Proton exora 1.6 CPS

The inside of the Exora is very impressive from the point of view of
spaciousness and also appointments. With this model, the interior
designers have outdone themselves and far from looking cheap (which was
often the comment about Proton interiors), there is thoughtful use of
different textures for the various surfaces which makes a lot of
difference. In the past, this sort of thing was not given a lot of
attention and dashboards looked really cheap and plasticky. The centre console has a metallic finish which makes it a
distinctive element on the dashboard. The layout is clean and providing
a 2DIN opening for a conventional audio system will be appreciated. It
will be possible to easily replace the audio system with an
after-market unit, something which is less common these days as
manufacturers integrate their audio systems with the dashboard fascia,
making it a hassle for those who must have their own system.The
shift lever is mounted on an extension off the dashboard so it is
higher and within easier reach for most people. The automatic shifter
has a gated shift pattern like expensive models (though some cheaper
ones also have it now) which is nice for those who know and want to
shift manually (not to be mistaken for a tiptronic system which it is
not).There are many storage spaces provided for cans and bottles for every
occupant, including those in the third row. The cupholders are well
designed, being deep enough to contain bottles or cans properly. And
the interior designers also went one step further by providing a slot
with the rearmost cupholders which can take a magazine or comic book.
The dashboard also has two separate storage compartments for the
passenger’s use, the second one above the usual glovebox. The upper one
is not, as is often the case, an unused airbag recess as the airbag is
stowed further up. If there is no airbag, then the space is used as a
tray. On the driver’s side, there is a slot for a tollcard, which is a
feature not many cars have so again, it shows the thoughtfulness of the
interior designers. As many readers will know, this particular journalist has long made an 'issue’ about the absence of a teh tarik hook in Protons. From friends in the R&D team, I was told that this particular feature was made a 'must-have’ for the Exora because the MD didn’t want to hear me asking the same question again! It’s something which is found in many other cars and to me, it is a feature which is necessary for our lifestyle where we often buy food in plastic bags so there must be somewhere to hang it inside the car. Yet no one thought of putting it in the first Malaysian car nor the second one until now. And it’s not like it’s a complex feature either; yes, you can buy a pair for a few ringgit and put them under the headrests but Proton
could also provide them as part of the design. And finally they have –
one to the right of the glovebox and the other under the front
passenger’s headrest. Actually, even though the Proton people associate me with the teh tarik hook, I must explain that it was really the late Dato’ Gurcharan Singh, the first GM of EON, who brought it up. During the media launch of the Saga 1.5I in 1988, he complained that there was no 'char kuey teow’ hook for him to hang the packet of noodles and he felt that was something a Malaysian Car should have as standard.In keeping
with the times, the Exora (H-Line) has a standard DVD player/monitor
mounted on the ceiling. It’s a standalone unit which can play DVDs and
also accept media cards so apart from watching movies, the occupants
could review their holiday pictures as they go home.

One thing which Protons have been praised for – right from the first Saga –
has been the air-conditioning. Given our hot climate, a
high-performance cooling system is important and with the Exora’s large
cabin and extra glass area, this would have been a challenge. To ensure
that everyone stays cool, there are vents on the ceiling – two on each
side so that even those in the third row get cool air. The fan speed
can be controlled but the switch is too far forward (ahead of the DVD
player) and would be better if it was positioned over the second row. Being a MPV, the cabin has to be able to change its seating layout as
required to carry cargo or people. With the Exora, there are 6
different layouts possible ranging from a 7-passenger layout with all
three rows of seats in use to a '2-seater’ with both back rows folded.
The third row is not removable but that’s not a problem since the
backrests fold flat into the floor. Access to the third row is easy –
just press the release lever on the side of the second row and the
whole seat flips up and forward. The floor height is not too high so
most people will not find it a difficult climb in. The rear doors also
open extra-wide to make movement in and out easier. Proton didn’t give
the cargo volumes for the Exora but it did show the media (via some
movie clips) that its MPV can take more cargo than the Grand Livina and
the Avanza. For now, the Exora has only one engine – the 1.6-litre Campro
CPS+VIM which produces 125 bhp at 6000 rpm and 150 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm. It’s a familiar engine by now so we won’t get into much detail. A
turbocharged version is rumoured for introduction later on but no one
will confirm it. Incidentally, the Exora has front-wheel drive in case
you don’t realize it.

Final drive ratio has been lowered for the Exora transmissions

The Campro engine – after the CPS version - has proven itself to be a good powerplant in sedans but with the Exora weighing over 1,400 kgs, the
weight-to-power ratio is obviously not as good as what it would be in a
Waja. For this reason, a lot of effort was put into retuning the
transmission control unit to provide the driveability that would be
acceptable. This also necessitated a change of the final drive ratio in
the Mitsubishi transmission to a lower 4.625 (all the other ratios in
the manual and automatic transmission are the same as in the Waja and
Gen2). This means that overall gearing is lower and that enhances
low-end performance but sacrifices a bit at the top end. However, the
Campro CPS is already known to be inherently strong at the top end so
losing a bit is no big deal. Most owners would probably not notice it
anyway. There is also a lock-up clutch installed which provides a
direct solid link in top gear at cruising speeds, reducing power losses
that occur with the hydraulic linkage.
The suspension layout is a simple one with MacPherson struts in front and a torsion beam at the rear (for the sedan variants on the same platform, a multi-link rear suspension will be developed). The front suspension is attached to a sub-frame and this sub-frame is hydroformed, a process
which gives it greater strength and rigidity while reducing weight. By putting the suspension on the sub-frame, there is better isolation from road shocks and the suspension elements also have more sturdy attachment points. Much effort has also gone into reducing noise in the cabin and Proton has spent extra money to provide above sound insulation materials as well as used some technologies to cut noise. This is something which is not considered in models in this
price class and again, Proton has tried to give more without charging
more.The Exora makes use of a Body Control Module (BCM) and
while BCMs have been available for some time, they have mostly been
found in more expensive models. It is likely that Proton is the first
manufacturer to offer it in this class. The unit is made by Siemens VDO
which is the world leader in the manufacture of such modules. The one
for the Exora comes from its factory in China, a little fact which
Proton engineers today have no reluctance to reveal, unlike earlier
years when the culture of secrecy enforced by the previous management
had people scared to say anything. There is nothing to hide about this
being an imported item and it was common sense that it cost less to buy
from a factory in China than to keep insisting that parts must be
sourced in Malaysia only and force suppliers to make them here at
uneconomical volumes. Nevertheless, 90% of the Exora’s parts are still
sourced from Malaysian suppliers.
The BCM is, quite simply, a 'box’ that can be programmed to handle multiple functions which normally require separate controllers, eg for the wipers, the door locking system, the security system, etc. With each controller installed, it means having separate wiring and of course a certain amount of weight. The BCM unifies many of those functions in a single controller, thereby reducing the amount of wiring and space
requirements and of course, cost.
A BCM can be programmed for numerous functions and in the case of the Exora, it handles 24 functions. Some are related to safety while others are for
convenience. For example, there is a Battery Saver function for the
internal lighting which is operational after 30 seconds and the cabin lamps also dim automatically, a feature which once used to be found
only in expensive cars. The battery condition of the remote controller
is also displayed on the instrument panel so owners need not worry
about it suddenly dying. One of the functions is to reduce the door lock system from burning out after excessive usage.

Apparently, it was found that there were many instances where
Proton owners had burnt systems and it was traced not to quality issues
but because children played with the switches too much. So to eliminate
such a problem, the BCM has a program that will disable the locks in
OPEN position (for 20 seconds) if the system is operated 30 times
non-stop.Many of the functions, though, are related to safety.
These include activation of the hazard warning lights if the brake
pedal is applied suddenly at high speed and if the airbags inflate
(signaling a severe crash), the doors will automatically unlock and the
hazard lights will go on. There are also additional wiper controls, one
of them to get the rear wiper to activate when reverse gear is engaged.
And like many European models, a gentle press of the signal stalk
(which is on the left side) will activate the signal lights for 3
seconds. This is for use when doing lane changes and promotes driving
safety – provide Exora drivers make full use of it.A few other
features are for personal safety – eg unlocking of just the driver’s
door with the first press of the controller (many systems will unlock
all doors, not a good idea in lonely carparks), and there’s also a mode
which leaves the headlights on for a while to make it easier at night.Having
the BCM also makes diagnosis and trouble-shooting easier; instead of
having to test different control units, just one needs to be accessed.
Of course, having many functions integrated in a single unit can also
mean that many things will be disabled if the BCM fails but the Proton
engineers said that the QC standards are high and such a problem should
be minimal.

Safety is a top priority to all carmakers and with the Exora, Proton
has put it a greater effort than before in this area, probably because
a MPV would typically carry more people than a sedan much of the time.
No less than 32 vehicles were crashed, nine of them cost a million
ringgit each while the other 23 cost between RM200,000 and RM500,000 each.
The million-ringgit units were the earliest prototypes and cost so much
because they were pretty much hand-made since production parts were not
available yet. Though it is a phenomenal sum spent, Proton still saved
money because a lot of the work could be done by computer simulation
whereas in the past, vehicles had to be crashed, studied and
modifications made to fix weak areas and then another unit crashed.
Nowadays, most of the engineering can be finalized with computer aids
and the crash tests are for validation. The Exora was crash-tested for 12 different requirements, optional
and mandatory, all of which it passed. Besides ensuring that it can
meet the legal safety requirements in countries that it will be sold
in, Proton’s engineers also aimed for a high rating in the EuroNCAP
crash test. EuroNCAP is an independent organization which conducts
crash tests on vehicles sold in Europe and carmakers pay attention to
its results which are also made public. While EuroNCAP has not actually
crashed an Exora (and would only do so if it is sold in Europe and it
chooses to evaluate the model), its criteria are available to
manufacturers who can conduct their own crash tests and see how well
their new model will fare. In the case of the Exora, the crash tests
conducted in an independent facility in Spain showed that the MPV could
score 4 stars (out of the maximum of 5) based on EuroNCAP criteria.As
the various pictures show, the structural integrity of the Exora is
very good and the cabin area is well protected during impacts from the
all sides. Rear-end crash tests are not presently a legal requirement
by any country but Proton also had that done and more significantly, it
had the vehicle put through a roll-over test – the first Proton model
to ever be subjected to such a crash test. This test, which was done at
48 km/h, shows how well the upper structure of the vehicle is
engineered to not only resist deformation and the roof pillars
(especially the front two) have to be strong enough to support the body
if it remains upside down, crucial to reducing fatalities. Passing the
test not only requires that there is no collapse of the roof structure
but there must also be no ejection of the dummies inside. That the
company chose to do this 'optional’ test (which the Exora passed, of
course) shows the importance it has placed in occupant safety and is
commendable. The structural rigidity of the Exora’s bodyshell is very high and
exceeds the targets that were set. While most people won’t understand
what torsional and bending stresses are all about, the important thing
to know is that in torsional strength, the test result was 39% better
than the target while bending strength was 88% better.However,
making a bodyshell very strong is not key to providing the occupants
with the best protection because the impact forces are still
tremendous. So the approach taken is to reduce the forces progressively
before they reach the cabin. In earlier years, this was done by having
crumple zones at the front and rear to absorb the forces but today,
with computer-aided engineering, it is also possible to design the
various structural members to absorb and transfer the forces around the
cabin.Proton has often been criticized for not providing airbags
as standard throughout its range, though this is understandable because
it is constrained by costs and Malaysians expect Protons to be cheaper
than other cars. Nevertheless, for the Exora, this issue won’t be
raised by buyers since dual front airbags are standard for both the
M-Line and H-Line. Given that Proton intends for the Exora to be a
major export model, putting in airbags as standard would not be a high
cost since the volume of airbags purchased would be greater, thereby
lowering unit cost. And as required by the new law, all seven occupants
have seatbelts. Pre-tensioners are provided for the front seatbelts to
make restraint more effective when the airbags deploy.Other
Passive Safety features (some of which are made possible by having the
BCM) include the automatic activation of the hazard warning lights
during sudden braking from high speeds and automatic unlocking of all
doors when the airbags have been inflated. The latter, which is rare in
vehicles in this price class, will aid rescuers in extracting the
occupants during an accident. In the area of Active Safety, which helps the driver avoid an
accident, of note would be the high standards of handling which Proton
engineers have learnt from Lotus Engineering. This is an aspect which
Proton has often been praised for and over the past few years, its
engineers have been gaining more and more experience so it is only
natural that the Exora has superior handling characteristics which, as
a test-drive showed, could be considered above-average for a MPV in
this class.The brake system has ventilated discs in front and
drums at the rear with ABS standard. Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
(EBD) is also present and this is especially important for a MPV
because of the varying loads that will be on board at different times.
ABS only optimizes braking and stability (and allows the driver to
still steer the vehicle) by preventing the wheels from locking up and
skidding on slippery surfaces but the brake pressure between front and
rear is pre-set and does not change.With
EBD, there is dynamic adjustment of the brake pressure between the
front and rear wheels according to the load distribution on board. This
ensures that braking will be optimized and stable whether there is just
the driver alone and the rear end is light or when there are seven
people on board and the vehicle is at maximum load.
So
the Exora is a very safe vehicle to travel in and this is something
which will be appreciated by owners. More praiseworthy is that Proton
has provided a number of safety features which are not standard in its
price class and this is certainly a big change from the days when other
makes gave more and Proton gave less.
Since the
time the Waja was launched with the promise of having 'far better
quality than ever before’ – and delivering the opposite – it’s been
hard to be 100% convinced that a new model will have better quality. So
new model reports have always had to end with something like
'…depending on the quality’. Unfortunately, this stigma will take some
time for Proton to get rid of and even with the Exora, there is still
concern even though every unit shown to the media had excellent fit and
finish. Make no mistake, this is the best model Proton has ever and it
would be a real shame if continued indifference by suppliers with
regards to quality diminishes the excellence. If the Exora can have
consistently high quality and less complaints are heard, then this
could be the model which finally rids Proton of its 'cheap but poor
quality’ reputation.For the Malaysian market, Proton expects to
sell 3,000 to 3,500 units a month, a figure that sounds realistic,
unlike those ridiculous numbers we used to be given for models like the
Juara, Gen2 and Savvy which didn’t seem to have any basis. Proton’s MD
Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin bin Syed Mohd Tahir understands that the
domestic market which Proton once dominated is no longer enough to
sustain it in the longer term and it has to look at the ASEAN region as
its 'home market’ and by July, the Exora will be launched in Indonesia
where it should do well since that is a MPV market.As Dato’ Haji
Syed Zainal told the media last week, the Exora marks the end of the
journey of transformation but it is also takes the company past another
milestone on the way to becoming a credible player in the auto
industry. It’s a product which shows that a small carmaker can still do
great things and this is especially impressive at a time when the
industry globally is not in good shape.