Proton

GEN-2

The family car with a difference, the GEN-2 is stylish, reliable, spacious and, above all, excellent value for money. It’s available in 5-door hatchback or as a 4-door saloon. There are now two dual fuel additions to the GEN-2 line-up.

Test Drive

Proton Gen-2 ecoLogic 1.6 GSX

In a day and age where every penny counts, Proton has come up with the perfect solution to save money – a car that runs on petrol and the cheaper and widely available liquefied petroleum gas.

And another incentive with the Lotus-inspired Gen-2 is that the dual-fuel system is pre-installed and unlike many rival models does not carry a price premium, so you can really reap the rewards of those cheaper fuel bills.

The 1.6 hatchback supplied for my test drive boasted sporty good looks with sweeping lines, striking alloys and a rear spoiler that at times does rather restrict visibility through the rearview mirror.

The quality continues inside thanks to leather seats with red hot trim throughout.

There is a top-of-the-range Blaupunkt sound system with CD player and MP3 compatibility, electric windows, air conditioning and plenty more besides.

Comfort levels are very good and rear seat passengers are treated to plenty of leg and head room. There is also a very generously-sized boot and many smaller storage compartments throughout the cabin.

In and around town the Gen-2 was a pleasure to drive with a very responsive and tightly grouped five-speed transmission and the 1.6-litre engine delivered plenty of power as and when required.

Out on the open road, the Gen-2 easily held its own in fast-moving motorway traffic, but I have to say the noise within the cabin was a little on the loud side at times – but hey, why put a brilliant audio system in a car and not use it!

Proton has packed plenty of safety features into the vehicle including anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, numerous airbags, front and rear crumple zones and reinforced rear seats for additional passenger protection.

And to keep any uninvited attention at bay, the Gen-2 comes complete with a host of security features such as a multi-functioning alarm with ignition lock protection and immobiliser to name just a few.

All in all, the Proton Gen-2 is outstanding value for money – the test model is priced at just under £11k on the road – and offers excellent safety, comfort and performance credentials for its class.