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At the heart of the Proton GEN-2 ecoLogic is the dual fuels’ appeal of cheaper fuel bills. What this means in practice is that the car comes with an 110bhp 1.6 litre petrol engine, which can run on both unleaded and LPG. The engine warms up on petrol, and as long as there’s LPG available the engine switches to this cheaper fuel after a few miles. Actual performance can best be described as sluggish, even though Lotus has had a hand in the development of the car this will win no speed races and takes 12 seconds to get to 62mph from the off. If you’re prepared for a sedate and pedestrian offering then you’ll be in for a treat with the Proton. The car comes in at 157g/km of CO2 which equates to Band G for VED, while fuel economy is pretty good at 42.8mpg on the combined cycle.

Other than the cars low running costs the Proton’s handling is perhaps its saving grace. Offering plenty of feedback and precise control of the car, the car is pretty capable when cornering with very little roll and everything is nice and grippy. The downside is that you’re in for a pretty bumpy ride, the car complains over potholes and road calming measures. The chassis is taut and takes no prisoners over the bumps, with a little more seating comfort this wouldn’t be as big a deal as it is.

The Proton GEN-2 certainly looks like a step in the right direction for the car maker, with its sporty front end, coupe-like tapering roofline, and foglamps the outside of the car has a pleasant, modern look. Quality takes a turn for the worse inside the car, however, with the patterned fabric upholstery used on the seats something not seen in a car for many a year. The driving position is cramped and ill fitting for anyone of average size and above, while the head room in the rear is compromised by the tapering roof. The dash has all the usually controls you’d expect, with a few on the steering wheel too, but the finish is cheap looking. Some of the controls seem to have been added as an afterthought and aren’t integrated into the interior style in the slightest. Wing mirrors and rear view mirror all suffer from visible vibration when travelling at around 30mph which isn’t good either. Sadly the overall finish all over the car lags behind other car manufacturers.

The GEN-2 comes with a comparatively long list of safety equipment, so you’ll find front side airbags to go with the driver and passenger airbags. The brakes are fitted with ABS and the front seat belts come with pre-tensioners. The car also comes kitted out with an alarm, immobiliser and central locking. Perhaps surprisingly the car also comes with rear distance sensors to aid parking.

The designers at Proton have obviously tried to make an aesthetically appealing vehicle, and the while the GEN-2 does look the part it would appear they’ve sacrificed some of the comforts that drivers expect in a new car. First up is the odd driving position, there just isn’t enough scope to change the individual components to suit different body sizes, instead the steering wheel is too low in relation to the seat and just doesn’t ‘feel’ right. The second major gripe is the lack of head room in the rear of the car – for young families this isn’t going to cause too much of an issue, however adults aren’t going to enjoy that low roof for any prolonged period. The boot is a good size at 430 litres, with the LPG tank not infringing upon it, thanks to it taking the place of the spare tyre, however the boot opening is a little on the small size, and much of the space available is horizontal rather than vertical.

Priced at £10,995 on the road, you’re getting a pretty big car for the money, this is very much the domain of city car and supermini so getting a “C-Segment” sized saloon car on the surface is good value. Another positive is that you don’t pay a premium for having that LPG system installed, and thanks to this alternative fuel having a lower amount of duty applied to it ongoing fuel bills are likely to be around 50% of what you’ll pay out for a conventional powered car. With petrol and diesel prices moving ever skyward the lure of LPG could prove strong for many on a tight budget. The downside of the car is that in terms of “value for money” the low grade interior, problem seating positions, and lack of power really go against the car. You’ll also take a hit in the pocket when it comes to its trade-in value. Finally the Proton GEN-2 comes with a 3 year warranty and 3 year free RAC breakdown cover.

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