Proton Waja
| Proton Waja | |
|---|---|
_(front),_Serdang.jpg) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Proton |
| Also called | Proton Impian |
| Production | 2000–present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact |
| Body style | 4-door saloon |
| Platform | FF |
| Related | Mitsubishi Carisma Volvo S40 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.6 L Mitsubishi 4G18 I4 1.6 L Proton Campro S4PHI4 1.8 L Renault F4P I4 2.0 L Mitsubishi 6A12 V6 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | Template:Auto mm |
| Length | Template:Auto mm |
| Width | Template:Auto mm |
| Height | Template:Auto mm |
| Curb weight | Template:Auto kg |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Proton Wira |
| Successor | Proton Persona |
The Proton Waja is a saloon car designed in-house by Malaysian automotive company, Proton, first released in August 2000. The Waja is the first Malaysian-designed car, based on the Mitsubishi Carisma and Volvo S40. Initially, the Waja was powered by a Mitsubishi 4G18 1.6 L engine; beginning 2006, Proton's own 1.6 L Campro engine served as a replacement. In the end of 2005, another variant of the exclusive Waja with a longer wheelbase and powered by a Mitsubishi 6A12 2.0 L V6 engine known as Proton Waja Chancellor was launched.
The name Waja, which means "tough (as steel)", reflects the strength of the steel used for the Waja compared with the previous models. The name was chosen partly to counter the perception in the domestic market that Proton cars were less strong. In the United Kingdom, the Waja is sold as Proton Impian.
Specifications
2007 Proton Waja 1.6
- Engine: DOHC 16-valve inline-4 cylinder Campro engine
- Maximum power: Template:Auto hp @ 6000 rpm
- Maximum torque: 148 N-m @ 4000 rpm
- Fuel system: Multi-point fuel injection
- Bore x stroke: 76 x 88 mm
- Displacement: 1597 cc
- Maximum speed: 190 km/h (manual); 185 km/h (auto)
- Transmission: 5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic
- Acceleration 0-100 km/h: (12 sec.)MT, (14.2 sec.)AT
- Front / rear brakes: Ventilated disc / disc
2006 Proton Waja Chancellor
- Engine: DOHC 16-valve engine
- Maximum power: Template:Auto hp @ 6750 rpm
- Maximum torque: 179 N-m @ 4000 rpm
- Fuel system: Multi-point fuel injection
- Displacement: 1997 cc
- Maximum speed: Template:Auto km/h
- Transmission: 4-speed automatic
- Front / rear brakes: Ventilated disc / disc
History
The Proton Waja is the first model designed in-house by Proton(but looks strangely similar to Volkswagon Mark 4(Bora). The development of the Waja began at the end of the 1990's together with the Campro engine, however the development of the Campro engine was still in progress at the time of its launch and therefore Proton had to source the 4G18 engine for the Waja from Mitsubishi. It was launched in August 2000 together with the introduction of Proton's new corporate logo.
The early batches of Waja production had some serious quality problems due to some component vendors and suppliers skipping quality checks to rush for the huge early demand, however the quality of the components were strictly improved years later in 2005[citation needed].
In 2002, the 1.8 L variant was introduced, powered by the same engine used in Renault Laguna II. The 1.8 L model incorporates drive-by-wire technology and variable valve timing technology. However, the 1.8 L model suffered poor sales because Malaysian customers were more familiar with Japanese engines and less confident of European engines especially on the availability of spare parts, therefore the 1.8 L variant was phased out in the following year.
At the end of 2005, Proton introduced another variant of the Waja known as Proton Waja Chancellor, used by representatives of ASEAN nations during the meeting of ASEAN leaders in KLCC shortly before the launch. The Waja Chancellor has a longer wheelbase and is powered by a 2.0 L V6 engine similar to that used in Proton Perdana V6, also sourced from Mitsubishi.
It was not until January 2006 that the Campro engine was finally used to power the Waja. Even though the engine is similar to the engine used in the Proton Gen-2, the Campro engine used in the Waja has higher horsepower and torque, probably due to the remapping of the ECU and also a different air intake system.
The Waja was facelifted twice since its debut in August 2000. The first minor facelift was in mid-2006 which only involved rear lights. The 2007 Proton Waja with a more substantial facelift was launched on 19 January 2007 together with the facelifted Proton Savvy. For the 2007 Waja, it was given a new grille which was nearly identical to the Savvy. The 2007 Waja also includes both ABS and airbag as standard for the Malaysian market, which were previously optional equipment.
Impian sales in the UK did not begin until April 2001, and it has continued virtually unchanged ever since. Sales have not been strong[citation needed], as it was behind the best of the competition at its launch and virtually all of its competitors have been replaced since. Its decent ride and handling, generous equipment levels, competitive asking price and comprehensive aftersales package are perhaps the only things that keep it going with British buyers[citation needed].
Safety
Euro NCAP 2002 crash test ratings
- Adult Occupant Rating - Template:Rating-5
- Pedestrian Rating - Template:Rating-5
Proton claims that the Impian is the first of a new generation of cars that are designed to Euro NCAP standards and is the first Proton car evaluated by Euro NCAP. It scored 3 stars for adult occupant safety but only 1 star for pedestrian safety [1]. This was a disappointing performance but Proton says it intends to improve future designs.
The car's body was damaged so badly by the impact that it became unstable. The driver and front passenger risked serious injury. The child restraints performed poorly and it became apparent that, in development, too little thought had been given to their use. The Impian is the name used in the UK and is only available with right hand drive while the left hand drive model is available elsewehere in Europe badged as Waja.
By Proton's standards, the 3-star Euro NCAP test was a milestone, however no other Proton cars have been tested as of this writing. Compared to other European cars of the time, the scores are probably at best average. The tested configuration with side airbags were never sold by Proton in Malaysia.