Wednesday, March 30, 2011

List of Proton car models


This islist of Proton car models, listed in chronological order by the year of release of each of the respective cars. Proton is the Malaysian national carmaker.

Car models

ModelProductionInfo
Proton Saga (first generation) (front), Kuala Lumpur.jpg
Proton Saga
1985–2008Proton Saga (known as the MPi in the UK) was the first Proton model. It rolled off the Shah Alam assembly line for the first time in September 1985. The 100,000th Proton Saga was produced in January 1989.
Proton Wira
Proton Wira
1993-2006Proton Wira was, and still is, very popular in Malaysia. It is almost identical apart from some trunk lid and tail light design to the 1992 Mitsubishi Lancer The word Wira translates into English as "Hero" but instead of using this as the name in English-speaking countries, Proton chose to use the word Persona. The wira has variant models such as 1.3GLi A/M, 1.5GLi A/M, 1.6XLi A/M, 1.8XLi A/M and 2.0D M. Only the 1.8XLi Auto is marketed in the English-speaking country at first known as Persona. Persona is a hatch back model. However, from about 2001 onwards, the car has been sold as the Wira in the United Kingdom
A Proton Satria GTi
Proton Satria
1995-2007Proton Satria (also called the Proton Compact in the UK) is a sporty 3-door hatchback based on the Mitsubishi Mirage / Mitsubishi Colt. Proton gained a lot of valuable engineering knowledge from its takeover of Lotus which ultimately led to a special Lotus badged version of the Satria being produced.
Proton Satria GTi is a 3-door sports hatchback. This was Proton's entry in the sport performance hatchback market. The Satria GTi is popular in Malaysia and has a large following in Australia. It is powered by a 4-cylinder 1,800 cc DOHC engine and featured Lotus-tuned suspension.
Proton Satria R3 is a limited edition road-legal race-spec Satria with only 150 units in production. It features a double seam-welded lightened chassis and a tweaked engine with more aggressive cam timing.
Proton Satria SE is the last batch of Proton Satrias to roll out. Featuring Proton Arena sports rims and grille, and many extras in the interior similar to the Proton Wira SE, this would be the last of the Satrias before the long-awaited SRM (Satria Replacement Model) rolls out.
Proton Putra (front), Kuala Lumpur.jpg
Proton Putra
1995-2000Proton Putra (also sold in the United Kingdom and Australia as the Proton Coupe or Proton M21) is a 2-door sporty coupe based on the Mitsubishi Mirage. Considered by many as one of the better looking of the Mitsubishi-based models, the Putra was well-received and commands good second-hand value.
Proton Perdana (first generation) (front), Serdang.jpg
Proton Perdana
1995-1998Proton Perdana, based on the Mitsubishi Eterna, was first produced in 1995, and was intended for the higher-end market.
Proton Tiara (front), Sungai Besi.jpg
Proton Tiara
1996-2000Proton Tiara was a supermini class 5 door compact car based on the Citroën AX. It was built under license fromPSA Peugeot Citroën by Proton from 1996 to 2000. The Tiara was powered by a 1.1L engine and featured a different grille, tail lights and bumpers than the Citroën AX. Its successor is the Proton Savvy.
Proton Perdana (V6) (first generation, second facelift) (front), Serdang.jpg
Proton Perdana V6
1999-2010Proton Perdana V6 was a facelifted version of the Perdana, featuring a more powerful V6 engine and new front and rear look. It was later facelifted to include the Alfa-Romeo-inspired grille that earned it the nickname Alfa-dana among enthusiasts.
Proton Juara, Kuala Lumpur.jpg
Proton Juara
2001-2003Proton Juara was a microvan based on the Mitsubishi Town Box Wide. This model was the first batch being totally CKD models from Japan. The external appearance of the car, which was a modification of the original Town Box, was not popular with the Malaysian market and suffered poor sales. The Proton Juara was very economical in fuel consumption and was very versatile. It is also one of the best-equipped Mitsubishi-based models offered from Proton.
Proton Waja (first generation) (front), Serdang.jpg
Proton Waja
2000-PresentProton Waja (Proton Impian in Europe) is the first Proton to be designed and styled in-house. However, the car's chassis and engine were sourced and adapted from Mitsubishi (except for the 1,800 cc variant, which was powered by a Renault engine). The word Waja translates into English as "steel" while Impian translates into "dreams" or "ambition". The name Impian was chosen as it was considered to be a more pleasant sounding word for the international market. In January 2006, the car was fitted with a CamPro engine which has been re-tuned to boost the horsepower to 86 kW (115 bhp) and 155 N-m of torque. This made it go full-circle, as the CamPro was originally developed for the Waja, but was deemed not ready for production when the Waja was launched, hence debuting in the Proton Gen-2. The facelifted 2007 Proton Waja was launched on 19 January 2007 with the new grille nearly identical to the Proton Savvy. The Proton Waja was initially marketed as a premium product in some markets, but the actual product proved unconvincing, and the ill-judged marketing ploy was quickly dropped.
The Waja was also released as the Proton Chancellor in late 2005, a variant for the executive market with a 250mm wheelbase stretch and luxury fittings and accessories, including a space-robbing rear centre console that restricted seating to four persons. It was fitted with powertrain from the Proton Perdana V6. With a selling price of about twice that of a Waja, the Chancellor is a very rare sight on Malaysian roads.
  • Proton Waja R3 MME Edition
Proton Arena (solid bed cover) (front), Kuala Lumpur.jpg
Proton Arena
2002-PresentProton Arena (called Proton Jumbuck in the United Kingdom and Australia), a coupe utility vehicle. Based on the Wira platform, Proton engineers managed to develop a vehicle that would cater for those who have an active lifestyle and also those who need a small and economical utility vehicle as opposed to a commercial truck. 1200 units were sold in Australia in its first year. The Arena comes in 3 bodystyles.
Proton Gen.2 (front), Serdang.jpg
Proton Gen-2
2004-PresentProton Gen-2 is the first fully Malaysian-developed (including chassis and engine) Proton car and the replacement model for the Proton Wira; launched on February 8, 2004. Proton still continued to sell the Wira after the Gen.2 was launched, due primarily to the popularity of sedan/saloon vehicles in the target market. The Gen.2, a hatchback design, is considered by many to be the best-looking Proton. It has a minimalist and modern interior with design cues from the Lotus subsidiary. However, very low quality of materials and fit and finish of interior components seriously hurt the public's perception of the quality of the vehicle at launch. Later models used improved quality materials and assistance from the TUV of Germany to help maintain the quality improvements. The Gen.2 was the first Proton to receive the (inappropriately) named CamPro engine, which at launch was widely criticised for the lack of low- to mid-range torque (pulling puwer), due to a late decision to drop Camshaft Profiling from the engine feature-list in production models. Attempts to improve this torque deficit by adjusting ECU parameters have largely been unsuccessful. Published engine torque curves still show a pronounced dip in torque output in the crucial 2000-3000 RPM engine speed region, presumably due to the missing engine feature.
The version with Campro CPS engine was previewed during the 24th Thailand International Motor Expo 2007 in Bangkok.
The Proton Gen-2 was also released in the form of three other variants:
  • Proton Gen-2 R3 MME Edition
  • Proton Gen-2 EVE Hybrid, a hybrid concept version of the Gen-2, revealed during the 2007 Geneva Auto Show. It retains the S45MPH Campro engine coupled together with a 30 kW, 144 V electric motor.
  • Proton Gen-2 Ecologic , a dual fuel (petrol/lpg) conversion done by proton at no cost extra.
Proton Savvy, Kuala Lumpur.jpg
Proton Savvy
2005-PresentThe Proton Savvy was launched on June 8, 2005. The 1,200 cc 5-door supermini car. The car is fitted with an engine and a gearbox sourced from Renault. In an official on-road test made by Proton in mid-2006, Proton Savvy recorded the fuel consumption rate of about 24 km/L at constant speed of 90km/h (or about RM0.08/km of fuel), making the car as the most fuel-efficient Malaysian car as verified by Malaysian Book of Records. Even with very good fuel efficiency the car maintenance were reportly to be very high even surpassing the Proton Waja. This because of the use of the European Renault engine.
  • Proton Savvy R3 Zerokit was based on the Proton Savvy R3 prototype and could be added to a Savvy purchase for an additional RM3000. It featured a roof spoiler, front and rear lips and side skirting.
ProtonSatriaR3-MelbMotorshow.JPG
Proton Satria Neo
2006-PresentProton Satria Neo is the replacement model of the previous Satria variants, using all-new design, chassis and powerplant. Launched on 16 June 2006, the Satria Neo is available in 1.6L and 1.3L variants, where both variants are powered by Campro engine.
Proton Persona (front), Serdang.jpg
Proton Persona
2007-PresentProton Persona was launched on 15 August 2007. The 1.6 liter sedan is based on the Proton Gen-2 and features a sedan body instead of the Gen-2's hatchback body. It retains the same 82kW Campro engine. The Persona is rebadged as the Proton Gen-2 Persona in the UK market.
The name Persona was also originally used in English-speaking countries for the Wira.
Proton Saga (second generation) (front), Serdang.jpg
Proton Saga
2008-PresentProton Saga is an indigenous design, designed to outperform and outengineer the old Saga compact sedan and aeroback in every way. Its bodywork is essentially based on a stretched Proton Savvy. The new model is an in-house design developed in collaboration with Korea's LG CNS and Lotus Engineering. This model enables the Malaysian company play to its strength in the home market i.e. three-box sedan. The Proton Saga is not planned for U.S. launch but will be sold throughout Southeast Asia, in China, India and Australia.
Proton Exora H-Line Automatic
Proton Exora
2009-PresentProton Exora was launched on 15 April 2009. It is powered by the 1.6L Campro CPS I4 engine producing 125 horsepower and 150Nm of torque, resulting in a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph) and an average fuel consumption of 7.2 L/100 km (39 mpg-imp; 33 mpg-US).The Exora will feature a Body Control module which allows automatic activation and configuration of various vehicle functions such as door locking/unlocking, interior lamps, headlamps, brake lamps and wipers. The result has been announced on 17th February 2009. The name Proton Exora",was picked from the Name The Proton MPV competition grand prize winner Norsholihan Bt Abdul Eanich. Some says that it was taken from the name of a flower, (Ixora) but according to compettion termss and conditions the name should not based on any kind of flowers, animals etc.
Proton-inspira-truck.jpg
Proton Inspira
2010-PresentProton Inspira, or previously referred to as Proton New Sedan, or codenamed P3-90A is an automobileproduced by Proton as the successor to the Proton Waja. The Compact car is essentially a rebadged 9th generation (and current) Mitsubishi Lancer.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Tropical Fruits in Malaysia

Duku (Lansium domesticum)
Duku is round in shape and slightly bigger than a golf ball. It grows in clusters with a thick leathery skin which is in golden brown colour and can be peeled into segments when gently pressed on the top of the fruit. Each fruit composed of a few segments of juicy and refreshing flesh that is tangy sour to sweet taste. Some segments may contain small and bitter seeds. The flesh is usually white but some are pink.


Duku is originated from West Malaysia but it is cultivated through out the whole region nowadays. It takes about fifteen years for a duku tree to reach maturity; but the wait is worthwhile as they bear clusters of fruit twice a year thereafter. There are farmers blend both duku and langsat and produce a new innovation species, that is the Duku-Langsat which bears the characteristic of both duku and langsat.
In Terengganu, duku is cultivated in Manir area in Kuala Terengganu. During the harvest season, there are lorries lining up outside the orchards as to collect and weight the fruits then distribute to other areas later. 

Salak (Snake fruit)
The salak, or snake fruit which grows in clusters at the base of the plant has dark-brown shiny skin which is tough. It is originated from Indonesia but is now also grown in Thailand and Malaysia. Surprisingly the rough skin is thin and easy to peel. Inside you'll find a light-tan firm, dry and crunchy fruit divided into three or more lobes, usually with a single seed in the largest section. The fruit has a tannin content and if it is not properly ripe, the taste can be unpleasantly astringent. A ripe salak is always creamy yellow colour and has a sweet acid taste rather like a pineapple. Salak is not juicy which makes them especially convenient to peel and eat. The fruit has the firmness of a carrot and a distinctively agreeable flavour quite unlike any other fruit. Beside eaten in fresh, people in Terengganu also make this fruit into pickled or hot packed into syrup. These reproduced salak can be found in stalls by the road or in Center Market of Kuala Terengganu.
Salak fruit is cultivated in for commercial purpose in Ketengah in Terengganu. Recently there is another newly innovated clone, the salak pondos which can be cultivated in hydroponics method and harvest all year round in 2 years time. It is sweeter and allows higher yield.

Langsat
Langsat comes from the same species as duku but langsat grows not as wide as duku does and is cultivated on a lesser scale. Langsat fruits are always smaller and oval in the shape as compared with duku. The skin is pale and fawn colour. Langsat usually grow in 6 to 12 fruits in a single cluster and each fruits composed of a few segments each each with green and bitter seed and sourer in the taste. The skin exudes latex or sap even when it is mature, this makes it less welcome than duku.


Banana
There are various type of banana can be found in Malaysia all with different name and appearance. For example Pisang mas is the short and little banana, Pisang rastali and Pisang Tanduk are often made into fried banana and other dining banana such as Pisang Susu, Pisang Raja etc. Some bananas are even made into dishes together with its stem and flowers.
Banana is available year round and it is always not expensive in price. Banana tree has a large expanded leaves, about 2.0 m long and 50 cm wide. It has entire leaf margin and the leaf stalk elongated to form the leaf sheath. Because of the unique fragrance produced and the size, banana leaf is often used as wrapper to certain local food such as Nasi Lemak andKuih Tepung Pelita.
When buying a banana select that is slightly green, firm, and without bruises. If the bananas have a gray tint and a dull appearance, these have been refrigerated, preventing them from ripening properly.

Jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
There is proverbs in Malay : Siapa makan nangka, dia kena getah” ---- who eats the nangka (jack fruit), will be touched by the sap, meaning that you are responsible for your own action. Name of this fruit always gives space for imagination as it always sounds like ‘Jack’s fruit’. Jack fruit hang on a stalk from the tree trunk, large and oblong in shape. A mature Jack fruit can reach to 30-90cm long, 30-50cm wide and 5-8kg in weight. Therefore it can be easily recognized among the fruit. Jack fruit has thick skin with thorns which are not shape. The flesh is firm and yellowish with seed encases in the fruit. It is eaten raw and the seeds can be eaten when it is boiled. However, the flesh is also used as dish when the fruit is unripe. There is sap produced when you cut the fruit and it is sometimes used to capture birds by the villagers. It is normally grown in yard in the village area.


 Ciku (Manilkara achras)
Ciku looks similar to a kiwi fruit except it has smooth, non hairy but rusty skin. Ciku is granulated and yellowish to pinkish brown in colour when it is ripe. It can be oblong or round in shape depends on the species. Ciku found in Terengganu is always oblong and light brownish in the flesh.
A well grown ciku can be in a size of 5 to 10cm long. Ripe ciku is soft and sweet unlike the unripe which is hard and unpleasantly astringent and with milky sap. It is normally eaten in fresh although there is also fried ciku slices and jam in the market.
When the skin is peeled, the soft flesh is sliced into pieces which often carved into decorative shapes. There are about 2 to 4 flat oblong black and smooth seeds in the fruit.


Cempedak (Artocarpus champeden)
Many people confuse Cempedak with Jack fruit. They both look similar from the outer skin except cempedak is smaller and with stronger smell than jack fruit and it is a seasonal fruit. The flesh of cempedak is softer and smaller with orangey yellow. It is eaten in raw but more commonly deep fried.


Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)
Perhaps everybody will agree that watermelon is the best choice to cure your thirst in a hot sunny day. It produces so much sweet and pleasantly scented juice that can easy your throat in a second.
Watermelon has herbaceous stem and tendrils and creeps on the ground. It is vary in the shape and colour of the fresh. The traditional species has light green with stripes on the skin and passionate red in the flesh. However with the new innovation in the cultivation, you can see watermelon in dark green skin and yellowish or orangey yellow flesh.