2023 Proton Iriz

Proton Iriz 2023 Review

While it doesn’t seem like it, the Proton Iriz was the first of its kind. A five-door sub-compact hatchback is something Proton simply hadn’t done before – the closest thing to it would be either the Satria Neo or the Suprima, and neither of which could be put in the same pigeonhole as the Iriz. That being said, the Iriz was a completely necessary product for Proton to stay competitive.

Moreover, it was a chance for Proton to showcase one of their technological and design leaps, and it proved to be quite the formidable product. It has been on the market for a fairly significant amount of time – quite nearly seven years, to be exact – and has gone through a number of facelifts and revision since.

The exact number of variants of the Proton Iriz have changed over the years, but two things remain constant: there are both manual and CVT variants, and there is a choice of 1.3-litre or 1.6-litre engine, both being successors to Proton’s Campro powerplant with the addition of variable valve timing. It’s a bit of a shame that Proton eliminated the 1.6-litre manual variant that was produced in limited numbers, but low take-up meant it just wasn’t popular enough to justify space on the production line.

With the most recent facelift being launched in 2019, the Iriz now wears a front end that matches the rest of the Proton line-up, and has a slightly revised interior with more modern accoutrements for that competitive edge on the market. What hasn’t changed is the ride and handling characteristics, which arguably makes the Iriz the best in its class in this area.

Proton Iriz 2023 Specifications

Buyers have to be realistic when it comes to performance figures for the Proton Iriz; it just isn’t the 1990s anymore and we can’t cram torquier powerplants into a featherweight chassis while meeting emissions and safety requirements. The 1.3-litre naturally aspirated petrol powerplant makes 95 PS and 120 Nm of torque, while the larger 1.6-litre variant of the engine delivers 109 PS and 150 Nm of torque.

There is but one variant on offer with a five-speed manual transmission, and that’s the Standard 1.3L MT. The rest of the variants on offer come with a CVT-type automatic transmission, and unfortunately the Iriz does not come with any paddle shifters or manual override options.

With a kerb weight between 1,132 and 1,178 kilograms (depending on variant), the Iriz is a little heavy for the class it fights in. Much of that is down to how the car is constructed, though the result is a car that scores highly in terms of crash safety and has a very robust chassis and structure. The wheelbase is also impeccably long at 2,555 mm, lending it excellent stability in high-speed corners (and is one of the reasons why Mellors Elliot Motorsport chose the Iriz as a base chassis for their WRC2 rally car).

In terms of chassis design, it’s the cookie cutter format for economy cars: a MacPherson strut front, with a torsion beam rear axle to provide more boot and floor space at the rear. With that in mind, it is incredible what Proton’s chassis engineers managed to do with what they had – even for the roadgoing model that you can buy out of a showroom.

Proton Iriz 2023 Exterior

It’s very obvious that the Proton Iriz’s most recent facelift draws inspiration from the Proton X50 and X70 for the front and rear redesigns, but the overall shape of the car has not drastically changed since it was first launched. It proved to be a pretty radical departure from what Proton’s designs were like previously, being sleek enough to be exciting but simple enough to keep production costs down. It’s a hatchback if you’ve ever seen one, with a headlight and tail light design that’s noticeable from a distance.

All models get halogen headlamps and LED tail lights, and daytime running lights and a rear spoiler are added to the 1.3L Executive CVT model and up. The contrast coloured black rooftop, however, is limited to just the 1.6L Premium CVT and R3 Limited Edition variants. It goes without saying as well, but the R3 Limited Edition variant is also the only model to get R3 emblems, stickers, and a full on bodykit. The Standard variants get 14-inch alloy wheels, while the Executive 1.3L CVT variant and up get 15-inch alloy wheels.

Proton Iriz 2023 Interior

With a surprisingly tall body, the Proton Iriz feels particularly airy when you’re sitting inside. The seating position is appropriate – neither too high nor low – providing occupants with good all-round visibility. The dashboard has also benefited from mild updates in terms of quality and material choices, though most variants will have fabric seats and only the 1.6L Premium CVT and R3 Limited Edition variants get leather wrapped steering wheels and semi-leather or leatherette seats.

For the standard variants, the instrument cluster gets a segmented LCD unit for displaying driving information, while higher spec variants get a proper TFT unit. This is also reflected in the infotainment, with the 1.3L Executive CVT variant coming with a seven-inch touch screen monitor in place of a standard audio head unit.

Proton Iriz 2023 Safety Features

Safety is one aspect where the Proton Iriz isn’t quite as flat across the variants as you would expect. Only the 1.6L Premium CVT variant and the R3 Limited Edition variant get a full complement of six airbags, with other variants making do with just two units at the front. In contrast, electronic stability control and traction control are available across the entire range, as is hill-hold assist.

Proton Iriz 2023 Strengths and Weaknesses

Besides the typical strength of an economy car – good features at a good price – the Proton Iriz punches especially hard in one particular area, and that’s in just how well it behaves when you’re driving it on the road. This little hatchback is unassuming in its shape, but drive it back to back with anything else it could be compared to and you will understand just how much effort went into make it a great handling, great riding car.

Unfortunately, it was launched at a point in time when Proton hadn’t had any provision for active safety systems, and there’s no means to retrofit a system either. Proton has been trying since 2014 and it has never gotten further than a prototype phase. This is a weak point that will hopefully will be rectified with a facelifted variant.

Proton Iriz 2023 Price

When it comes to pricing and positioning of the Proton Iriz, it’s no surprise that it manages to stay a competitive product. The range-topper is the R3 Limited Edition variant that costs RM 53,700 – but forgo the extra items and the 1.6L Premium CVT model runs you RM 50,700. At the other end of the spectrum is the cheapest variant in the form of the 1.3L Standard MT, which costs just RM 36,700.

In between the two ends is the 1.3L Standard CVT for RM 39,700, the 1.3L Executive CVT for RM 44,700, and the 1.6L Executive CVT for RM 46,700. You can see exactly how the increase in price translates to a difference in specifications, and of course it bites a little to think that you could probably create an entry-level 1.6L Standard MT model for just RM 39,700 (nonexistent).

Proton Iriz 2023 Features

If features are what you’re looking for in a Proton Iriz, there is really no choice but to go for the 1.6L Premium CVT variant or higher. It is with this variant that you get the full functionality of the infotainment system, with on-board 4G and Wi-Fi hotspots, as well as voice control and commands. That being said, from the 1.3L Executive CVT model and up you still get nice items like automatic headlamps, remote trunk release, the touch-screen head unit, smartphone connectivity, and keyless entry and start.

Proton Iriz 2023 Fuel Consumption

While there is no official quoted fuel consumption figure for the Proton Iriz, testing has shown that it is possible to achieve 4.94 litres per 100 kilometres in terms of consumption, which translates to roughly 20.2 kilometres per litre. Naturally this changes depending on the variant you pick.