira along briskly but at the top end, engine note was a little less than pleasant, sounding like a metallic shrill.

The Inspira's clutch is almost feather-light and easy to control.

The bulk of Proton's work on the Inspira went into its ride and handling department. The suspension, which has been tuned by Proton's Lotus-trained engineers, was slanted towards comfort settings while the exhaust note sounded more civilised than sporty.

The tyre size of 205/60 R16 was pre-determined by Mitsubishi but Proton had the freedom of selecting its own tyre supplier, in this case Continental's recently launched 16-inch CC5 tyres, a hint of bias favouring a more comfortable drive than a spirited one.

As a result, judders and shocks caused by unkept roads were very well absorbed.

At speeds exceeding 110 km/h, the Inspira felt planted with outside noises kept well in check through good sound insulation.

Spirited driving was handled with sufficient poise with body roll kept well in check.

The car felt more predictable than the Lancer but exhibited more understeer if pushed hard around corners.

The gear shifter was precise with short throws, making gear changes fast and delightful.

Coupled with a light clutch pedal, driving the Inspira manual even through Kuala Lumpur's incessant traffic jams was not too much of a chore for the left foot.

Whether you like it or not, for the price that Proton is asking for, you are actually getting a face-lifted Mitsubishi Lancer that few cars in its category and size could offer as much.



specifications



Engine: 1,798cc 4B10, 16V twin camshafts and MIVEC

Max power: 138hp @ 6,000rpm

Max torque: 177Nm @4,250rpm

Features: Dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, immobiliser and alarm system, Isofix point, reverse sensor, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, MP3/Bluetooth-enabled CD player audio system

Price: RM78,999 OTR with insurance

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